Reasonable adjustments for inability to tell the time?

@InattentiveADHD I wasn't saying that people with time blindness can learn time by trying harder. You have misinterpreted me butperhaps I was unclear as have been teaching from 7.30 am until 6I this evening so brain is fried. I was trying to say that It's just a thing that is really hard for certain people. However, there are now significant numbers of students without the full time blind experience but who have aspects and find analogue time very hard. Therefore it may be that some schools are now providing digital clocks as a norm. However, if he is in a smaller room or needs a clock on his desk just for him then that needs a specific application to the boards.

People with time blindness can't just learn it. It's not something you can get better at by "trying harder".

I have to use clocks, written down schedules and timers. My DH also prompts me if we need to be somewhere important. None of its fail safe as it isn't inbuilt, and try as I mount it can't be learnt.

OP your son needs a prompter. A very normal exam adjustment. My DS who has autism and ADHD, had for his exams:

• prompter to keep him on track in the exams timewise and distraction wise.

• separate room - as he needed a promoter and because he gets distracted by others and because he talks out loud when concentrating. Prompter also reminded him to do things like read the question properly and to go back and check his work if he had time.

• use of keyboard as his handwriting is so poor

• supervised breaks if needed.

• Extended time.

There are loads of possible exam adjustments. Speak to the SENCO if you feel they are further adjustments he needs that are not being provided.

JCQ have tightened up the rules on a lot of things recently, including access arrangements like having a separate room, prompters, etc.

I think you need to talk to the SENCo and the exams officer urgently about what would be possible at this stage, given they will need to evidence it before exams start.

I'd be phoning them on Monday to discuss, and they will be able to give you up to date information and let you know about the layout of the exam hall etc.

Rules have tightened up a lot since covid, and even more this year, so advice from even a few years ago can be out of date.

He has time blindness. Not uncommon within the neurodiverse community. You need to get in touch with the SENCO and exams officer asap as the deadline is fast approaching for applications unless they have a digital clock for the whole cohort. I would also ask for a prompter which is a centre delegated award and thus doesn't need them to do applications or paperwork.

He cannot wear a watch. However the school can provide a digital clock. It is not just him with this problem. Universally I am finding more and more students cannot read analogue time.

A good practice is for him to sit and feel how a minute feels. How five minute feels. Time himself doing some basic things such as eating breakfast so he starts getting a feel for time.

Not necessarily- some schools give a 5 minute warning but others don't and not all schools have a digital clock.
OP- you need to speak to Learning Support asap.

An analogue clock

Sorry about typos

Invigilators announce times at certain points. He will also have a TA to prompt him if he has that on his plan

Totally normal these days for there to be a digital clock displayed in exam hall for all to see. Often as well as a analogue. It's unbelievable how many kids and teens cannot read an analogue click these days.

Analogue clocks are more visual - you can see the time remaining rather than have to calculate it. A digital clock would disadvantage my child as she struggles with maths so working out 13:48 means 12 minutes left until 2 o’clock (or even worse, that it is 18 minutes until 14:06 as they started late) would be a struggle, take time and attention away from the exam and the number would be meaningless. Seeing the hand move around to 2 o’clock is much easier to comprehend and can be seen at a glance. You don’t need to know the time, just where the hands will be when the time is up and how far they are away now.

So I guess there should be both an analogue and a digital clock.

OP- what has happened in mocks/ other exams so far? He must have sat some already?

I wasn't going to give him a sheet to take in. Just tell him that for eg in the nonfiction/transactional writing paper, he needs to finish section A by 10.15 or whatever. He'll be able to remember that. I can just do that every morning where it's relevant and text him at lunchtime for the afternoon exams if he has 2 in the same day (think there's only 5 instances of that thankfully)

Exams never start at their published time so this would disadvantage him if, say, the exam started at 10:08 and he thought he needed to finish the question by 10:15.

Y11 daughter tells me they can't wear a watch.

When I did my GCSEs a watch was a watch. At most they might have a calculator (but calculators were allowed for all maths papers anyway) or a remote control, but neither of those were problematic.

Now even some watches that look like a analogue watches are smart watches with capacity for messages etc. I guess that's why they are not allowed.

Whether any exceptions can be made as a reasonable adjustment, I don't know.

At my DCs school, all the clocks for exams are digital as apparently lots of kids can't tell the time on an analogue clock anymore. Even mine, who I taught years ago, are too lazy to do it.
Definitely check with the exam officer at the school though.

Yes it is definitely no watches anymore.

is he in the main hall or a separate room. I would say his needs suit a separate room - exams officer and senco will be able to advise as there is a lot they can do to help.

clocks are digital now he is not alone in struggling with analogue

OK.

They rules have changed- no watches of any type allowed

I was invigilating until Covid and students could keep normal watches but had to take them off and put them on the desk. Smart watches etc would have to be handed in with phones. So unless the rules have been changed in the past couple of years, which is possible, he could have his own watch. We only had analogue clocks on display but that's not a rule.

Some students with access arrangements were allowed time prompts from the invigilator.

He can't wear a watch of any type, Helen.

A promoter can remind him to stay on task and he can have a visual pie char- style timer (on an iPad screen, for ex) that will visually count down time (it's a free online resource). He may also be allowed a separate room so the promoter isn't disturbing others. These access arrangements are common. Speak to his SENCI.

He xan wear a watch as long as it isn't a smart watch. So am old fashioned digital one would be OK.

Back in the day before watches could access the Internet, the first thing you did when you took your exam desk was take off your watch and prop it in a suitable position in front of you. It's a shame children aren't allowed non-smart watches in exams.

I invigilate for college exams (GCSE and Btec) and we're allowed to give prompts for those with additional time,..ie 25 minutes left, 10 minutes etc.