Autism: Discrete exam adjustments

[thepuffin]

My DS is 15 and is doing his GCSEs. He's recently been diagnosed with autism and has been referred for an assessment for ADHD. School are on board and offering support. He would clearly benefit from adjustments at exam time but he really doesn't want anyone at school to know that he has autism. Can anyone think of a convincing white lie that he can tell his friends why he may be in a different room/need longer. Thank you

I doubt his friends will even notice he has access arrangements.

Otherwise - my handwriting is slow and/or I get a bit too stressed in the large exam room?

Honestly no.
It's pretty well known in schools what types of issues get allowances at exam time.

It might be more helpful for your ds to have some support around his diagnosis and what his feelings about it are. So he can work through what he shares when, with whom and why.

ND is well recognized in schools now and it is unlikely to be of much interest to his friends.

thanks, I know that it’s a ridiculous question but it’s all early days and he is absolutely adamant that none of his friends find out, and feel like I need to respect that decision until he gets used to the diagnosis.
Slow handwriting might work, he does have that anyway.

So many kids have to go to different rooms I doubt anyone would care - small white lie - tell him to check why the other kids are there and choose whatever reason
if he has support at school the support teacher can help him with that

I guess he could just say there wasn’t space in the other rooms

Dc has adjustments due to autism which friends don't know about. Dc also has medical issues that don't really require adjustments but could potentially do so so, so has used these known medical conditions as a reasoning. Has ds got any medical issues that he's happy to use as a reason?

He'll find he's one of many when the time comes, and no one will care.

Thank you, he does have hearing issues too so that could work. I guess the good thing about GCSEs is that you don’t see people who you don’t want to see ever again if you don’t want to and don’t think he will stay on for sixth form.

It’s so common now to have extra time or other adjustments that he may be surprised at how many of his peers fall into this category.

He could say any of the following white lies and the other kids won’t think much of it if he can be blasé. If they ask too many questions, he can just blame his parents for ‘making a fuss’.
problem with his eyes and he gets headaches so they have given him extra time to rest them
memory, or processing delay (he might not like this)
he needs to use a laptop as his writing is slow, so he has to be in a separate room
he gets low blood sugar, so he has to go in a separate room

He will eventually come to terms with his diagnosis but you can’t force it. I think you are right to help him until he is ready to tell his peers. It has to be on his terms. Best of luck

He can lie and say he just gets it for slow handwriting or something. But at some point the deeper issue of him accepting his diagnosis and what it means for him (strengths and challenges) is something he needs to work through. There are counsellors who help kids (and families) with this stuff or he can look online for ND community

Thanks @Londoncatshed and @rembecca both very helpful input.
Does CAHMs provide such counselling and if so presumably there is a huge wait again. He has never does well with counselling as doesn’t want to acknowledge he has issues or talk about it.

CAMHS has a huge waiting lists and most of their work is higher need.
You might do better with a focused charity.

I have a DS with ASD, but he doesn’t have adjustments at present. What adjustments are being made for posters with children with ASD please? My DS is in y11.

Might be worth seeing if there's a school counsellor as they might be quicker to get a slot with.

DD had her own room as she has tendonitis in her wrist which meant she needed rest breaks. GIven your son has slow handwriting anyway that might be a good excuse for him to give his peers?

Could he try something like Better Health? It's online so more accessible and might feel like intense for him