A question for music teachers about SNs and extra time.

[FiveHoursSleep]

Two of my daughters have ASD and they both sat exams last month- G3 and G5 piano.
I'm not expecting them to do brilliantly as I don't think they were prepared well but they ran out of time for their pieces and had to sit them. I think they should have passed though.
I cant find any discussion with their teacher of them having had extra time, and as far as they were concerned they didn't.
However, DD2 is also sitting her G5 trombone next month and her teacher has suggested we apply for extra time, so I have copied her diagnosis letter and sent it in to the access co ordinator. It's all been approved and it's obvious there is some protocol to go through to get the extra time.
Now the piano teacher has come back to us and said that ABRSM are demanding copies of both girls' letters before they release the results to us. This seems really odd to me- they have already sat the exam, why do they need the letters now?
Have any of you music teachers heard of this happening before?

What was the extra time for? Was it for sight reading in which case evidence of working memory/speed of processing etc is needed or was it just for communication/processing instructions issues?

I don't know! The kids don't think so, but don't know. I'm guessing it was for the sight reading as that's what we are asking for for DDs trombone exam. The teacher said they did but it wasn't discussed before hand as it has been before.
I guess I'm just surprised they would give extra time in the exams without having all the paperwork done before.

I know that the exams give you an indication of how long it will take at any grade but I thought that is it, an indication, it takes as long as it takes for covering all the areas of the exams. I never heard of extra time allowance as I didn't think there was a time limit. Is it? Obviously if it is for sight reading then it makes sense as the 30 seconds looking at the exercise may not suit a dc with SN.

There are all sorts of access arrangements for ASD, and extra time is only one of them. I have applied for one of my pupils before. I don't understand from the original post whether they were given the extra time and/or other arrangements for the piano exams, or whether ABRSM has since twigged that they SHOULD have done (because of the trombone entry)?

In any case, I'd send the letters off fast, to get the results, then ring the Board to clarify what access arrangements were/ can be given.

The piano teacher is saying that they were given the extra time, although the girls were not aware of it.
I just think it's odd that the paperwork wasn't sorted before they got the extra time! Have sent the letters off anyhow.

All sorted now. At least they both passed!

From what I know extra time is only about 5 mins for practical exam therefore they may not notice the difference. It is about 30 mins for the written exam though. Also, the application should be done during the registering for the exam, there is some sort of code which should be indicated depending on the problem.
Anyway, congratulations on the results!

Excellent, well done girls!

I think students with ASD can also take a companion into exams, subject to their level of need. There are also guidelines for examiners about presenting instructions, allowing a bit more time, and trying not to rephrase things.

DD has dyslexia but we didn't apply for extra time for ABRSM exams, the learning support teacher didn't think she would get it as she doesn't in her academic exams.

But when she took her grade 7 clarinet, she popped on her coloured glasses for the sight reading and the examiner immediately said she would allow extra time for her! However, that may have been to allay DD's panic at being initially presented with the grade 8 flute sight reading test with masses of high notes!

To get extra time in gcse exams you have to be under a certain percentile. Music exam boards may have slightly less stringent requirements.

I had exactly this about 15 years ago ... Grade 3 piano, got extra time, but the SN proof hadn't been submitted properly. Had to get a new assessment before they would release the result. Big fuss at the time, now irrelevant. All the way up to diploma, for theory too, my DS had extra time and I felt, from what he said, that examiners were understanding of his foibles.

Practical exams; up to 3 mins for sight-reading, and the other 2 minutes is to allow for a more relaxed delivery of the exam.