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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Son not allowed to continue to second year at uni

631 replies

PocketSand · 06/08/2025 16:25

DS2 has just completed his first year in an engineering degree. His results are all over the place from 1st in maths to 2:2 to required resits. He exceeded the A level grade requirements for MEng. He is autistic and has ADHD. He was un medicated prior to and during most of his first year due to shortages followed by referral to cardiology.

His DSA support didn't start til the spring term and one support worker provided 1 hour support when 30 hours was approved. He constantly tells the one he has seen that everything is fine and they believe him.

He always says everything is fine and doesn't ask for help. He has never been to the library and relies totally on lecture notes. He doesn't know what independent study is. I have always been his advocate but now he is expected to advocate for himself. No one at the uni knows these issues - he has not even contacted his personal tutor let alone disability services and just thinks he needs to work harder.

He found out today that he has failed his third submission of a lab report he initially submitted in February. He did not have DSA agreed support at that time so he didn’t have his own laptop. He borrowed another student’s at the time but when he had to resubmit no longer had access to his results and so he tried to cobble together a report using specimen (and maybe someone else’s results - not clear). He had previously received an email saying he couldn’t proceed unless he passed resubmission. I assume that’s where we are at now.

His feedback is harsh - shouldn’t study for a degree if not prepared to use feedback to improve his work. Trouble is he often doesn’t understand the feedback and he is unwilling to ask for clarification as he fears tutor’s anger. He says he doesn’t know who marked the work so doesn’t know who to talk to and seems generally clueless about most administrative issues.

I feel completely in the dark and don’t know where to go from here. Obviously I don’t want to just give up and accept his journey ends here as it seems very unfair but don’t know what I can do to try and enable him to fix this or if it can be fixed.

Can anyone who knows the system provide advice on next steps please?

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gavisconismyfriend · 12/08/2025 19:22

Delighted to hear he has a further opportunity. Also excellent that he agreed to you sitting in on the meeting. A couple of suggestions moving forward: if you can bear it amongst everything else you’re dealing with this week, write a factual summary of the issues and solutions and agree it with your son. The nature of ADHD may result in him minimising and/or failing to retain the detail of the events which could lead to him denying the seriousness of the situation later on. It won’t be wilful, he simply won’t remember fully. A written, agreed account gives you both a frame of reference, should you need it, if things go off kilter again. Takes the heat out of discussion. The other thing to consider, if it is financially viable, is exploring a specialist adhd tutor who can support with some skills development. My experience is that students/young people can be reluctant to hear what their parents are saying but respond well to someone they view as an “expert” who can offer strategies etc. Ironic because parents like yourself are often the real expert in their child’s needs, but sometimes someone independent takes the heat out of things. Also means all the onus isn’t on you to provide support, which can be really helpful. However, everyone is different and you’ll know best whether the above suggestions are relevant to your son. Good luck to him in his resit.

mcqstar · 13/08/2025 00:17

Great news!

He could ask the marker if they're willing to share the uncapped grade so he knows what standard he reached, even if it's officially a bare 40.

OP, while I think of it, not many institutions refer officially to a 'first sit'. Terminology is institution-specific - I'm a little worried on your behalf that you've inadvertently disclosed where you are.

murasaki · 13/08/2025 00:19

mcqstar · 13/08/2025 00:17

Great news!

He could ask the marker if they're willing to share the uncapped grade so he knows what standard he reached, even if it's officially a bare 40.

OP, while I think of it, not many institutions refer officially to a 'first sit'. Terminology is institution-specific - I'm a little worried on your behalf that you've inadvertently disclosed where you are.

Ours did, and so did another where my friend had a post grad resit. It's helpful for the student to know, as you say.

murasaki · 13/08/2025 00:24

My friend actually got over 70 in the resubmission, having got to grips with what they wanted. Annoying to have it capped, but very reassuring to know that she had nailed it. It gave her more confidence going forwards.

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 08:13

@gavisconismyfriend I intend to write it all up with the list once the court hearing is over. He does forget once the drama is over. He also does ignore me but will take advice from an 'expert'. I intend to ask disability support about what they can offer and advice about face to face tutors who may be suitable.

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Tippertapperfeet · 13/08/2025 08:16

I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, because I am pretty sure that he will pass, but if he could relatively easily get the evidence for extenuating circs and then be allowed to submit as if it was a first attempt, it gives him a buffer in case it goes wrong somehow - as in, he can have another attempt.

As I said, I’m sure he will pass. But I’d like the safety net if I was in your shoes.

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 08:17

@mcqstar I'll get him to ask what grade he would have got if uncapped. It's useful for him to know how he is doing but also understand the cost of capping when he has to resit.

I've already said I live in Norfolk and that he attends the local uni so its not that hard to work out which uni I am referring to.

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PocketSand · 13/08/2025 08:24

@Tippertapperfeet he has a deadline to resubmit of tomorrow so there is not time to put in a formal request for extenuating circumstances. His lecturer seemed pretty confident that he would pass now that he understands the feedback. I'm also going to read it through before he submits it to make sure his discussion is up to par. He didn't realise he was meant to compare the sample data with the data of the group and say whether or not the experiment yielded expected results.

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Ellmau · 13/08/2025 08:36

Good luck to him with the resubmission.

Tippertapperfeet · 13/08/2025 08:48

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 08:24

@Tippertapperfeet he has a deadline to resubmit of tomorrow so there is not time to put in a formal request for extenuating circumstances. His lecturer seemed pretty confident that he would pass now that he understands the feedback. I'm also going to read it through before he submits it to make sure his discussion is up to par. He didn't realise he was meant to compare the sample data with the data of the group and say whether or not the experiment yielded expected results.

Grand - I’m sure he will pass 🙂it was just a random thought I had. Good luck to him and you for tomorrow.

Elleherd · 13/08/2025 09:56

He doesn't sound like he needs luck for tomorrow now, but wishing it anyway.

He didn't realise he was meant to compare the sample data with the data of the group and say whether or not the experiment yielded expected results.

This is the crux of it all (and awfully familiar!) and will continue to throw up issues; understanding the requirements of the assignment.

Often this is so obviously the point of why they're doing something for NT students and the tutor, that very little emphasis is put on it. It's taken for granted, and a source of many issues.

Submitting the figures for the lab report without discussion and comparison, is the university level equivalent to writing "yes" to a test question of "can you explain the causes of the XYZ revolution?" at Level 1.

(Ds, with huge interest and precocious subject knowledge for age, could only conclude the level 1 teacher was unreasonable, unfathomable and inviting others to mock him, after not only failing dismally, but also getting a 2 hour detention for writing "arrogant responses" in the test, and this is where barriers in requesting help, are nurtured.)

It may sound basic but what I drilled in to get Ds past some of this at uni level, was to go back to basics and apply 'what, when, where, and why' to every assignment.

Can you answer all four regarding what you're being asked to do?

If not, go check, you're 99% likely to be missing something somewhere.

The second stage of this is: Do the medium to high flying NT's in your cohort agree with what you thing these four answers are? (specifically 1 and 4)

Be open that you have ASD / aren't NT. It's hard when you've been extensively bullied, and you just want to be the same as everyone else, but actually it will get you to the place you want, and will help you to learn to own it instead of it being a barrier.
Yes, some arses may still use it against you, but at uni it won't be physical, and it's good that they've helpfully identified themselves early for you. It's something you just have to rise above, not focus on.

The smarter ones are likely to see the issue, (and not be that enamored by the arses) recognize your strengths and what you can bring to the table, and assist you in overcoming weaknesses, especially if you pitch it well. Everyone has weaknesses, as well as strengths, recognizing this as simple fact everyone's dealing with, not a hierarchy of worthiness, will serve you well.

It's a very exhausting situation to be in, but goes with the territory.
Learning to manage it is essential to later working, being able to become a good component in a team, a good leader when required, potentially managing others, and managing and preventing potential autistic burn out.

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 10:46

@Elleherd that's exactly it! It's the seemingly obvious and taken for granted and therefore not explicitly taught that leads to confusion and misunderstanding. He's aware that everyone else understands and doesn't want to 'look stupid' so he agonises and makes assumptions which are often wrong.

Also combined with an assumption of shared minds - if something is known by him he thinks it is known by everyone and so does not write for an audience in the way expected but presents minimal information and expects the reader to fill in the blanks.

OP posts:
goldsolidgold · 13/08/2025 12:18

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 10:46

@Elleherd that's exactly it! It's the seemingly obvious and taken for granted and therefore not explicitly taught that leads to confusion and misunderstanding. He's aware that everyone else understands and doesn't want to 'look stupid' so he agonises and makes assumptions which are often wrong.

Also combined with an assumption of shared minds - if something is known by him he thinks it is known by everyone and so does not write for an audience in the way expected but presents minimal information and expects the reader to fill in the blanks.

It is likely that there will be likeminded people on the course, people with similar mindsets and traits. Possibly hidden in the early days!

Really pleased to hear about what has happened, best of luck.

Elleherd · 13/08/2025 12:36

Yup! Sorry for the length of posts.
You literally need to teach the difference between NT minds, and ND. I'm aware there's a side debate about accuracy of these terms, but anyone with a child/YA with substantial communication, learning and understanding difficulties, caused by ASD recognizes what the sometimes very substantial difficulties are, and how they are a barrier to achievement, relationships, and damaging to MH.

You 'look stupid' more often when you don't ask, than when you do.
What you look like and what you are, are often different.
Want to look like you know what you're doing, or want to be actually able to do it?
The more you understand people the more you'll realize there are three groups of people: those who look like they can, those who actually can, and those that can do both. Follow the plan and eventually you'll end up in the third group.,

It's an ongoing battle for a few years, whatever age it's fought at.
We did it in early teens (onward) and I took advantage of the natural 'terror' most of us have the first few times behind the wheel of a car, and taught him to drive both to offset 'not being as able as other young males' and get him listening to me over the displayable reality of how others clearly aren't mind readers, which means 'you kind of have to be.'

It's finding a balance over beliefs of what 'stupid' is, what communication is, what responsibility is, what responsibilities we have to others, including those we might privately think are either stupid or being stupid despite visible intelligence.

One used here when asking in group settings is "I know theoretically there's no such thing as a stupid question, but....?" (decent tutors will spot the usefulness of this and pounce on it to reassure all that asking questions is never stupid)

"I may have finally found the one stupid question, but going to ask it anyway...."

When dealing with same age cohort: "this may well be a DOH! moment, but is your understanding of xyz ....?" or "what's your understanding of....?"
"This may turn out to be a 'should have gone to specsavers moment, but....?" etc

Learning a level of self deprecating humor, allows for group bonding regardless of differences, as well as answers.

The 'shared minds*' is also common. Again back at Level 1, early days, Ds simply couldn't get his head around me being a separate entity who didn't know what had happened because I wasn't there. As he developed, these things became clearer consciously, but not reflected in any written work.

If a similar profile: also huge issues with starting sentences in the middle, minus context. (I adapted Cluedo to a manslaughter mystery game to help overcome some of this; ie Captain Context caused the death, by misunderstood text message, in the cleaning store. Admin Ass U Me caused it, by disabling the fire alarm, in the dormitory. We had adapted Cards Against Humanity too. Cliched stuff but it helps and allows difficult conversations to flow.)

At an earlier age I realized he took in and assessed information differently, when his assumption was the answer to why did 'John get angry and tear Ben's red shirt?' was because it was red. He couldn't find any other logical information in the question, (did not understand there was a relationship with the piece just read) and red was the color of blood, and what bullfighters used, so.... He did not see comprehension questions as related to anything else even though present. I had to teach him that it was related, and then deal with sometimes the information IS actually in the question.

IME these early mis- understandings re-emerge in more sophisticated form when under sufficient stress. They are never entirely overwritten.

*Subconsciously, it's part of the issues about feeling criticized. If you subconsciously assume others know what you know, then anything they say that suggests you don't have the full picture over anything they know, is then a source of criticism, possibly intentional one upmanship, and a lack of equality. Asking them for help seems counter intuitive.

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 13:49

@Elleherd thanks for your post. The only time both DS1 had inference and reasoning focused on was in assessment. I remember DS1 did a new test for Tribunal (he had been assessed to death with the more common tests) which was based on photographs and asking what happened before, what will happen next, how does the person pictured feel etc when a teen. He couldn’t answer and angrily asked me afterwords ‘how the hell do I know?’ But results never informed teaching.

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Itsbetterbythebeach · 13/08/2025 14:16

I have been following your thread. I don’t have any useful advice to add but just wanted to tell you how in awe I am of the amazing support and advocacy you have given to your son both in his earlier years & also throughout this situation when you are dealing with your own significant challenges at the same time.

Elleherd · 13/08/2025 15:53

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 13:49

@Elleherd thanks for your post. The only time both DS1 had inference and reasoning focused on was in assessment. I remember DS1 did a new test for Tribunal (he had been assessed to death with the more common tests) which was based on photographs and asking what happened before, what will happen next, how does the person pictured feel etc when a teen. He couldn’t answer and angrily asked me afterwords ‘how the hell do I know?’ But results never informed teaching.

Similar situation in terms of how to transfer difficulties observed, into pedagogical methods of overcoming them.

Full tailored home ed ended up as the only option to ensure an education tailored around his actual learning needs. Wasn't in the plan but turned out to still be needed at level 4 and 5 education. At level 6, 90% of what he was missing suddenly clicked.

You wont be surprised to hear I was met with 'but what will he do after you do that?' 'The real world can't work around what he needs in order to learn.' 'he should do what he finds easy.' 'It's university not school', if he can't do it by now, he can't do it' etc.

Those with deeply spiky profiles need support for as long as they do, so they can launch with the best chance of swimming not sinking, at whatever age or stage they are able.

Both D's uni's offered lots of support superficially, but were poor on the type of disabled student support actually needed, the one he gained his degree at, particularly. I initially pushed Ds to rely on them before realizing he wasn't wrong about it not being appropriate support (for him) on offer.

PocketSand · 13/08/2025 16:04

@Itsbetterbythebeach Thanks for your kind post. I can’t help but feel guilty that I didn’t do enough when he was younger and that I have taken my eye off the ball since STBEX stopped maintenance and applied to court just as DS2 started uni.

It’s a complex situation but the upshot is that DCs are having to support me financially from disability benefits and student loan just to pay bills/food etc because STBEX has stopped agreed but not court ordered maintenance so he can financially support his new partner who he claims is unable to work due to disability and ill health. She was claiming JSA, contribution based due to having recently been in work, when he claimed this. Now that 6 months are up there is no UC due to ex’s income. And now he’s sending me photos and saying how sad it is.

I just can’t understand a how father could delegate financial support of his ex wife of 34 years to his disabled sons. I’m doing this for the DC not just me. Just hope the court don’t side with him.

But I still feel guilty I am more consumed by the hearing tomorrow than DS2’s resubmission.

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PocketSand · 13/08/2025 16:20

@Elleherd forgive me for asking but I don’t subscribe to premium so can’t isolate your posts - did you buy in specialist tutors to support your DC/DS or did you do it yourself. I appreciate you did a far lot more yourself earlier but I would like to know what best to do given we are where we are at this stage, bearing in mind that contested divorce hearing might last another year and I am carer to DS1 with significant needs. Sorry if it sounds like I’m asking you to sort out my life for me!

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Elleherd · 13/08/2025 19:14

JFI: I don't know if the isolate posts doesn't work without premium on a phone if you're using one, but not on it either and can isolate posts on laptop if that's any use.

I'm afraid I just did it myself as there wasn't any other option I knew about and my Ds was sinking.
It was very much research everything at all levels.Trying to work things out, trial and error, and a certain level of 'unless you have a better idea, get on with trying it, as I'm doing all I can.
I read so much on here, asked other parents lots of questions, and read everything I could on ASD and learning and pedagogy, and then subjected Ds to them, on a throw enough at it, something will turn out to work.

He'd come out of school early yr 8, from bottom sets already removed from all pre GCSE learning as supposedly heading only for ASDAN certificates in the future. (very low level basic SN competence certs - not being snobby I'd be over the moon if his brain damaged sibling could achieve them) That was despite having a tested high IQ and a well written SEN statement, (generally ignored) but he was also in poor shape MH wise by the time we jumped.
I went to court for control of the pupil waiting allowance (didn't touch the SEN budget as it affected others) to help prop up our budget as he wouldn't accept DLA. I'm a lone parent and did night working to hold all our finances together.
You're not asking anything unreasonable, I've been posting here, in the hope some of what we did might be of some use to you, as we're further down a similar path so have hindsight on things that worked as well as what didn't.
I picked up bits here there and everywhere by asking other parents here about their Dc's and how they managed, how home ed worked, how exams worked, and legal help to represent myself and him at court.
Some, such as driving, was just instinct about how to help him deal with his damaged sense of sense as a male and demonstrate how we have to both use rules and guess at what goes on in others heads. The older they get the more imaginative you may need to be. You know your son and what you can and can't try and make fly at the age and stage he's at.

Agapornis · 15/08/2025 09:27

(just press the quote button to isolate!)

PocketSand · 15/08/2025 12:49

Agapornis · 15/08/2025 09:27

(just press the quote button to isolate!)

This only isolates one post - it doesn't allow me to see all the posts made by a particular poster. When I try to see all posts on my computer or phone I get a message to subscribe to premium.

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Tippertapperfeet · 15/08/2025 12:57

PocketSand · 15/08/2025 12:49

This only isolates one post - it doesn't allow me to see all the posts made by a particular poster. When I try to see all posts on my computer or phone I get a message to subscribe to premium.

Same

LIZS · 15/08/2025 13:12

When will he find out his result?

PocketSand · 15/08/2025 17:30

Just logged on to find out - he passed!! He emailed to find out what he could have got if not capped (not his idea).

Now the hard work starts.

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