Urgent - Mental health & GCSE adjustment ???

[cyclotherapy]

Hi... posting under new name as too identifying!

DD about to do GCSEs... She has had Mental Health issues since year 7 and we've just had a very tough 6 weeks with an emergency psychiatric referral etc... Luckily she has not had to be back in residential care, but has been touch and go.

She was put on an anti-depressants for the first time just 2 weeks ago. We were warned of side effects and she has been getting them - tummy pain, super-foggy brain, increased anxiety, headaches etc....

GCSEs start tomorrow. Her psychiatrist says she regularly writes letters for this sort of thing.

1. Specific for drugs - side effects should die down in next 7-10 days, so will mainly affect first exams - and potentially very badly. Really foggy brain and not easy to think. (And of course has done no revision but not sure they allow for that)
2. Generic - affecting all GCSEs - ie over next six weeks or so?? About her emergency referral and mental health situation for 4 weeks, meaning unable to do any revision and actually just focussed on survival - and still in very vulnerable state. The psychiatrist would of course phrase that a bit differently!

Any thoughts or advice?

Specifically

1. when do we tell school about tomorrows exam - if brain still super-foggy, as is likely.... and what is the process?
2. Any ideas what allowance they might make? eg for tomorrow's exam second paper is in 3 weeks time so hopefully will perform much better in that (both drug impact settled, and we hope might have been able to do some revision)... do they take into account? She did super-well in her Mocks ... but at that stage no serious mental health issues, beyond a bit of Social Anxiety
3. Advice on what is most effective from psychiatrist? She's super-nice but only met once (3 hour emergency assessment) and now our ongoing CAMHS connection so speak weekly and see her again in a couple of weeks, earlier if needed

I would ring up TODAY and ask for exams officer (and/or SENCO) to ring you urgently.

There is provision for last minute access arrangements in case of emergencies.
As teen has suggested you need to speak to the school SENCO and exams officers as soon as possible to find out what evidence they need.
The special consideration allowances are only small (max 5% of marks added on) but other factors such as rest breaks, being in a small room etc would also help your dd as well.

Huge thnaks... luckily she already gets small room and rest breaks since SEN diagnosed in September.....

i've talked to SENCO and still seems a bit vague...I will get on to exams officer tomorrow... at least I know I have time to get the letter to them, as not needed by 9 am tomorrow.

And learnt too that special consideration of 1-5% is on some sort of scale (death of parents, appendictis, etc)....

Anyone know more? ie what needed in letter and how we can ensure she gets the appropriate consideration....Really apprecitae the wisdom on here.