GCSES - Extra time for anxiety?

[leverett]

Just that really. DD in Y9 has diagnoses of ASD and anxiety. When she is anxious she is likely to ‘freeze’ and this will obviously affect her exam performance.

For full disclosure DD is currently not attending school because of anxiety, although we are hoping she will reintegrate for Y10.

How would DD be assessed to see if she ‘qualifies’ for extra time? She has an EHCP if that makes any difference.

Sorry, cross posted.

Weirdly, whilst all sencos I work with are aware of form 8 and the need to evidence slow processing, many many sencos seem not to know that you don't need the same evidence if you have a recognised disability, in my experience.

Thank you all. Too late this evening to try to make sense of the JCQ regulations - I had downloaded them before and found them confusing.

Now I am wondering about this ‘normal way of working’ criteria. DD hasn’t been in school for much of Y9. In any event, her anxiety is considerably higher now than when she was in Y7 and 8. The teachers haven’t yet had ‘experience’ of an anxious DD who is unlikely to be able to ‘record’ any work initially when she hopefully returns to lessons. DD had similar difficulties 5 years ago and once back in class didn’t manage to complete written work for some weeks.

comefromaway I kind of understand the distinction you’re drawing between the below average processing speed which comes with conditions like dyslexia, compared with the panic and ‘brain freeze’ that comes with anxiety. However, it seems rather unfair that dyslexia type processing difficulties can be assessed to determine if extra time is allowed, but autistic spectrum and anxiety related processing difficulties can’t be measured in the same way.

Leverett - ds walked out of a couple of his year 10 exams. Desperately hoping he can get his anxiety under control for next year.

Floating I suspect DD's school messed up and didn't apply for extra time in time but were able to arrange rest breaks for anxiety and ADHD. It was a horrible time and the rest breaks only happened after I asked for appeals process to examinations council.

I hate threatening to complain but it was all a bit rubbish really. Gpod job DD has found the ADHD diagnosis really validating.

Good luck Leverett

Floating I mean I imagine you are right and DD"s school were wrong. Bit tired here so hope I'm making sense

My post was based on anxiety alone as per the title of the OPs post.
The fact that your dd has a diagnosis of ASD is probably more significant.

Thank you all so much particularly comefromaway and Floating. With your posts and a read of the JCQ qualifications again I get it! There is one Form 8 assessment route for learning difficulties and then the route for a disabled candidate who has ‘persistent and significant difficulties when accessing and processing information.’ That’s the route under which DD should be considered by the SENCO for extra time.

I am pretty sure that the SENCO who wrote a general email to Y9 parents about access arrangements is only referring to the Form 8 assessment route as she says that the results of the assessments determine what AA can be applied for.

So have I understood correctly that access arrangements via Form 8 need to be applied for, but on the disabled candidate ‘route’ the SENCO only has to put the evidence on file?

Yes! But many sencos don't know this.
It's because the exam boards could face disability discrimination claims if they don't make adjustments for candidates with a "covered" disability. Learning difficulties is not a covered disability so the adjustments for that group are discretionary by the exam board and the school needs the data from a recent assessment, submitted on form 8, to justify it.

They still need to demonstrate that it makes a difference, using teacher statements and for example a score with and without extra time (eg mark the point they were at at the end of "normal" time and compare it with what the teacher knows about the young person and their capabilities etc). 25 percent extra is considered a reasonable adjustment but you can't just make a statement like this for 50 percent extra or whatever.

Where there is medical evidence of a disability which substantially impacts on processing speed form 8 should not be completed and there is no need to assess.
The SENCO prepares a file note which documents the student's difficulties and when applying online indicates that the student has medical difficulties < or an EHCP>. The file note is kept on file alongside the medical evidence and/or the EHCP and evidence of usual way of working.

Thank you bananasonfore - that clarifies the position re applying for extra time.

Floatinginspace - I realise now that for the Form 8 route or the disabled candidate route an application does have to be made online - see 5.2.1 on P.22 and also the example at 4.2.14 on P.19 for a GCSE candidate with severe autism - as well as the file note and evidence of disability documents the SENCO also has to have ‘the approval sheet from Access Arrangements Online’ available for inspection.

The email from the SENCO to Y9 parents makes no mention of the medical evidence of disability route to apply for extra time. It says all Y9 students will be assessed and eligibility for access arrangements will depend on the results of those tests plus evidence from teaching staff. Surely SENCOs need to be aware of both routes to fulfil their duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates?

I think that just means they are offering a screening programme for adjustments based on processing issues for example, which may have been overlooked. Medical based access arrangements would be separate.

Thanks LIZS. Actually I emailed back and asked the school if DD would need to be assessed for access arrangements and was told that she would need to be by the school’s assessor. The school obviously know DD has ASD and anxiety diagnoses. It was at that point I started this thread.

Over what period does the ‘normal way of working’ need to be built up? DD hasn’t been in school for most of Y9 to have a normal way of working and hasn’t sat the end of year exams. Can evidence be gathered in Y10 when DD is hopefully back in school?

Dd says one of students in a previous exam sitting had a panic card and could use that to flag that they needed a break, so time would be paused.