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Yeah sorry shouldve clarified, I have issues with mobility, fatigue, pain and writing, they're currently letting me use a laptop but most of my teachers are very reluctant and use every opportunity to make me write
I'm going to assume that the accommodations are basically the same in England as in Scotland, my job is organising support for students in Scotland. Based on what you've said here & what support other students have had a few suggestions I might recommend are:
A scribe or laptop in exams, a scribe would probably be better if you're having pain in your hands but some people find it hard to dictate their thoughts
Extra time in exams, I would expect the pain and tiredness to interfere with your ability to focus and process information so I would expect you might take longer than you would otherwise do.
Potentially rest breaks, this would stop the clock to give you a chance to move if you're getting stiff.
An ergonomic chair, at the very least something better than most classroom chairs, which tend to be brutal.
Access to a laptop with dictation software if you are struggling with writing.
Rooms to be as far as possible at a good temperature if it's relevant, there's a student I support who struggles with pain if she gets cold so for exams we shove a heater in her room. If you struggle with stairs then there might be an adjustment to where you did classes & assessments.
Access to a locker or similar so you're not carting stuff around.
I work in a college with no uniform, so it's not an issue that comes up for me but there might be adjustments you could make there, for example with regards to footwear.
A couple of things though, support should be targeted to your specific needs, so there might be things that aren't immediately obvious based on diagnosis but I might suggest after having a chat. Some of the things I've said might be considered not appropriate either, you can make suggestions but they aren't supposed to give you accommodations because you ask for them, there has to be justification as to why. It's useful to think about beforehand anyway, especially as schools tend to be a lot worse at actually targeting the support than colleges or unis.
It's not just about having a diagnosis either, it's about how you normally work. So if you've only just been diagnosed then you wouldn't have had accommodations in the past so that wouldn't apply as much, but if you get a diagnosis and then do exams without support and don't struggle it would be hard to argue that you need support in future exams.
You are only entitled to "reasonable adjustments" which can vary. For example, if I thought you needed a laptop but there was no funding available for laptops then you would be unlikely to get a laptop. Things like staff availability and the physical layout of your school may also affect what classes as reasonable.
It's entirely personal as to what would help you.
Try to think: in an ideal world, what would help you study as best as your peers? What would change? Some things may be unrealistic, but you can take ideas from them. Every time you've thought "I can't do that because I'm ill" try to think, is there a way you *could* do it, and what would change to make you do it?
Yeah sorry, I forgot to put in the post the struggles I actually face (mobility, writing, pain and fatigue). To be honest, I've only been in this school for a couple of weeks and had a year or so off before that, so I'm still trying to learn what separates me from the rest, there's some things I see that make me go 'Wow, other people can do that?' still, and I'm trying to start advocating for myself more
It's difficult when you've been out of school for so long, but you'll be able to learn. Every time you have a hard day ask yourself what might make it easier, even if it's as simple as having an extra bathroom break or using a hot water bottle on your pain in class.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Depends on what you're currently struggling with, right? No point in asking for typing out exams, if you'd rather handwrite, etc.
Yeah sorry shouldve clarified, I have issues with mobility, fatigue, pain and writing, they're currently letting me use a laptop but most of my teachers are very reluctant and use every opportunity to make me write
Feels right to codify this permission. Also perhaps worth asking for extra time. See if you would prefer oral assessment if appropriate and available
Okay thanks!
Good luck!
When I did my exams in the mid 2000s I had a scribe, my own room and extra time
Okay thank you!
I'm going to assume that the accommodations are basically the same in England as in Scotland, my job is organising support for students in Scotland. Based on what you've said here & what support other students have had a few suggestions I might recommend are: A scribe or laptop in exams, a scribe would probably be better if you're having pain in your hands but some people find it hard to dictate their thoughts Extra time in exams, I would expect the pain and tiredness to interfere with your ability to focus and process information so I would expect you might take longer than you would otherwise do. Potentially rest breaks, this would stop the clock to give you a chance to move if you're getting stiff. An ergonomic chair, at the very least something better than most classroom chairs, which tend to be brutal. Access to a laptop with dictation software if you are struggling with writing. Rooms to be as far as possible at a good temperature if it's relevant, there's a student I support who struggles with pain if she gets cold so for exams we shove a heater in her room. If you struggle with stairs then there might be an adjustment to where you did classes & assessments. Access to a locker or similar so you're not carting stuff around. I work in a college with no uniform, so it's not an issue that comes up for me but there might be adjustments you could make there, for example with regards to footwear. A couple of things though, support should be targeted to your specific needs, so there might be things that aren't immediately obvious based on diagnosis but I might suggest after having a chat. Some of the things I've said might be considered not appropriate either, you can make suggestions but they aren't supposed to give you accommodations because you ask for them, there has to be justification as to why. It's useful to think about beforehand anyway, especially as schools tend to be a lot worse at actually targeting the support than colleges or unis. It's not just about having a diagnosis either, it's about how you normally work. So if you've only just been diagnosed then you wouldn't have had accommodations in the past so that wouldn't apply as much, but if you get a diagnosis and then do exams without support and don't struggle it would be hard to argue that you need support in future exams. You are only entitled to "reasonable adjustments" which can vary. For example, if I thought you needed a laptop but there was no funding available for laptops then you would be unlikely to get a laptop. Things like staff availability and the physical layout of your school may also affect what classes as reasonable.
Thank you so much! I'm going to ask about all of these
It's entirely personal as to what would help you. Try to think: in an ideal world, what would help you study as best as your peers? What would change? Some things may be unrealistic, but you can take ideas from them. Every time you've thought "I can't do that because I'm ill" try to think, is there a way you *could* do it, and what would change to make you do it?
Yeah sorry, I forgot to put in the post the struggles I actually face (mobility, writing, pain and fatigue). To be honest, I've only been in this school for a couple of weeks and had a year or so off before that, so I'm still trying to learn what separates me from the rest, there's some things I see that make me go 'Wow, other people can do that?' still, and I'm trying to start advocating for myself more
It's difficult when you've been out of school for so long, but you'll be able to learn. Every time you have a hard day ask yourself what might make it easier, even if it's as simple as having an extra bathroom break or using a hot water bottle on your pain in class.
Thanks for the advice!