As spring starts to set in, so does the fact that GCSE’s and A-Levels are just around the corner for many. So, I thought I would write a post on what life is like during the exam period when on the spectrum.

 

If you are doing, or have done GCSE exams, you will know the drill, you sit at these little fold up tables and sit there silently working with an external examiner and a big clock watching your every move. On top of that, you must try and remember everything, with the pressure put on yourself to pass so you can move onto the next step in life. It’s a lot for even a neurological person to have to cope with, but imagine having an autism spectrum disorder as well. 

 

Imagine if you have problems with communicating with strangers.

 

Imagine if you feel unsafe in the room you are in.

 

Imagine if you had sensory issues, and can’t cope with clock ticking, or the sound of people writing or a quiet buzzing from the lights. 

 

These are often things people on the autism spectrum must try and deal with, on top of the other stress of completing the exam. 

 

Even the preparing stage can be a stressful time for someone on the spectrum, as it's all change, and it is something you are expected to go through independently. Nobody to point you in the right direction. Suddenly you have every subject barking at you like a dog to revise, but trying to juggle that, with the stress and anxiety for many people on the spectrum can be too much. A lot of people will just not do any, purely as avoidance to get away from it all. Whereas others on the spectrum will often overdo it, working almost nonstop, trying to cram everything in, although nothing will go in. 

 

I thought after my experience of GCSE’s, I would offer some top tips for any students to help them feel more secure, and to make them feel like there is a structure and some normality going on.

 

• If you are on the autism spectrum, talk to your school's SEND department, or your form tutor about any additional requirements that you may be entitled to, perhaps a word processor or a scribe, or extra time, maybe even a separate room. These things sound small, but they do help when it comes to doing the exam itself.

 

• Take some time alone, perhaps a Saturday morning where school is still reasonably fresh in your mind, and make a plan. Use your exam timetable and your school timetable to help you to do this. If you prefer structure, perhaps continue to follow your usual timetable so you are working in the same spaces, and even use that lesson to revise for that exam, or use it to prepare for your next exam. 

 

• Don’t prepare for one exam at a time, otherwise you will not be able to keep up, think about what are most important, and what you struggle with the most. Primarily focus on the closest exams and the subjects you find hardest. It doesn’t hurt to throw in a 40-minute revision session for a subject you're keen on, just to keep your mind refreshed.

 

• Buy revision guides! Although you may find looking through your book helpful, it’s good to use a bright and colourful guide professionally made for students doing exams. They may have things in which you may have missed out on. 

 

• Take plenty of rest breaks. Don’t sit for hours on end revising. Break it all up. Choose a subject and a topic, revise it for 40 minutes or so, then take a break, watch an episode of something on tv for 15 minutes, or even go for a walk around the block with some earphones in. Then come back to it straight after. This works, but you need to be strict with yourself. Try and take an afternoon of a week, perhaps a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This should be spent with family and friends, so you can have a bit of social time. 

 

• If you are revising for a retake, think about what it is that lets you down, and work on that. As you are only revising for a couple of subjects, you can spend a lot more time on them. But remember to break that time up, just like it says above. If you try to get up at a reasonable time, and start revision by 10am, you will be able to work at a better pace and stopping for one rest break and lunch and continuing until about 2pm should then be enough for one day of revision.  Then change daily the subject you revise for. 

 

• Stay off social media if you can. It is the biggest distraction there is while revising. 

 

• Use everyone as a resource! If you're struggling, talk to someone, don’t continue to battle through.