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Modern Language oral exams in schools

NAS73312

My daughter with ASD just came home very upset - she had an end of year exam in Spanish. It was an oral exam - the teacher asked a series of questions which she was supposed to answer. I'd helped her practice, so know that she knew the material. Unfortuantly she said that she completely froze and was unable to speak at all. The examiner accused her of being "difficult" and threatened her with zero marks.

I have no experience of any modifications to this type of exams that can be made for people with ASD - do they exist? if so, what are they? 

If anyone has any ideas how I can support my daughter with this I'd really appreciate it.

Parents

  • Wow the teacher accused her of being difficult and threatened her with zero marks? That's not professional, not only for someone with ASD, but towards any student this teacher teaches to. No wonder your daughter froze and was unable to speak, that's an overwhelming amount of pressure to be putting on her. If someone is struggling already, putting them down and threatening them is not the way to go. That teacher was rushing your daughter, so they could get to the next person in line. This type of treatment is never appreciated by anybody.

    I'd say to give to the school feedback and tell them what happened to your daughter and what the teacher said, that this treatment is unethical, and what you'd like to happen next (give your daughter a second chance while being less rushed, give that teacher a lesson on ethical conduct, etc). 

  • in reply to Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

    Thank you - it is reassuring to hear this. I have already emailed the school using similar language that you wrote. I was pretty shocked by what she said to my daughter - she has been recently diagoned and all her teachers were supposed to have been briefed...

    It's such a shame because it's the first exam that she's had to do and her confidance has been shattered. A little compassion could have gone a long way.

  • in reply to NAS73312

    I'm glad you wrote to the school and gave your input. 

    Those with ASD already have a tough time in social situations using their every day language, and that's already stressful enough, but your daughter had so many things compounded on top of that (it was an exam, it was in another language, it's all spoken, she was rushed, put down, and threatened) and at that point it's just all traumatic for her. 

    When she was panicking, that teacher's first piece of advice should have been to tell her to breathe and calm down and offer reassurance that she'll do fine, not put more pressure onto her.

    Whenever anyone is in a panicked state, they will blank out. This is because they enter fight-or-flight mode, and access to the frontal lobes of the brain shut off to react to the dangerous situation in front of them (there's no time to think, only react!), and to come out of that state, the solution is to breathe and calm down, so that their bodies return back to normal, and then they can have access to all that important information again.

    I hope after the school receives feedback, they will make changes that will help your daughter out. 

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  • in reply to NAS73312

    I'm glad you wrote to the school and gave your input. 

    Those with ASD already have a tough time in social situations using their every day language, and that's already stressful enough, but your daughter had so many things compounded on top of that (it was an exam, it was in another language, it's all spoken, she was rushed, put down, and threatened) and at that point it's just all traumatic for her. 

    When she was panicking, that teacher's first piece of advice should have been to tell her to breathe and calm down and offer reassurance that she'll do fine, not put more pressure onto her.

    Whenever anyone is in a panicked state, they will blank out. This is because they enter fight-or-flight mode, and access to the frontal lobes of the brain shut off to react to the dangerous situation in front of them (there's no time to think, only react!), and to come out of that state, the solution is to breathe and calm down, so that their bodies return back to normal, and then they can have access to all that important information again.

    I hope after the school receives feedback, they will make changes that will help your daughter out. 

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