Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi - new to the community but hoping to reach out to others who may had similar issues! My daughter is in Yr9 and in the past managed to sit maths test. However this year they are really struggling to do the assessments in class. The last two she didn't complete at all. They say they are fine with the learning and don't feel as if they are struggling, and at a recent parents evening they were happy with her school work (at this point they only had done one assessment and school was not panicking). My daughter mentions class room noises, brain stops working and i think they may be having problems 'dissecting' some maths questions. As we are fast approaching GCSE years, I really want to try & work out what may be going on to try & get some help. They are a bright & capable student, and doesn't seem to have the same issues with other subjects. I will admit they seem less keen to revise for maths and that is probably contributing, so ideas on how to encourage/help with maths revision gratefully received!
I apologise, but might be having trouble following, you are speaking about one human, correct? I think I may use "they" for plural.
If this is one young human, it sounds as though (let's call your offspring "D" for Daughter), D is experiencing sensory overload, which will impair thinking and focus substantially.
If I'm trying to learn a new maths problem and a light is flickering at a rate I can pick up, it's the equivalent of someone tapping on my forehead. If I add in echoey noises at harsh frequencies, it's a bit like having sharp head ache pains at random in my head. These are significantly impairing. Autistic wiring can allow us to pick up detail which non-autistics won't. Senses are tools for calculating and when we learn how to use them, we can be a great asset to health and safety, to aesthetics and art forms and contribute in amazing ways. But we need protection from the elements while young. We aren't super powered, in fact, we won't ever be able to dull our senses, so we need external sources for protection and a safe, natural environment to come home to.
Fluorescents and LEDs are not human-friendly and even cause blue light toxicity. LEDs can damage the retina and when they're improperly wired they can buzz and flicker. However, they naturally turn on and off at a high rate in order to operate (unlike a candle or a halogen filament), and those of us who can catch that kind of detail end up with anxiety or headaches or seizures. Imagine spending your whole day at work with someone turning the light off and on continuously. Light Awareness is a campaign helping show the negative side of these bulbs: https://lightaware.org
D may need blue blocking warm tinted lenses for school and D may need to be sat near a window with natural light to balance out the lack of a proper light spectrum. And I'd suggest to buy energy efficient halogens for Ds bedroom. They are legal and will remain available for those with light sensitivity to always buy.
Classroom noise is a whole other very significant problem & maybe just small discreet ear protection like these little blue ones could help: https://www.etymotic.com/product/etyplugs-high-fidelity-earplugs/ However, this is not easily solved. Competing noise can drown out a lecture just as being forced to listen to a crying baby in a cinema thought out the whole movie. D may do well in a quiet space like a carpeted library for half the class or with a tutor in a sensory safe environment so D can focus on learning.
Thank you for your reply. We have purchased earplugs but they are reluctant to take them to school for various reasons, it is something we are encouraging. Links to lightaware also useful to follow up on. My reason for using 'they' is that it is their preferred pronoun. I chose to start my post referring to my 'daughter' as 'child' felt very cold - we're still getting use to the change!
Great list thanks! As they are the middle one it sounds like that will be our best option!
My parents have also had difficulties switching to child, especially as I'm now a legal adult so it seems overly juvenile. Here are a some alternative suggestions which I have made to them which have had mixed responses
Offspring (also considered to cold but good for formal settings)
Spawn (requires affectionate tone, not really suitable for formal settings)
Kid (bit confusing as is cousins nickname)
Sprog (aunts nickname, but otherwise great)
Oldest/eldest (substitute for whatever is appropriate)
Eldest has had the most success so far