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Education that's outside the box

Bushidō

My question is, do you know of a way that I can learn the subjects I've wanted to with the distraction of other students, even to the point of examination hall?

Longer description:

Following a breakdown at secondary school and I was diagnosed with ASD and OCD, I was taught at home by two home and hospital tutors, I passed exams, achieved a distinction in photography and a merit in web design. Unfortunately, when my statement of educational needs ended when I turned 19 years old, I was left with nothing. It's more complicated than that, but to get to the point I'm trying to make this as short as possible, >.<;.

I really want to continue to learn, but I cannot enter into a college because there are pains that have carried with me since my breakdown, and I really do not want to experience that pain again. I am also aware how a classroom, or in general a group of people in a room having to focus on listening to a teacher figure was something I could never manage. I was never able to focus and concentrate with so many people around me. When I was taught at home, it was so much easier, I could focus on my work, everything was constructed well, and I could ask the tutor directly. Also, when I completed the exams, it's a bit complicated to explain, but my Speech and Language Therapist trained as an invigilator to oversee me taking my exams in the living room with her back turned to me, and my mother was allowed to sit in the room as well. This again helped me greatly and I could focus on the exam, as stressful as it was.

I've looked online and practically all of the courses I've seen require you to go to an examination hall, I am certain I will be unable to focus when there are so many people around me. Is there an alternative that you know of, such as a course you can take online that doesn't require you to sit in a crowded room to work on an examination paper?

  • Ask OU if they would do a SKYPE Video call if you think that may be easier. That way your mum may be able to sit with you and support you if necessary.

    Coogy

  • That's bad of OU - there used to be a problem because disability advisers were dispersed amongst the sites but they are supposed to have resolved that. It is really unfair of them to insist you talk by phone, but ignorance of this need is widespread, and has cropped up in the latest review of PIP, and I keep coming across people so welded to the use of the phone that they cannot be accommodating. You ought to take it up with OUSBA who handle initial complaints.

    Most universities will provide a private room for a disabled student, and extra time, and someone to record your answers etc. If the disability allows it sometimes a number of disabled students sit in one room, but if the circumstances required it I think most universities would make all the necessary allowances.

    Apart from OU many universities have distance learning packages and e-learning. It is worth searching around for something in photography and web design at a university, where you can try a module that will produce points contributary to a degree, that will give you the chance to try out self directed study. OU and some university distance learning, generally expects students to attend events in each module, which can be quite testing and collective, also exams are at some exam centre that you may have to travel to - hopefully a private room would be offered.

    Also practical study of photography and media may require a work-based learning component that might put you in a difficult environment.

    As stateofindependence points out, any university level place of study will have a disability support team, and you should discuss your needs with them in depth. If you intend to enroll on a course ask for a meeting involving one of the course tutors,and a member of the disability team together, so you can talk through teaching environment issues and any potential barriers. FE colleges vary a bit more in their autism awareness.

    University environments can be much more liberating to people in the spectrum, especially as you are not necessarily stuck all day with the same cohort of students and you don't have to account for where you are, and you wont have teachers leaning over you. The downside is that more responsibility falls on you to seek support for any difficulties. Also bullying is significantly less.

  • I knew about Open University, but I had some difficulty due to the fact that when I inquired with my mother's support , they wanted me to talk on the phone, and I couldn't cope with that. They wouldn't understand my difficulty with not being able to use the phone, even though my mother explained about my asperger's syndrome. However; those two links you've shown us is something that we haven't seen before, and we hope that it will prove to be useful in the future. Thank you, Smile.

  • Certainly at University level, disabled students are entitled to "reasonable adjustments", and you should be able to ask for use of a separate room for exams (see no.4 on the link below)

    www.education.gov.uk/.../adjustments_for_disabled_students.pdf

    All Universities have disability services, who ought to be able to help you. Or if you want to do the whole course at home, how about the OU?

    www2.open.ac.uk/.../disability