Why can autistic students find exams hard?

There are a few reasons why autistic people may find exams hard.

Firstly, understanding what the question is asking can be tough. Autistic people often think very literally, so they might struggle with figuring out implied meanings or figurative language in questions.

Also, many autistic people have trouble with executive functioning, which makes it hard to break down complex tasks like those in exams. Plus, the pressure of being in an exam can make things even more overwhelming.

Then there's the challenge of deciding how much detail to include in answers. Autistic individuals often pay a lot of attention to detail, which can make it tricky to pick out the important information from the less important information in the question.

Lastly, there's something called "Theory of Mind," which is about understanding that others have different thoughts and perspectives. Autistic people might find it hard to predict what the examiner expects or understand the context of the question because of this.

If you or your child is about to start exam season, check out our latest eBook called "Autism & Exams". It helps with all these issues and shows you how to answer an exam question, as well as how to stay motivated during revision etc.

Find out more here https://www.autability.co.uk/product-page/autism-exams-ebook