Dyslexic and dyspraxic but not getting extended essay times, advice please.

Ok so I was at another uni last year and automatically got longer for essays and exams and was told here they would match any of my needs.

Had an essay due in today but as I have a flatmate who has had parties for the last 3 night and friends round drinking most nights for 2 weeks havent had the relaxation to do it.

Went in and asked as I havent been given any coversheets to be told I dont get extra time and have to apply as usual.

So I did and as given 3 days extra as a one off.

This doesnt sound fair to me as I am supposed to get longer.

Reply 1

Bongboy6969

10

I would also like to know about this as I am intending to ask for an extension for my dissertation but don't know if they will give me one....

(im not hijacking your thread, just want to clarify extra time for coursework. It is clear that exams give you extra time, but im not so sure about coursework, so clarifcation would be helpful)

Reply 2

flugelr

19

Have you talked to your tutor or your Student Services (whatever they are called at your place) about it?

Reply 3

Kittykatkat

11

Why are you "supposed" to get longer? It's an essay, you've had at least two weeks to do it, your university has a library where you could have studied in peace. I understand getting extra time in exams and additional support but giving you longer for out-of-class essays just doesn't make sense to me.

Reply 4

Bongboy6969

10

Kittykatkat

Why are you "supposed" to get longer? It's an essay, you've had at least two weeks to do it, your university has a library where you could have studied in peace. I understand getting extra time in exams and additional support but giving you longer for out-of-class essays just doesn't make sense to me.

But if I take longer to do an essay than other people, due to my dyspraxia, surely haveing an extended deadline will level the playing field for me?

Reply 5

Kittykatkat

11

No one will have spent the full two weeks writing the essay though, infact I'd be surprised if anyone had spent more than a full 35 hours on it including reading (depends on the level, expected word count, university etc etc). So if they'd wanted you to churn out an essay in a day or over a weekend then yeah I'd say that you'd qualify for extra time. But two weeks is actually quite a long time.

Take it up with your course advisor but maybe this uni had a different policy.

Reply 6

EarlHickey

OP

12

Kittykatkat

Why are you "supposed" to get longer? It's an essay, you've had at least two weeks to do it, your university has a library where you could have studied in peace. I understand getting extra time in exams and additional support but giving you longer for out-of-class essays just doesn't make sense to me.

Actually they closed our uni library and moved it to another campus which is 45 minutes walk away and closes at 5.30 each day and isnt that quiet.

Its not just the sense that I need more time just because of my disability but i was only told about essay 2 weeks ago as i was off being ill, had zero notes to work from, had loads of stress of doing it at last minute etc.

Plus the fact that because i have mild autism(though waiting for official assessment) means though I am actually far more intelligent than most people I have problems processing my thoughts onto paper, if you put me in a group and asked me questions I would be the one saying everything, give me the same brief and tell me to write down notes for the group and I would go blank so I need more time to process.

I have heard people say in the past its unfair due to you not getting those opportunities in the workplace therefore I am less intelligent and less likely to suceed but actually I have worked in jobs before and got glowing references as I am a very hard worker due to my disabilities I try hard and complain little.

Reply 7

hypocriticaljap

2

I can understand extra time in exams but expecting extra time for essays beggars belief!

Reply 8

EarlHickey

OP

12

hypocriticaljap

I can understand extra time in exams but expecting extra time for essays beggars belief!

I'm actually the other way round, I would rather have extra time for essays even a few days then a hour extra in an exam.

My problems in skill are not to do with what I write but the speed I write and processing what I do so if you sat me down in an exam room and gave me the question I would have a glance over and try and stop myself starting right away and giving myself time to process it.

With essays I am the opposite way, give me a brief and I will just ignore it and keep checking it and wont process it in my brain so it takes me ages to do the simple things even writing 1000 words would take me hours even if I had all the research with me because with exams it feels more about my own imagination and interpretation and essays feel more like looking for the answer in loads of books instead of what you already know.

Reply 9

Titch89

14

EarlHickey

Actually they closed our uni library and moved it to another campus which is 45 minutes walk away and closes at 5.30 each day and isnt that quiet.

Go to a non-university library? :confused:

Reply 10

PatmaCrotch

7

EarlHickey

Actually they closed our uni library and moved it to another campus which is 45 minutes walk away and closes at 5.30 each day and isnt that quiet.

Its not just the sense that I need more time just because of my disability but i was only told about essay 2 weeks ago as i was off being ill, had zero notes to work from, had loads of stress of doing it at last minute etc.

Plus the fact that because i have mild autism(though waiting for official assessment) means though I am actually far more intelligent than most people I have problems processing my thoughts onto paper, if you put me in a group and asked me questions I would be the one saying everything, give me the same brief and tell me to write down notes for the group and I would go blank so I need more time to process.

I have heard people say in the past its unfair due to you not getting those opportunities in the workplace therefore I am less intelligent and less likely to suceed but actually I have worked in jobs before and got glowing references as I am a very hard worker due to my disabilities I try hard and complain little.

******** what aload of oldtosh. Yo proved it wasn't true by your actions, you didn't seek or a different libary, there must be some quiet areas of campus you can work or you could have bought ear plugs. Wat aload of self indulgent crap you wrote while you could have been doing your essay.

Reply 11

Titch89

14

PatmaCrotch

******** what aload of oldtosh. Yo proved it wasn't true by your actions, you didn't seek or a different libary, there must be some quiet areas of campus you can work or you could have bought ear plugs. Wat aload of self indulgent crap you wrote while you could have been doing your essay.

Autistic people are usually extremely intelligent people...

Reply 12

PatmaCrotch

7

No they have obssesions and focus on one thing learning lots about if, archutecture for example or trains that doesn't make them inteligent it makes them obsessive.

Reply 13

PatmaCrotch

7

The percentage of autistic individuals who also meet criteria for mental retardation has been reported as anywhere from 25% to 70%, a wide variation illustrating the difficulty of assessing autistic intelligence.[4] For ASD other than autism, the association with mental retardation is much weaker.[5]

A 2007 study suggested that Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), a test of abstract reasoning, may be a better indicator of intelligence for autistic children than the more commonly used Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Researchers[who?] suspected that the WISC relied too heavily on language to be an accurate measure of intelligence for autistics. The neurotypical children scored similarly on both tests, but the autistic children fared far better on the RPM than on the WISC. The RPM measures abstract, general and fluid reasoning, an ability autistics have been presumed to lack.[6] A 2008 study found a similar effect, but to a much lesser degree and only for individuals with Wechsler IQs less than 85.[7]

A 2006 review questioned the common assumption that most children with autism are mentally retarded

Reply 14

Titch89

14

PatmaCrotch

No they have obssesions and focus on one thing learning lots about if, archutecture for example or trains that doesn't make them inteligent it makes them obsessive.

You know what high functioning autism is, don't you?

Reply 15

kirstenalexander

PatmaCrotch

******** what aload of oldtosh. Yo proved it wasn't true by your actions, you didn't seek or a different libary, there must be some quiet areas of campus you can work or you could have bought ear plugs. Wat aload of self indulgent crap you wrote while you could have been doing your essay.

Hold on... they are asking for help and you are telling them what they wrote is ' a load of self indulgent crap'?!

Do you know anything at all about autism or dyspraxia?! They are not made up conditions or 'excuses' for laziness - why would a lazy person put themselves through the stress of trying to meet deadlines for essays when they could just give up?! :woo:

I completely understand your problem - and if your university told you that you would have the same allowances as before you are perfectly entitled to expect that.

And I completely understand the frustration you feel - I have dyspraxia and Asperger's Syndrome myself and I absolutely hate essays. In fact I spent the afternoon in tears over an essay because I cannot structure it properly. I know what I want to say but putting it on paper is a nightmare.

You are not alone in feeling like this and ignore anyone who says you are stupid or lazy - they are ignorant. Maybe one day people will understand but until that day comes we gotta just keep fighting!

Think of how proud you will be of yourself at the end of it all! Good luck!

Reply 16

hypocriticaljap

2

kirstenalexander

Hold on... they are asking for help and you are telling them what they wrote is ' a load of self indulgent crap'?!

Do you know anything at all about autism or dyspraxia?! They are not made up conditions or 'excuses' for laziness - why would a lazy person put themselves through the stress of trying to meet deadlines for essays when they could just give up?! :woo:

I completely understand your problem - and if your university told you that you would have the same allowances as before you are perfectly entitled to expect that.

And I completely understand the frustration you feel - I have dyspraxia and Asperger's Syndrome myself and I absolutely hate essays. In fact I spent the afternoon in tears over an essay because I cannot structure it properly. I know what I want to say but putting it on paper is a nightmare.

You are not alone in feeling like this and ignore anyone who says you are stupid or lazy - they are ignorant. Maybe one day people will understand but until that day comes we gotta just keep fighting!

Think of how proud you will be of yourself at the end of it all! Good luck!

if your university told you that you would have the same allowances as before you are perfectly entitled to expect that.

But the OP wasn't told that, by their own words they got that information off this site, which, whilst being very useful is no authority on anything.
My uni make it clear that you have to apply each year for any dispensation you require. You don't waltz in to a new uni expecting it as a right.

Reply 17

elliotcallard

Yeah, i would say unless it was made very clear before you were set the essay that your deadline will be later than everyone elses then you don't really have any grounds to be complaining as you should have made sure what you thought was correct

Reply 18

Titch89

14

hypocriticaljap

My uni make it clear that you have to apply each year for any dispensation you require. You don't waltz in to a new uni expecting it as a right.

This was my understanding. I am changing uni this year. I know I will have to apply again for adjustments to be made - especially since I think my needs have changed yert again.

Reply 19

kirstenalexander

EarlHickey

Ok so I was at another uni last year and automatically got longer for essays and exams and was told here they would match any of my needs.

I understood that to mean that they had agreed to give the same extensions as the previous university had?! :smile:

And being dyspraxic often affects sequencing and organization which means it can be very difficult to recognize what you are supposed to have done and when you are supposed to have it in by. That's why you need the extra support and sometimes even extended deadlines.

And I for one don't 'waltz' into university expecting anything. I am lucky enough to have lecturers who support me. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for someone who is finding support to be lacking.

Having said that, I think it is really important to work on your time management skills by getting occupational therapy - if you can understand why deadlines are so difficult to keep you can go some way to alleviating some of the problems you have. Lecturers tend to be more sympathetic if you explain you are trying hard to improve your ability to keep to deadlines!

Dyslexic and dyspraxic but not getting extended essay times, advice please.

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