Autumn- Winter ESB News Version 1

Senior Examiner, Peter Ellis, often encounters touching moments when he assesses students with a wide range of learning disabilities.

He says: “A recent exam request took me to a South Coast town where they have an excellent school for students catering for varying needs and demands. The therapy team has been using our syllabus (special educational needs and disabilities) for many years and regards it highly. “On this particular day, I was assessing a pupil with Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA), a diagnosis previously unknown to me. The pupil was completing our entry level exam, 'First Steps in Communicating with Others', with the aim of gaining experience in relating to a stranger with all the unpredictability that is inherent in that situation. “To avoid a potential refusal by the pupil to participate, (this being a reaction and not a choice), I entered the room with his therapist under the guise of a visitor between meetings. After a while, I introduced myself, shook hands and proceeded to chat about the pictures. I was thrilled that I was able to generate a positive report and give a grade that the school will be able to build upon. I was also able to award a young woman who had refused to take part in the exams the previous year with a Certificate of Excellence on top of her pass mark.

Peter Ellis, ESB’s Senior Examiner

She not only completed the exam but played a major part in the process by offering information and opinions, asking and answering questions and taking part in the discussion. “Many pupils who take this syllabus have a range of difficulties. They often need careful handling and support to achieve. But, so far, every student I have met as an assessor of this syllabus has worked hard, overcome their nerves and succeeded in an exercise that promotes self-esteem and confidence in addition to all the other learning outcomes that a presentation to a group will have promoted”.

23