# exams



## Joshsmum (Feb 24, 2013)

Hi, my son was diagnosed with type 1 in August.  He is really good at managing his condition and is quite independent and hates me to make a fuss! He is 15 and in year 10 he is about to do some GCSE mocks this week and so I have been thinking about how he'll cope with this.  I have given a letter from the hospital to school so they are aware of his diabetes.  I want him to take a hypo box in and give it to a teacher but he keep telling me he will be fine. He is quite embarrassed and doesn't like to tell anyone about his diabetes.  Can anyone tell me what they take into an exam and what happens if they do need to treat themselves?


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## bev (Feb 24, 2013)

Hi Joshsmum,

Alex is also in year 10. Alex takes in hypo treatment (coke in a clear plastic bottle) test kit (meter and strips).Do you have a care plan for exams? We do as the Examining Board will allow 'mitigating circumstances' if Alex's levels are off the scale or if he has been hypo just before an exam so that if his results are nowhere near what was expected they can make a decision on what to do about it. Alex also writes his BG on the test paper before starting so as to show what he was if the results arent great. I realise your son doesnt want a fuss - but it is important to get these things in place now ready for GCSE's as it is recognised that stress plays a big part in exams and BG levels. Some Type 1's do sit in seperate rooms so if they need to test they dont disturb others.Bev


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## HOBIE (Feb 24, 2013)

There was 3 x T1 in my year at school . NO blood testing & high carb drinks ? That is quite new. Hope he does really well & let us know  Dextrose tablets are prob the best


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## delb t (Feb 25, 2013)

Hi Joshsmum - my son was dx the dec before GCCEs so it was good to have a practice run with mocks.The hospital gave us a letter for school stating all he would need to bring into the exam room -blood kit/ dextrose/ biscuits etc.also on it it said could he be allowed to take supervised breaks if necessary for medical reasons.I also rang to speak to the exams officer at the school which was good as she so didnt understand the condition and thought as long as had eaten that day then all would be ok! Anyway it was decided that he would join those kids that go into a separate room - other medical conditions etc -he was more than happy with this although it might not suit your son [the main reason he liked it was- they got to start and finish early and he said it was a less formal set up] anyway all went well -with no problems


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## fencesitter (Feb 25, 2013)

Hello Joshsmum
My son is also in year 10, taking his GCSEs in May. He also hates fuss! He does exams with everyone else but he is allowed to have extra time if he needs to test/has a hypo. He also has to turn up a bit early so the staff can check his bag of hypo stuff (no chance of smuggling a crib sheet in with the jelly babies then ). He has done a few mocks already, and it has been OK. Luckily doing exams doesn't seem to affect his levels particularly - I understand nerves/anxiety can sometimes make things a bit tricky. Pleased they have mocks to get used to it all! Good luck to your son.


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## fencesitter (Feb 26, 2013)

Willsmum said:


> My son is also in year 10, taking his GCSEs in May.



Doh, he's in year 11 of course ... can't get used to these newfangled years! It will always be the 5th form to me


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## Tina63 (Feb 26, 2013)

Hi there

My son was diagnosed in the last few months before his GCSEs.  For him, our school weren't quite so good.  I phoned and spoke to the exams officer in advance and was assured everything would be fine.  They said they would prepare him a hypo pack from the supplies we provided to the school nurse anyway, he could take his meter in, and the invigilator would have a note of his seat number.  They would also place him near the door in case he needed to exit in a hurry.  They said if he needed time out to test and treat a hypo, the clock would be stopped for him, and he could have extra time added at the end to finish to allow for the time he was out of the exam.  

Our school would not allow our son to take his own hypo stuff in, except for his meter.  THEY made up a hypo pack which they made from things we had provided anyway, kept in the nurse's room normally, but unfortunately for him this kit was labelled in big bold capital letters 'XX - Diabetic Hypo Pack'.  So for my lad, who had not come to terms with it and was very secretive about it, he was horrified to see this, his name and condition on a pack placed at the front of the exams hall.  There was nothing he could do of course, but get on with his exams.  He was told if he felt unwell he was to raise his hand and wait for an invigilator to go to him.  He would then be escorted out of the hall, being allowed to collect the hypo pack on the way, then could treat it and come back and finish his exam, staying behind to make up any lost time.

Unfortunately for my lad, this was way too embarrassing.  He started down the slippery slope of skipping insulin before exams, to avoid any chance of a hypo.  I know he just wasn't going to cope with the embarrassment of being escorted out of the hall with everyone watching.  Just beware of that.  

I would urge you to speak to your school's exams officer as soon as possible to see what they are prepared to do, but at least if this is only mocks, it is a chance for a good practice run.  One thing we did learn, is that if your son takes exams in November or March and doesn't get good results because of diabetes related problems, they aren't prepared to tweak those results as their attitude is that the student can re-sit the exams in the summer.  If it is the final May/June exams and they are in year 11, then it's a different matter and they may be able to tweak results by 10 or 20%, can't remember which.

My lad took some science modules in the January after an end of December diagnosis, but actually did better then than in the summer when he opted for retakes!

I would urge you to speak to your school as a matter of urgency, having some idea of what you would like to achieve first, and see what they are prepared to offer.  I have heard of others being offered a separate room but my lad would have seen that as being singled out and didn't want it.  Teenage boys can be very sensitive about things like this, so you need him to feel as comfortable as he possibly can with the arrangements.

Good luck!
Tina


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## Mel (Mar 1, 2013)

Our school was good once they realised that sitting in a room with everyone else tutting as she  has a tendancy to hypo in exams - for long periods , wasn't doing anyone any good. Another child complained she was eating sweets and they weren't allowed any!!! 
We and school disscussed it with her and then told the exams officer, she got 25% extra time and rest breaks and seperate invidulation - shes on a pump we have a large temp rate on and have to make up rice krispies/marsbar and golden syrup cakes to eat to keep her blood sugar up She is allowed to take it in a clear plastic container . This has removed all the embarrassment for son Tina sufferred .
I would definatley speak to the exam officer and look into seperate inviglation they apparently allowed to make reasonable adjustments .


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## Lauras87 (Mar 2, 2013)

Hi.

I was diabetic & so was another girl when we sat our gcse's so I know where you are coming from.

He has to make the school aware for his own safety.

My school had the approach of if we needed 5 mins to check our bloods that was fine.

However due to this, we were allowed special compensation for our gcse results as its seen as stressful for us


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