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Thanks for the link. Just read through it and it cheered me up. My ds2 is in S3( I think that's year 10 in England) In two weeks he has his S3 exams ( internal, but S3 is the first year of the NAT 5 exams, so it affects what the school allows them to be submitted for next year when they do NAT 5's which are our equivelant of GCSE's. We are past the age when I can make him study with me. He, very convincingly assures me he is studying, when I ask, but I have no way of asserting the truth of that, and " don't try so you can't fail" is a common tactic of his. Also, "let's make sure I fail because I can't handle success". (He told me a few weeks ago that he slowed down at the end of cross country so that he wouldn't have to go on stage at assembly, to get the bronze award. That was actually funny in the end because he / they miscalculated and he came home with the bronze medal several days later , so he DID presumably have to go on stage eventually !

Just read through some of the original posts! We got through it with son no 1 who did eventually get all the required gcse grades and is now in 6th form and looking at unis! Son no 2 has just chosen hus gcse options for next year - y10 - and will be doing triple science and art. He also has aspirations to do his As and then uni. Has a very clear forward path formed. That’s the aspie in him. Dd only in y7 so not even thinking that far ahead!

This time last year I was studying for DSs Nat5s - it was really hard work trying to balance him being motivated enough to work, but not too stressed that he went into meltdown. He could only study if we sat down and did stuff together. He passed the three he sat. I was dreading repeating it all for highers this year, but since he dropped out of school in January, I've been spared.

Never got as far as revision - never got as far as exams - though he did manage assessments at college which were much more low key - never even got as far as homework or even I believe classroom work on many occassions. Currently struggling to finish his written folder for his level 2 coaching - all practical assessments finished long ago and many people offering to help. Would like to get assessment for ADD - he's getting there with accepting that but put off by some dramatic contacts with those with ADHD

No idea whether AS is doing revision as he won't share much with us. He failed his Nat5 maths prelim earlier this year, and his teacher helpfully provided a detailed list of what percentage he got correct in each of 20 or so topics. We have encouraged and enquired and wondered and offered but we can't get through his walls of suspicion and resistance and denial and control and lack of cause-effect thinking. We have pointed to websites and study groups and other resources. He had the exam last week and he isn't sure he made it to the 40% needed. Our take at the moment is that we cannot help him if he doesn't want help, we have done what we can, and we're there if he is ready (but not holding our breath).

Bop, totally get the balance between gentle encouragement and him feeling over stressing. Last year I promised a special trip he wanted if he passed his exams ( he is more than capable if he puts the work in , even a little bit, he gets A grades in all except Maths and French which he usually fails) AS2 got so overstressed , particularly with a dreadful maths teacher that he crashed and burned, had several terrible blow outs with teacher concerned, eventually getting banned from his class( hurrah!) This year I am playing it low which seems to work better, just " do your best" offers of help of course refused, politely but not sure I believe the "yes, I am studying" assurances from him , but not really anything I can do. He needs to make decent progress to keep his bursary ( and it is so the right school for him in many non academic ways) so I do push when I think I can get away with it, but leave most of the pressure to the school itself. Kansas , your son sounds so like my ds2 when it comes to Maths...........

Revision? What's that then?? My AD (aged 15 and doing GCSEs in less than 3 weeks' time) seems to think that revision is a complete waste of time and energy. Oh and she left home a week ago (don't worry, she is safe) and we are supposed to collect her on Monday so that she can go back to school. Too many other problems with her to be able to focus on her doing any studying. I suspect a result of "nil point" for AD this summer when the GCSE results come in. Hey ho.

Mid way through reading Of Mice and Men in preparation for middly doing it. I foresee some issues for a very prudish, very literal ASD teenager. This is so not going to be fun!

Hi I wrote a post a while back asking whether we should be encouraging revision as we how stressful it can get. Our Ds has been fairly consistent in handing in his homework but we’ve tried to tell him when he doesn’t get the homework he should still revise. Never happened! However last week he got an amazing report and fab parents evening to back it up. They’re all happy with his work and progress and everybody says he’s a lovely well mannered boy. A few areas need titied up but overall no complaints here. I’m so proud of his hard work: his grades have went up too. The agreement was if he’s still serious about piano lessons by summer then if we see marked improvements he will get them. The hard work has certainly paid off xx