Hello all,

I am new here. Maybe you discussed this issue before I don't know. I would like to write about school and examinations that I had to take when I was a child or student with my peers.

First of all I'm from Turkey and we do not have any organizations that help people with Asperger's. People don't even know what Asperger's Syndrome is or never heard of it before. That's an issue itself here. Anyway, my question is about the school examinations. Here in Turkey we must take a university elimination test at the end of the highschool year. The test that decides who can or can not participate in the university education. We take these tests in a big classroom with other applicants. Many students, who keep flicking their pens, who keep shaking their foot when nervous, students who play with their hair or simply just do things because of the stress that exam causes. For me it was always a big issue to concentrate on exams. And it was very difficult to do it when I was surrounded with many people that constantly moving, sighing, or such. So I couldn't pass that exam when I was 18. And I had to take it again next year. Hopefully I could pass it then. I was tired of hearing how actually clever I was but I couldn't use my brain! I mean come on that's an insult. Of course I could use my brain, it was just so difficult to concentrate when other around you moving, making noices..etc. And those years I had no idea about Asperger's. Anyway these examinations are still arranged here and one of them was today. Maybe there were many Aspie children who took it. But couldn't do well. Coming to the point, I wonder if you have these kind of tests in your own countries too and if so, do they make it different for Aspie kids? In my country this university exam has a very big aspect on determining the child's future. And it makes the life even more difficult for us. Thank you