Joe was a quiet student at school, growing up in a deprived area with limited resources, and his diagnosis wasn’t picked up. He was always aware that he was working harder than his peers to achieve the same results, but was willing to do so. Notably, during his A Levels, Joe believed he wasn’t as bright as others, but he took it in his stride and was happy and driven enough to put in the extra effort.

By pinpointing his strengths and weaknesses, Joe got through his undergraduate degree, a diploma in CBT, which was essay-focused. By this stage, Joe knew that his weaknesses weren’t due to him not being bright and competent, he just knew what worked for him.

Joe is currently in the process of a three-year postgraduate doctorate. This course involves exams, and he was aware of his struggles to find strategies to learn and revise. When his partner mentioned getting assessed and finding coping mechanisms, he began looking for additional support. Initially, he wasn’t looking for a diagnosis, just learning and coping methods.

David was aware of his weak points and questioned if he would be able to keep up. He needn’t have worried as his disability was immediately flagged up by the correct services and he had a seamless journey with an Education Psychologist and a formal diagnosis, before being introduced to A2B for his Study Needs Assessment.

David describes the process with A2B as a bit daunting to begin with but it was ‘nice and friendly and a space to explain where some of his problems may be’. David felt heard during his assessment. The next steps were clearly laid out and he knew what he needed to do. Having an assessor he could contact directly gave the experience a nice personal touch.

Receiving DSA support had a positive impact on David. His anxiety eased and the strategies in place meant that the pressure was removed. Without the support, David feels that he would have missed more lectures and wouldn’t have the marks he now has. He currently is on target for a high 2:1 level. He has become more organised, confident and can pace his work more easily.

Before the assessment, Joe made notes of things he wanted to ask about to avoid getting too confused. “A2B were friendly, clear with communication, talked through the aims of the call, stopping to ask questions or if something didn’t make sense. It was a nice flowing conversation about the course he was doing and what it looked like eg exams, what he struggles with.” The assessor, Erin, went out of her way to find out some additional information and quickly responded, which he reflects on positively.

Advice
“The DSA can be an arduous process, but it is certainly well worth doing. It means you can level the playing field if you can get some strategies to learn.” Many schools teach in a specific way that isn’t catered to everyone, which can sometimes lead students to believe they’re not very bright or capable. What they need are strategies to learn and reframe the traditional thinking that ‘someone isn’t bright’.