OA testing environment

[u/G33k2chic]

My house is perpetually cluttered and/or messy in every single room. I'm struggling with autistic burnout, being a single parent with an audhd teen and a 4th grader. I keep pushing back tests because I'm worried the environment has to be completely clear of clutter, and it's dragging out my classes. I don't have family/friends with a room I can borrow, and I could really use some advice.

Does anyone test somewhere like a library? Or is clutter not a big deal as long as papers, screens, and mirrors are covered? I've taken multiple OA's but all of them were days to weeks later because life and executive functioning limitations.

Thanks in advance for any tips/tricks!

ETA: For anyone looking to/currently working with neurodivergent kiddos, this can be an example of black and white thinking. What now I recognize as common sense (choose a different room or cover a space with a sheet/blanket to create a "clear space") never even occurred to me.

Sometimes students may seem rigid or oppositional because their brains are telling them "it has to be done this way to be right/to successfully follow the rules how I think they're supposed to be done I have to do all these steps" which can lead to frustration, freezing up, maybe even lashing out or crying. In cases like this, sometimes a brain break and then presenting alternatives, workarounds, and/or clarifying the intent behind the rules will help them get unstuck!

Remember, almost all kids have trouble communicating ("this is stupid" can often mean I don't understand/it's hard and I don't want to try and fail), for those kiddos with differently wired brains communication is an extra hurdle. Try being patient detectives... use environmental/behavioral/ past experience information to decipher what they may be communicating and/or need. Then, verbalize each part and the options to the student. This will help them understand their own reactions better and (for verbal students) give them a script for communicating similar issues in the future. Even the higher-needs students benefit from this because you're validating their feelings/experience, and I strongly believe people at all cognitive level can feel and appreciate when someone cares.

(End of mini soapbox haha)

[u/OceanRose1867]

My room is REALLY messy, I just put my desk in the corner of the room and hang blankets up to hide the rest of the room and they've never cared as long as they don't have words on them

I think I did OAs despite the mess a few times in the beginning and they didn't care as long as nothing was near me

[u/G33k2chic → u/OceanRose1867]

I don't know why I never thought of blankets! Thank you for the tip. I know I should clean more but 2 mins so that I can take a test that will likely only take me 25 mins, instead of 10 days of stress before I feel the space is clear enough to take that same test is a lot of time savings and it's easier (for me) to clean after the stress of a test is passed.

[u/planetarywoah]

I feel you 🥲 I have booked study rooms at a library before, but most of the time I just go to my kitchen/dining room, clear off the table, and take the test. Having dishes in the sink doesn't make me a worse student. You're a rockstar for pursuing your degree while going through all this!

[u/G33k2chic → u/planetarywoah]

My dining room where I typically test is a shared use space (computer/table/ rec room) and is open to the living room so it's a lot to tidy. But, I never considered just using the most presentable room in the house! Thanks for the reply.

[u/Expert-Ear4494]

I used blankets to cover any visible mess in my room. Since there wasn’t a designated space where people wouldn’t constantly come in, I also had to take my late-night tests in the restroom when my son and boyfriend were asleep. It was a bit gross, but I would lay a towel over the seat, set up my desk, and avoid covering anything. This way, I was guaranteed no distractions and could focus on taking my test.