Seeking out help after a shaky start
"It was very tricky when I was at school," Cathy told us. "Half the time I was putting my hand up, but there were so many others needing help as well. As an adult I got diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome [a diagnostic term historically used for autism], but I didn’t know that at the time."
After leaving school, Cathy relied on her mum to help look after her money, but wanted to feel more confident: "I need to know how to cope with my independence and bills. When a bill comes through the post, I don’t understand certain things."
"When a bill comes through the post, I don't understand certain things."
So, Cathy started building her numeracy skills through Fife Adult Basic Education – an environment that, ABE tutor and trained Numeracy Champion Karen told us, is designed to be "very welcoming, non-threatening. People are often coming to the community centre anyway for other things, so it doesn’t seem like a scary place. Learners might come in for ICT, but once they feel more confident with you and that you’re going to help them, they’re more willing to try something they find more difficult, like numeracy."
Preparing for the assessment
Using knowledge from her Numeracy Champion training, such as advice for easing maths anxiety, Karen made a comfortable and safe learning space for Cathy. "I could approach things in a less scary way and jump in before it got to be too much," said Karen. "From teaching, I had an understanding of autism with younger learners, but it’s interesting seeing what it’s like for an adult who never had that diagnosis and how they’ve had to navigate life without someone knowing or being able to help. Seeing the difference that you can make to somebody is amazing."
"Seeing the difference that you can make to somebody is amazing."
Karen used practice questions, as well as the National Numeracy Challenge, to prepare Cathy for the National 3 assessment. "Cathy did the National Numeracy Challenge around the time she was doing the National 3, and she came out bang on the same place on the Challenge as well! It was very accurate and reassuring ahead of the test," said Karen.
Panic attacks and perseverance
When it was time for the assessment, Cathy was still nervous and had a panic attack. But thanks to Karen’s preparation, Cathy knew she could work at her own pace and return to the more troublesome questions at the end: "I stopped, gave myself five minutes, came back, and it was fine."
Karen then revealed it was more than "fine" – Cathy had achieved the qualification. After finding out she passed Cathy told both her daughter and mother and told us, "I’m really chuffed!"
Plans for further qualifications
Cathy is now going onto National 4, and Karen will be with her every step of the way. "When we were sitting talking," Karen said, "Cathy said she really enjoys maths now. She talks about the past and how difficult it was, so that was a win for me. I feel really proud of her."
"There are stressful moments at times, but now it can be fun too!" says Cathy. "And I use numeracy in my hobbies, like sewing – I make draught excluders, catnip toys, cushions – and there's a lot of measuring involved in that."
"There are stressful moments at times, but now it can be fun too!"
Next on the list for Karen and Cathy is tackling the finance fear and understanding household bills. "My confidence is improving every day!" says Cathy, "but I still have problems with percentages. When you're at Tesco and they have 25% off, if I’ve not got my phone to look at the calculator, I'm like, 'How do I do it in my head?' It’s the time pressure as well because my mum is doing her shopping while I'm doing mine."
But Karen is confident Cathy can do it: "She has a fear of percentages, but anytime you ask her a percentages question, she can work out the answer!"
Advice for learners, and those supporting them
Cathy’s takeaway advice for learners, is: "Ask for help. Whether an ABE group, or a friend or relative. This place is amazing: it’s really helped my confidence and my Asperger's as well. Karen understands, empathises, and tries to help me."
"This place is amazing: it's really helped my confidence and my Asperger's as well."
Meanwhile, Karen emphasises the importance of equipping yourself with knowledge and talking to those in the same position as you: "The Numeracy Champion training has been really valuable, with fabulous resources. And the forums are really good because you get to meet up with people doing slightly different things, but you get lots of ideas for things you could do yourself. It gives you confidence with your learners because you’re coming from a position of knowledge to be able to support them."
