Background

When Holly began her level 3 Patisserie and Confectionary course at Lincoln College, she didn’t know just how different this year would be from the level 2 course she completed the previous year.

When she was much younger, she had been diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia. She also learned that she was on the autism spectrum. Despite the identification of these specific learning difficulties, her previous educational experience had been difficult as none of the educators dealt with her learning difficulties head-on. Instead, she was told that she would “grow out of it” and it became something she had to navigate on her own with the support of her mother.

Holly was not provided with the coping mechanisms necessary to deal with her diagnoses and so was left to create her own. She did her best to work out how she could learn and work in a way that best suited her.

Holly meets Cognassist

Holly first encountered Cognassist as she began her level 3 Patisserie and Confectionary course. In the beginning, she was skeptical about Cognassist. After her tutor introduced it to her, she was left wondering if the assessment would be worth it and if the modules would “take forever” to complete.

It turned out that it was nothing like that and her worries were put to rest when she completed the assessment and sat down with her tutor to discuss her report. She had never really understood her previous diagnoses, but the Cognassist assessment report was able to provide clear and deep insight into how her brain works.

Holly found it interesting to see how the modules she would be receiving every month were related to the cognitive domains that were indicated within her assessment report and how they related to tasks that she had struggled with previously. It was a lightbulb moment for Holly: this was why she struggled, and this was the beginning of the journey to getting the support she needed.

How Cognassist helped her

Cognassist helped Holly to get support for the learning difficulties she had struggled with for many years. While she developed coping mechanisms like rereading information to digest it, she still did not get any support from the educational system which made learning hard for her. She had to instead figure it out on her own, which meant trying various methods before finding what worked for her.

Holly was able to see a clear difference between her previous educational experience like her level 2 and her current level 3 course. She was able to apply the strategies she learned in the monthly Cognassist modules in her professional and personal life with a noticeable impact.

Her recommendation

Holly recommends that all learners give Cognassist a chance. She says that at first, it might not seem like it will have any benefit at all, but if you immerse yourself and apply what you learn, it will have impactful results. She also recommends Cognassist for other learners and shares that it provides additional support not just for your course, but also at work and at home too.

The impact

Holly found that for the first time, her learning needs were not ignored or pushed aside. Instead, they were addressed and supported, she was given practical steps so that she could get the most out of her course.

She very much enjoys engaging with Cognassist modules as she finds them very interesting. Long after a module is completed, Holly continues to use the lessons learned from the modules at her job and at home. She is able to simplify tasks that were previously complex for her and produce better outcomes as a result.