A female high school student who suffers from autism was forced to give up taking the university entrance examination on Sunday after a sudden stroke two days earlier left her incapable of reading the test papers.

The girls mother said she applied Saturday for a reading service to assist her daughter during the examination, but that testing officials ignored her request.

The student, a graduate of Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School surnamed Lee, was hit by stroke that impaired her vision two days prior to the designated course examination held for high school students.

The designated course examination is held only on July 1 and 2 every year and the examination results are used by universities in their selection process.

Lees mother, Chang Wei-ying, told reporters that the stroke damaged her daughters vision and that Lee was unable to complete the examination papers without having teachers read the test questions for her, a service commonly offered for vision-impaired examinees.

Chang said they had applied to the College Entrance Examination Center for the reading service on Saturday after Lees stroke, but had received no help.

"My daughter was unable to read the test papers. We asked for help but were told to apply for the service next year. If the center really wants to help physically disabled students, they have to know what they really need," Chang was quoted by cable news station TVBS as saying, adding, "How is it the center never examines itself since there are so many cases like this emerge every year?"

Local media reported the high school student left the test room 10 minutes after beginning the physics test at the National Taiwan University. She reportedly left in tears.

When asked by reporters on the case, Hung Tung-kuei （洪冬桂）, vice director of the examination center, noted that people who need the reading service must apply for the service ahead of time. "Impromptu requests for these services, such as enlarging the words on the test papers or the reading service, are all unacceptable," Hung said.

She explained that the center was informed of Changs request for the reading service at 8:10 on Sunday morning, and that related law stipulates that, to remain fair, no extra services can be provided to students who are sick or have diseases three days before the examination is held. Another 21 students applied for extra services after Friday, and the Center did not give them help either, Chang said.

She said that a group of university professors are in charge of the reading service, and they train for the service for two weeks before offering help to vision impaired students.

When asked by reporters if the Center is likely to arrange more back-up teachers for the reading service, Hung said that she will make a proposal to the review committee for discussion.

According to media reports, the female high school student is very diligent, did not attend any cram schools, and was accepted by the famous Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School. She suffers from vasculitis and Kikuchi Disease; the former contributed to her suffering the stroke, while the latter refers to an uncommon, idiopathic cause of inflammation of the lymph nodes.