EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS

Hi, just to let you know, friends on Facebook are asking how they can support me and my right to work without discrimination or bullying and I am asking them to lobby

Parliament through this link appga@nas.org.uk.  We often think of providing a service to Autistic people within schools but not realise that there actually may be teaching and

support staff on the spectrum, who are excluded and are afraid to be open as I was.due to the consequences.  Has anyone seen the film about a gay man in 'Phillidelphia'  who was 

bullied and lost his job, well we are facing that today.  I may have poor mental health right now but I still have my right to employment and was not asked to resign because I was useless

but due to the 'environment' not compatible with my autism, in the Principals words.  School Academies are not autistic friendly for both students or staff on the spectrum, Government needs

to know.

Parents
  • I know what you mean. I'm going through a competency review right now due to my "communication issues". My union is helping me a lot, but we'll see how far I can force myself to adjust to their way of doing things.

    Not that it's been a problem in the first 10 years I've been here, but I get a diagnosis and suddenly an excuse pops up as to why I'm unsuitable.

  • The psychiatrist I met saw nothing wrong in my interaction with autistic children, he thought I was an asset to the school if given the appropriate support, without being too stressed.  However this did not happen and the senior leadership team ignored his advice, until one evening I had a very bad crisis and ended up self harming, not a thing I have done in years, since I was fifteen.  My GP was very concerned and was very angry and signed me off sick until the end of term, that's when I handed in my badge and was told that I had made the right decision.  I think it's a point of view about whatever is appropriate, obviously hugs are out of the question but recognising feelings and actions similar to your own helps a child to feel valued for who they are.  This idea of corrective behaviour can be very damaging, like forcing gay people to be straight.  I have my own quirks and ideas, they were horrified to think that I sit in the woods on my own at lunch, listening to the birds, however my Nan and Granps often went on picnics into the countryside.  What is wrong with people, difference should be celebrated and explored.

  • I fully agree. At most I'd say a congratulatory handshake should be as far as any physical contact goes, though I was once hugged briefly by a pupil with deteriorating eyesight after I made a tactile collage of the view from the classroom window, effectively allowing them to imagine how far away everything was.

    Re-enforcing their sense of self worth is its own reward and being deprived of that has also pushed me past the brink of depression and made me feel like I need to work somewhere else, if only to hide my misery from the children I was trying to inspire.

    But until I leave, I will continue to assist any pupil who needs it. Telling me not to be compassionate is like throwing me from a plane without a parachute and telling me to miss the ground.

Reply
  • I fully agree. At most I'd say a congratulatory handshake should be as far as any physical contact goes, though I was once hugged briefly by a pupil with deteriorating eyesight after I made a tactile collage of the view from the classroom window, effectively allowing them to imagine how far away everything was.

    Re-enforcing their sense of self worth is its own reward and being deprived of that has also pushed me past the brink of depression and made me feel like I need to work somewhere else, if only to hide my misery from the children I was trying to inspire.

    But until I leave, I will continue to assist any pupil who needs it. Telling me not to be compassionate is like throwing me from a plane without a parachute and telling me to miss the ground.

Children
  • I wasn't expecting the hug, but I didn't want to upset them by telling them to stop. Thankfully it only lasted a second or two and there was no squeezing, just light back patting. I've learned to keep my distance to prevent it happening again.

    But yeah, high-fives, fist bumps, hand-shakes, all acceptable in my books. Anything to boost their confidence and help them avoid becoming the broken mess that I am.

    Good to hear the NAS was supported with a fundraising event. Around my place the only acceptable charities are cancer related. I tried selling my book to staff on my lunch breaks to raise money for the NAS and I was told by the new head that this was "inappropriate", yet fund raising for Macmillan and Firefly are A-OK. I'm sensing some double standards but I've come to expect that these days.

  • Obviously yes there has to be that professional distance/boundary, but it's arguable that part of the job when working with kids is to provide support and guidance when they are struggling, and if a shared experience helps them to access that help I would say it's ok to tell them "I've been there".

    I've not been subject to a hug, I don't like physical contact from people who aren't very close to me so that would have made me quite uncomfortable indeed! I gave another aspie student a high five once (their team had picked the NAS for a charity fundraising thing and one of the others told me they'd picked it because this boy was autistic. He looked a bit uncomfortable about being 'outed', so I just said "Awesome, me too!" and he looked quite a bit more relaxed and offered me a high five lol).