Published on 12, July, 2020
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.
I've worked in education for about 6 years, I've always been completely open about my autism- on application, with other members of staff and students.
I've never experienced this at small schools (which are obviously my preference to work in), but when my small school became a big school? Horrible. Not direct bullying, but there was so little consideration of my needs as a disabled employee (I know a lot of us don't like to think of ourselves as disabled but from a legal perspective we absolutely are) from those high up the chain of command -even the ones who had previously been really good. I think it comes from being a large institution- everything is less individualised.
I would have taken them to tribunal had I not found myself a new place to work in time to save my sanity.
I have to say though that small academies can be an excellent place for an autistic employee. I have been very fortunate to spend most of my working life in amazing little academies that have really done their best to make sure I fit in and was valued. I have been able to help teachers struggling with autistic pupils to get some insight into it from the child's point of view, and I have had valuable conversations with pupils who were on the spectrum (and some who were not but had other conditions that made them feel different to their peers) who were genuinely pleased to be able to interact with an adult who was 'like them'.
I think overall I have found educational employers much more knowledgeable about autism going in than one would expect and that has been very helpful to me. I'm really sad that you're having this horrible experience at your school. :(
Thank you, I hope that I can find a happier place to work in eventually at fifty two.