Autistic teachers- can you advise please?

I think u are in a very positive environment and being supported by some very nice and truly remarkable people. So I recommend you go for an ASC assessment to see want they say.

The diagnosis helps you to re-establish yourself and you can build from there on your weaker areas. There are some autistic teachers on here and they seem to do fine. I hope some catch this thread. 

Bottom line here is your coach is so willing to help you  and work with you through your assessment which is really awesome. So please go for the ASC assessment and become a really good teacher of say sciences for really gifted children who need someone exceptional people to teach them.

u.re doing the right thing and u're in the right place at the right time.

you are managing now so you can manage even better in the future.

Thanks, my work place is amazing and although I’ve worked alongside my coach for 11 years, I only asked for help during the first lockdown. She has never once let me down and has given her time freely each morning or whenever I’ve needed it. She’s an assistant head, and so had a heavy workload. I have asked her in the past to help build on weaker areas and it has helped make some things easier- things I couldn’t have achieved on my own- only with support. I was unaware of someone my weaker areas- as seen on the supporting letter she wrote, - but they are areas I can ask for her to help me with. I did say they could send it direct to the assessment centre but she said she’d rather me see it first. I’m mostly outstanding in observations, and the areas that are sometimes graded good are as a direct result of anxiety. They’ve already helped me with the observation process last year even before we had any conversation about ASC. She’s assured me it won’t change a thing from a work perspective, and I trust her totally. I suppose I have just read so many negative stories about workplaces in general there’s a tiny bit of doubt ...and this is the reason I won’t share a diagnosis openly. I’ve seen how some staff treat difference. For me though, I think it will be a positive step as I already have the support in place and she had said school would fully support the process which they have done. In a way, I don’t need any other adjustments off them as they are all in place and they are ready to help if I ask. Thanks for a positive reply- I hope other autistic teachers can share some tips or advice too.. 

Hi, i'm awaiting an assessment but strongly identify with many traits. I work in further education and my manager is very supportive. I'm well respected by staff and students. I have said to her that I identiy with ASC and she said it makes no difference to how she sees me. Your place sounds very supportive and it sounds like you're a great teacher. The allowances which  have been made for me have been because of general anxiety disorder.

If my assessment comes back as ASC I will definitely tell her but I haven't decided who else i would tell. I'm sure there are other neurodiverse people in our team and the organisation itself is diverse. I think you know yourself how people would take it. For me, I want answers to why I feel I find things more difficult than other people. In terms of work, I think it'd give me agency to remove some of the mask. So I'm similar in that, I'm "successful" in life but it's come at huge cost to my mental health. I feel this isn't going to get better as I get older.

Sorry I can't be of any more help but just want you to know there are other teachers on here.

I think at mine too, the expectation is you are always developing and aiming for outstanding in all that you do. My employer is good at taking on board staff feedback and the amount of reporting home and marking has been massively reduced the past few years, although I teach a core subject and it’s still heavy. 

I think as well, we have a number of new staff who don’t know me and this has caused some difficulties- mainly due probably to my communication and difficulties in working with new people. This has been another reason to move forward. Like you say, I’m okay where everyone knows me but this will change over time. 

I was offered counselling at work, but for me a lot of my difficulties centre around not being able to articulate me difficulties and not being able to ask for support. I don’t actually think it would have helped because the difficulties I have are, I think, as a result of autism. For example, they can’t remove change, and so how would counselling help? 

In response to other areas of my life....I’ve a couple of close friends- one from school - and another I started with 22 years ago at my school- but have never enjoyed socialising outside my few friends and even then I’d prefer to be at home. I find any social gatherings difficult- I never know what to talk about and just want the experience to end. 

People tell me I’m blunt and rude.....my sister in law needed a long time to learn to like me. I was simply honest.....but said things maybe others wouldn’t. I need to have complete control over most aspects of my life and other’s lives. I find not getting my own way very hard. I absolutely need to have the same routine every day. Any deviation really upsets me for the entire day. I don’t have severe sensory issues but they do hinder me....I can’t wear long sleeves, can only use plastic spoons, can’t stand noise, can’t stand certain textures or foods, but largely I can choose and can control these myself. In work, accommodations mean I’m largely okay too. I also think I’ve got ADHD. I drive others mad- I can’t sit down and relax and am always on the go. The only way I can describe it is like there are 20 tabs open simultaneously in my brain. I have lots of difficulties that  I’ve never really understood, but have recently realised I have v poor executive functioning.....loads of things- am obviously fairly intelligent but could only locate France and Italy on a map of Europe, can’t follow simple directions without getting lost..,can’t make eye contact other than with family or sometimes friends, laugh at lots of things others find really inappropriate....the list goes on..... 

I’m new on here and not sure how it all works, but think you can friend request if you want to send me one. Are you from the North? I’m Northwest. 

That's  quite a lot of change...I'm quite lucky really it's not been massive changes at work cos of lockdown...but it has been difficuot....I've been able to cope quite well but I think it might be a bit different in January. 

I too want to deliver the best I can but have realised that "ok" will do for most of the time. Ive realised that looking after my mental health is the most important thing. Most of my obs have been outstanding. I really like where i work but there's always that tension of while it's a supportive atmosphere, it can be quite frustrating in terms of expectations and amount of paperwork.

I can get easily overwhelmed with stuff. I'm trying more to take a step back from things and just take my time with it all. 

If lockdown hadnt have happened, there might have been another point somewhere along the line of life where it might have prompted you for assessment...i think it's good to know,  especially if you have worked in the same place for a long time. Eg in another place of work, you might not get the same level of support and just left to fend for yourself...difficulties might become more apparent.

For me, there are several reasons which have prompted me for diagnosis. 1. It's been on my mind for some years and while there are some things I don't identify with, there's plenty I do.  2. I tried counselling in summer but struggled (this could be to do with the person I had rather than myself but I found it difficult to talk about things). 3. Not sure about starting a family...my expectation is I would find the sensory aspect of pregnancy and motherhood difficult but I realise this is an unknown   4. There's a chance to get some additional hours in another dept at work...different people...different types of students. ..I'm expecting certain things to be difficult knowing what I know about myself 5. To have answers to things I have found difficult through life.

Sorry it's digressing ftom your original post but..are there other areas of your life where you can recognise difficulties? 

I first went to my GP and was told it'd be at least 12 months, so booked a private assessment which is in a few weeks. 

We are all assigned a coach/ performance manager- most are to simply oversee performance management. When I asked why they were prepared to give so much time and help to me, that’s what they said - they value me. I don’t know anyone else at work who’s autistic- it doesn’t really bother me because I’m accepted and although I don’t have any friends there I get on with everyone. My coach is the closest I have to a friend there. I’m different but I’m accepted and treated the same as anyone else. 

Lockdown  was difficult in that I had to work often into the early hours- I can’t work when the children are awake. But that was compensated for by the not having to face a building full of people every day. In many ways, I really enjoyed lockdown. 

I’ve always worked incredibly hard, been very driven and focused. I often spend hours planning ,marking  and revisiting lessons to ensure they’re perfect. I take a lot of time over everything I do- I want it to be the best I can deliver to the kids. To do this I had my own rigorous systems and routines that suited me and that I followed religiously. The new term has meant that many of my routines have had to be shelved..... change is everywhere- it might be lining up in a different place to yesterday, joining a meeting where there has been no notice, the sensory overload- many new signs, disinfecting keyboards after every use, huge “self  isolating” signs at desks popping up, being expected to rework plans with no notice, and most of all the sheer volume of information I am expected to understand, digest and act on with little notice. There’s no time to sit and work out what it means- much of it has to be done fairly quickly.  I felt so lost and overwhelmed. Sitting in meetings, coming out and realising I didn’t have the first idea of anything that had been said in the hour. It caused  massive anxiety and I cried quite a lot in the early weeks. My coach always seems to understand how to sort things out without me needing to explain. I couldn’t explain to colleagues, and one particular new colleague asked my coach if I was autistic.....that’s how the conversation started about assessment. My coach said it didn’t matter if I had a diagnosis or not to school- support would remain but that equally if wanted to go own this route, school would fully support me. She also suggested support could be formalised. Currently I don’t know if she is given any time back- I work part time and estimate she spends 45 mins a week 1:1 with me. She’s always on hand to ring/ text and will liaise with others if anything  needs sorting out. However if she’s absent there’s no back up- no one else knows the support she’s given me- not least in my department. One thing I’d like is a back up plan - someone to run through the day with me to ensure I’m clear about everything. 

I don’t think if lockdown wouldn’t have happened I’d have looked towards assessment as my own coping strategies were largely effective. Now I see it more as gaining and understanding both for myself and my employer as how best to support me. What’s prompted you to decide on assessment? Are you going  your GP? I work in a state secondary, but my employer pays for BUPA so am going down this route. 

You're really lucky to have the coach. That's an incredibly lucky thing to have which you wouldn't get in a lot of jobs. It seems you're quite like I am.....they value your work so want to help you and support you to deliver the lessons you do.

I think our head of curriculum recruits similar people....those who are not don't seem to last five minutes. So we are all quite similar which makes for a supportive working environment. I know one other lady who is teaching and she has told me herself she is autistic. For me, lockdown hasn't had much of an impact in the sense of routine etc but I know when I have taken on classes at other centres (and was even moved just for one day from my usual classroom to one which I had taught in many times before at my usual centre) it threw me and I needed time to adjust. I'm grateful that we don't have a common staff room at work and i'm very much in charge of my own environment which helps.

I don't really want a label. it's not what I'm after. But if i get a "yes" at my assessment well...then I have always been autistic. I do feel that I would see a diagnosis as a positive but I overthink so much about everything that might change and it might be the worst thing I do. I just don't know but I'm willing to take the chance.

If you don't mind my asking - what has prompted you to go for an assessment? Are there particular things you have found difficult?

Thanks, your reply is really helpful. My employer have said the same- it doesn’t matter to them but they would support me if I decided to be assessed. They’ve paid for it too.  It’s largely come about as a member of staff asked my coach if I was autistic and a few others have asked me....l said if I was autistic it wouldn’t change who I am and left it at that. I think a definite answer would give me peace of mind and mean they could look at others ways to support me.

Currently, the support each day is from my coach. If she’s absent- there’s no back up. This is because I didn’t want anyone else knowing but a diagnosis will ensure a proper plan is written. I’ve decided to tell my coach, the Exec Head - my son is autistic and he helped me get his EHCP- and the Head. I am adamant it goes in my paper file and isn’t stored electronically. No shame, no  other reason than I’m a very private person and am not ready to share.I need answers for myself too.

 I’m sure others know, but they don’t need an official diagnosis. I work with colleagues just like me and sometimes see how other people comment on their behaviour- which can be irritating - luckily I’m well liked and am treated well. I 

In the last 6 months I’ve removed more of the mask than in the last 22 years at the same school. I need the freedom to be me and to be accepted for that. My coach has already told me not to hide who I am and this has felt quite liberating. It also eases the worry- I’ve been called in a few times to see the Exec Head over things I’ve said- always about those who denied my son his EHCP and the lies they told. (his headteacher lied, so I said so).  I would never retract what I said. It was true, but it perhaps put them in an awkward position. They have always both supported and defended me , but again I think giving them this knowledge is also maybe something I own them for their unwavering support. 

It's fine, and there's no need to apologise. We all have different experiences of these things. It sounds like it has really affected you and I can understand why you would want to warn other people. It's good to hear different sides - that's what this forum is for.

I get it totally and thank you for your reply and sorry if I come across like an ass at times. 

Real issues yes which over the years have cumulated into anxiety. I do feel broken sometimes. I'm currently having CBT and don't know how much of how I experience the world is because of anxiety. I feel I need answers to my life for why I find things difficult.

I'm sorry you have had such a bad experience of getting a diagnosis. But I can't get past the what if.

Real issues yes which over the years have cumulated into anxiety. I do feel broken sometimes. I'm currently having CBT and don't know how much of how I experience the world is because of anxiety. I feel I need answers to my life for why I find things difficult.

I'm sorry you have had such a bad experience of getting a diagnosis. But I can't get past the what if.

It's fine, and there's no need to apologise. We all have different experiences of these things. It sounds like it has really affected you and I can understand why you would want to warn other people. It's good to hear different sides - that's what this forum is for.

I get it totally and thank you for your reply and sorry if I come across like an ass at times.