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. 

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. 

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.