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Teaching, Aspergers and capability proceedings

RidleyRumpus

Hi,

After a degree in Physics, a career in SW I started a new career teaching Physics in secondary school 14 years ago.

I have struggled for some time with complaints from parents and students for reasons that I struggle to fathom as the students results have at least been in line with other teachers (who receive few if any complaints)

I have suffered from anxiety and depression for some years.

I have often put my problems down to a complete inability to remember student (and even teachers names), even after I have taught them for years. I have raised this as an issue and I have been advised to use the old chestnuts which just do not work for me. I have found that I seem to annoy colleagues with apparent rudeness/abruptness which has gone against me. I was not happy that my head of department accused me of having Aspergers in from of my department in a meeting when I asked her to clarify something. In retrospect she may have been on to something even if her communication skills were flawed.

My ex wife also thought I was on the spectrum but I had put that down to her not being very nice....

However the school have now moved to put me through capability (essentialy a dismissal) on pretty flimsy evidence. This sent my anxiety through the roof and I have been signed off for some time. I applied for help with my local IAPT service and the worker there also suggested Aspergers as a contributor. 

After some pondering/research which showed me that the traits fitted my to a tee. I took the plunge and was tested and was diagnosed as having Aspergers.

Now should I tell the school?

If so then what difficulties do you think I could face in the classroom as an Aspie and what should/could I ask for as reasonable adjustments?

  • They do not know yet that I am on the spectrum but a lot of the alleged infractions are things that are given as examples of how aspergers are misunderstood in the workplace.

    The quote below could have been written for me and the problems raised.

    livingautism.com/.../

    "Perception

    The results of having to deal with some of the above hurdles is that people with Asperger’s or someone with similar experiences can sometimes be perceived to be:

     abrupt, absent-minded, aggressive, anxious, disorganised, eccentric, lost in their own world, rude, self-centred, thoughtless.

       As a consequence, some employees with Asperger’s, or with similar difficulties, can experience a greater incidence of complaints and disciplinary procedures which could be a mystery to them, thus adding to their difficulties."

  • If they are trying to do a constructive dismissal based on you being autistic.  Then try to sue them for as much as you can get under disability discrimination laws.

    Then look for a job elsewhere.