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Paying Attention

Tina

My teachers accusing me of not paying attention in class. But thats not true! Its just where I’m trying to focus but there’s so much else going on for example this morning I was trying to listen to her but at the same time I could hear people on the sports field, there were girls next to me giggling away and whispering, boys on right rolling up tiny balls of paper and throwing them at the girl sat in front of them. I can’t focus on all that and the teacher. I hear most of what she said but naturally not everything. I explained this and got a typical reply in which she didn’t believe me and said. “No ones that observant that they notice everything like that...” But I do. But she didn’t believe me and now I’ve been given a warning! Flip side of the coin lesson before lunch and our teacher had 'why it's ok to be autistic' on the board, so it’s not all bad. Some people understand.

  • in reply to Iain

    Thanks for your reply. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has this as well. I felt a bit alone earlier when she was saying that I don't pay attention to her but reading this has made me feel better so thank you (⁠•⁠‿⁠•⁠) 

    I've got a head of year at school who we talk to about problems and staff so I'm going to say to her in the hopes that this can be looked at and hopefully teachers will be a little more understanding and sympathetic. I think it's nuts how so many people don't know of the issues we face like focusing.

  • Tina said:
    I can’t focus on all that and the teacher.

    This is an incredibly common autistic trait caused by our sensory receptors (ears, eyes, nose and touch) all being much less able to filter than neurotypical people.

    I have exactly the same issue in focussing on one audo stream at any time and it needs constant focus which becomes exhausing over a longer time.

    I think your teacher may need to be educated on this aspect of autism so she is not picking on you for it. Try to find some articles or parts of a book that explain this in more detail and ask your teacher to read it.

    You don't mention what level of school you are attending, but if you are under 18 it may be best to get your parent/guardian to send this to the school to pass to the teacher.

    Unfortunately in-depth knowledge of our condition is not common at all so there are probably going to be more occasions when such knowledge transfer will be needed in life.

    Good luck in educating the educator.