Autistic school employees & reasonable adjustments

Good morning from America, JRB23!

Unfortunately I found out I had Autism RIGHT AFTER quitting my teaching job of ten years lol, so I never really developed strategies to deal with Autism struggles in particular. However, there are a few things I’ve realized looking back on my teaching career:

1. Having an office - or at least somewhere you can hide to be alone - is a godsend. Unfortunately because I was always on the bottom of the totem pole I was stuck with working from closets and music practice rooms (never in 10 years did I get a real office), but having my own space was important for decompression. Important note: If you have an office, ensure that you have a window on your door and DO NOT cover it. That is for your safety just as much as for the students’. If you don’t have a window on your door, keep your door open at all times especially if you have a guest.

2. Scripting. Script EVERYTHING. Any interaction you think you’ll have with a student, have a plan. This is probably easier as a teacher than as support staff, but I still maintain that it is easier to manage the heavily social environment of a school when you have mental scripts to read from.

3. Get help from coworkers/administration. Schools are a cesspool for workplace drama, so make sure you have a couple of close confidants you can trust to back you up if you ever need assistance. I’ve always imagined that for secondary school in particular, counselors and office staff are likely more reliable than teachers and coaches. Not that teachers or coaches are bad people in general, it’s just that I feel like support staff tend to be more grounded and less likely to be caught up in schoolhouse drama. (Granted, I was teaching at collegiate level, and the environment for that sort of school is vastly different)

4. Strive to never be alone with a student unless you have a scheduled meeting with them. If you’re anything like me, it’s hard for me to defend myself when people accuse me of something, even if it is untrue. Don’t allow yourself to ever be in a position where a student can lie about your intentions. Keep in mind that this rule applies even if you are female.

5. Along with 3., have someone that you can trust to ask if you handled situations properly. I once had a student argue incessantly that I should have given her a point for a question she answered wrong on a test. She claimed I never gave the answer in my lectures (I did) and it was never covered in prior classes (it was). So instead of making any rash decisions such as rewarding her the unearned point, I informed her she could bring this issue up with the Dean and I immediately conferred with a few senior professors on whether I handled the situation well. They were able to confirm that the question was appropriate, it was adequately covered in previous classes, and my reaction to her argument was handled well. Having that sort of relationship where NT or senior staff members can give you unbiased opinions on your conduct can be invaluable.

Sorry for being verbose, but that’s my two cents on ways to manage Autism as a professional in an educational environment.

Good morning from America, JRB23!

Unfortunately I found out I had Autism RIGHT AFTER quitting my teaching job of ten years lol, so I never really developed strategies to deal with Autism struggles in particular. However, there are a few things I’ve realized looking back on my teaching career:

1. Having an office - or at least somewhere you can hide to be alone - is a godsend. Unfortunately because I was always on the bottom of the totem pole I was stuck with working from closets and music practice rooms (never in 10 years did I get a real office), but having my own space was important for decompression. Important note: If you have an office, ensure that you have a window on your door and DO NOT cover it. That is for your safety just as much as for the students’. If you don’t have a window on your door, keep your door open at all times especially if you have a guest.

2. Scripting. Script EVERYTHING. Any interaction you think you’ll have with a student, have a plan. This is probably easier as a teacher than as support staff, but I still maintain that it is easier to manage the heavily social environment of a school when you have mental scripts to read from.

3. Get help from coworkers/administration. Schools are a cesspool for workplace drama, so make sure you have a couple of close confidants you can trust to back you up if you ever need assistance. I’ve always imagined that for secondary school in particular, counselors and office staff are likely more reliable than teachers and coaches. Not that teachers or coaches are bad people in general, it’s just that I feel like support staff tend to be more grounded and less likely to be caught up in schoolhouse drama. (Granted, I was teaching at collegiate level, and the environment for that sort of school is vastly different)

4. Strive to never be alone with a student unless you have a scheduled meeting with them. If you’re anything like me, it’s hard for me to defend myself when people accuse me of something, even if it is untrue. Don’t allow yourself to ever be in a position where a student can lie about your intentions. Keep in mind that this rule applies even if you are female.

5. Along with 3., have someone that you can trust to ask if you handled situations properly. I once had a student argue incessantly that I should have given her a point for a question she answered wrong on a test. She claimed I never gave the answer in my lectures (I did) and it was never covered in prior classes (it was). So instead of making any rash decisions such as rewarding her the unearned point, I informed her she could bring this issue up with the Dean and I immediately conferred with a few senior professors on whether I handled the situation well. They were able to confirm that the question was appropriate, it was adequately covered in previous classes, and my reaction to her argument was handled well. Having that sort of relationship where NT or senior staff members can give you unbiased opinions on your conduct can be invaluable.

Sorry for being verbose, but that’s my two cents on ways to manage Autism as a professional in an educational environment.