I'm starting the process of getting referred for assessment for autism, having up to this point thought that the issues I've been experiencing could mostly be attributable to the anxiety and depression I've had for years, and have been diagnosed and treated for by a variety of healthcare people.
If this isn't the case, and I am autistic, where do I go from here? I'm currently a teaching assistant at a broad spectrum special school, and I'm realising that a classroom is just about the worst place for me. I'm hypersensitive to noise, require routine and little to no unpredictability, and struggle around bigger groups of people, which is basically the opposite of what my job entails.
What can I do instead? I'd still like to do something to help people, although maybe not around people if that makes sense. I've got a degree, and I'm a qualified teacher, though haven't practiced in years. I don't think I want a job with too much responsibility, that takes energy that I just don't have from past experience (see not teaching anymore).
Even if a diagnosis doesn't happen, which seems unlikely at this point, I think I need to change job anyway.
