Any aspie women work in childcare/daycare?

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Allie, yes I've thought about doing nanny/babysitter type work, might attempt that, I'd rather have a job in a daycare as an aide but part time. I have no desire to be anything more than an aide........I don't want to go to college or have the responsibilities of a leader/teacher, I wouldn't be able to cope with that.

Sandrana, I agree completely with what you said, I doubt I could cope in an office type setting, different set of problems. Did you study childcare at college? My experiences of college are like Poopylungstuffing's, I hated it and dropped out of several courses. Now I can't afford it.

I was wondering if you tell your co teachers about your AS. I try so hard to fake NT in front of the parents and other clients (I also do other odd jobs such as light housecleaning, dog walking, etc). I'm afraid if the parents I work for found out I have AS, they would absolutely freak at the very thought of leaving their children under the care of an autistic person

I also wanted to add your comment about being "better tuned" into the children's needs than the NT teachers.

I have a concrete example of that myself. When I was working at this preschool, they had a required 2 hour nap time and all children were expected to lie still on their mats and remain the entire time whether they fell asleep or not. There was this one boy who always acted out during naptime because he just wasn't tired. The other teachers would just be on his case telling him to "lie still." When it wasn't naptime, this child was actually pretty well behaved- he got along well with the other kids and did a good job listening and participating in activities such as circle time, following the rules on the playground etc. But the other teachers all complained that he was difficult and said that he had ADHD just because he would wiggle around and talk during naptime. I tried giving him puzzles and other things to do on his mat after the other kids were asleep and the other staff got on my case about it telling me "he has to learn to lie still or he'll keep acting out at nap time just to get special privileges"

I was the only one who realized that he was just bored silly because he wasn't tired enough to sleep. His parents said he slept almost 12 hours at night and that was probably enough sleep for him so he just couldn't nap during the day. I mean I as an adult, would have a very difficult time lying still and quiet for 2 hours if I wasn't tired but these NT teachers expected a 4 year old to do that on a daily basis.....

and they say we are the ones lacking empathy

Hi Allie, yes, I'm often amazed at how insensitive NTs who work with children actually are with them! Also, I don't think I'd ever disclose I'm on the spectrum, there is so much ignorance everywhere still that most people think if you can speak and you're not sitting rocking in a corner or are not like Rainman than you cannot possibly be autistic If they did believe you are autistic than like you said, they'd assume you are not capable or safe to look after children. Of course they fail to see that many NTs should not be allowed near children or to have them, look at the many cases of child abuse, the NTs were simply couldn't care less about their kids, the NTs with drink and drug problems or how about the teenage girls who don't know the first thing about children, don't care, are just doing childcare because they can't get another job and sit and gossip when they should be watching and interacting with the children. I've heard of many cases of childcare workers being spiteful to children and wearing stiletto heels around toddlers and babies playing on the floor

Yep; I have come across some truly marvelous NT teachers who really cared for the kids. put their whole hearts into this job, and took the time to reflect on their teaching etc but I've also come across the ones that couldn't care less; came to work in high heels and long nails when they were taking care of toddlers,

I worked in day care before the texting craze (most people I knew were just getting their first cell phones back then). I imagine now that some these teachers have their face buried in their phone texting while they are supposed to be caring for the children? Back when I worked in day care, the worst they could do was sit and gossip with each other but they could keep their eyes on the kids while they gossiped but if their face is buried in their cell phones, I imagine that it's harder to watch the kids.

From your observations, do you see a lot of this going on?

I'm so glad I left day care.

I have never worked in a daycare but I want.

i did for quite sometime, and yup, find it exhausting. I like to give them the attention i think they deserve, but i don't bend in that many directions at once.

and the noise gets to me, constant buzz of activity, the bright colours of the room, i kept getting snappy at the other staff

it wasn't what i wanted with my life

I grew up with my Mum running a daycare on and off in our house. I hated the fact that there was no schedule or routine, I had gotten used to the noise and chaos of everything. I went on to volunteer at a park for 7 years, and also babysit and nanny (not live in) for various families and then on to an early childhood assistant for 4 years at a daycare. I loved the structure and routine. I was used to the noise and chaos, I loved the kids and how accepting they were. I had problems with the other adults working there and some parents. I stopped working in childcare in 2007 and I think I'd have a hard time adjusting if I went back into it. The kids I would love, but the noise level and chaos because of it would cause a lot of issues... But I think if I could stick it out and adjust again, I'd love it.

Yep! I did for years and loved it! Funny, my mom used to tell me since I started at age 16 "hey! you can't whack those kids you know..." lol Since I had so many meltdowns/bad temper at home. My sister on the other hand, who was a yr older and considered great with kids lasted only a week and could not handle the kids! lol What I found was that I did best with either the babies, ie. less than 2yrs old or the after school kids. The ones in between? Drove me nuts. But the baby room was pretty quiet and stress free, playing soft music in the background, etc...and the after schoolers liked that I was "like them", ie. did not act like a snotty adult and so they loved me! All the other teachers hated being put in the after school room and I loved it!