Any teachers on the Autism spectrum?

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I am a teacher. I teach sports, I am not a school teacher but a teacher none the less,

I see this is a very old discussion. Adding my experience anyway

I am a late diagnosed person with ADHD and according to the Aspie test, AQ & CAT-Q, I am solidly, undoubtedly autistic and mask like a superhero (to my detriment). Although I have always identified as NB I have been socialized as female.

I have taught college and also younger children art for over 2 decades. I teach studio art, and I think it allows me to keep many of my quirks, since artists are supposed to be quirky. I feel that my neurodiversity has been beneficial, especially now that I know about it! I am very open, without details, about who I am. With a great increase in young people with anxiety over the 10 years this post was started, I think my college students feel comfortable being themselves. My honesty about struggling makes them better able to struggle. Learning is often struggling through until you "get it".

The need for clarity and verbal precision are helpful when teaching, as I tend to give people what I need. My hypervigilence and constant over analysis allow me to be thoughtful about what students need. I easily detach from my emotions, which allows me to consider what students need very pragmatically. I am also a bit blunt about things, but explain on day 1 that I often sound sarcastic, but am not, and can be blunt, so please let me know if I have been perceived as hurtful, I just do not know a different way to express myself (at which point I believe taht half the class thinks "oh, she* must be autistic")

*when I brought up feeling non-binary at age 9, I was told that such people do not exist. I tried to convince people of the need of an alternative pronouns for a while, and was repeatedly told "they" was too confusing. So I repressed that until recently, and am deeply grateful for this younger generation that has made more identity diversity visible. However, being classified as female for so long, I still refer to myself as she, while clicking the NB box. sorry if that is confusing. (try living with it–I know I am far from alone with this)

With the younger children, I like clear explanations and directions, so I give them that too and they apparently really like that. I have some autistic children in the classes. Even before I am told about that, I know. I actually am pretty good at seeing neurodiversity and gently suggest parents have them tested, and let them know that 50 years of struggling, feeling wrong and broken was not helpful to me, and this would be very helpful for their children, while making it clear that I am not advocating for medication, and find neurodiversity and asset and something to be proud of, if one received the support they need.

You will not be surprised to now that I also find my neurodiversity and asset to me and my teaching. Even if I am also criticized for being exactly who I am as well.

As validation: now that I know myself, why and who I am, I am a lot more relaxed and even more blatant (?) about being neurodiverse. It has made me an even better teacher, and both college kids and "my littles" (1-6th grade) tell me I am the best teacher they have ever had.

So I would say that autistic teachers exist, and it is perhaps even an asset.