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I would have no problem with either 1 or 2.

I would feel, as you do, that you may be better able to understand the people you coach.

However, there are a lot of narrow minded people out there and parents often live in a social construction of paranioa when it comes to adults working or being with children; if you are male then this paranoia from parents will likley be more prescent.

Bad press of Asperger's is believed by the media to be of more interst to the readers, so isolated bad stories (true or not) gets higlighted more than our skills.

Think about what you can gain from a disclouser and what the pitfalls might be.

Your employers may well have knowledge of AS or be able to accept that it is not a problem once they learn about it. Parents on the other hand, may let understanding get lost in their need to protect their children from that they are not confident is safe.

Of course I am not saying all parents, but it only takes one parent to jump to ignorant conclusions and make comments that colour others opinions in a negative way.

1. How would you feel if you found out your teacher was an aspie?

So long as he or she could teach it would not be concerned.

2. If you are a parent how would you feel if your child's teacher was an aspie?

As an aspie myself it wouldn't bother me. I would however make a quick check now and again to make sure that my child was getting the education they deserved. Sometimes if there is a problem with a teacher kids can't speak up because it might be interpreted as a discipline issue. To some extent it depends on the subject being taught, an aspie Physics or Chemistry teacher would probably just fit right in, an aspie Drama teacher might have a problem or two.

Ed Almos

Since I teach special ed, I think I connect with a lot of my students. I try to be very patient and understanding. My students even asked me why I don't yell like other teachers. I tell them to point out if I write the wrong date on the board or mispell something. I guess other teachers get mad if the students do that.

Overall I try to be kind and keep the classes fun. With No Child Left, all the schools care about is test scores. It's sad because a lot of special ed students are getting only book smarts but are not being taught life skills. Special ed students need to know how to interview for a job, how to write a resume, etc.

It depends on the teacher. If it's one whose classes I enjoy, I'll probably feel a sense of kinship. Your students could relate to you better if they knew. having a teacher who goes through some of the difficulties that they face and not just reads plenty of textbooks about it is better, in my opinion.



If I were a NT, one whole didn't know much about autism, I wouldn't feel very comfortable with the idea. People are afraid of what they don't know or don't know enough about.
Now, if I had children on the spectrum and their teachers were also on the spectrum, I wouldn't think it was a bad thing at all...