I've gotten that reaction from some people. One colleague I worked very closely with said, "Oh, that's not true, don't put yourself down like that!" Which really pissed me off. He was a special education teacher, too, and I would have expected him to know better.
I suppose I should take it as a compliment about how good I am at playing normal.
I tell my students I have problems with social cues, so that if I did something that pissed them off, or it seems like I'm ignoring them when they're upset, it's not intentional; I honestly haven't noticed, and they'll need to tell me in words what the problem is so I can fix it.
I made the decision to 'out' myself as an Aspie at my new school. They've all been very supportive (it helps that the principal has a little boy who's Autistic). I especially appreciate the way they don't ask me to supervise activities that would cause sensory issues, and have respected my need to NEVER have meetings or supervision responsibilities during lunch. (I need downtime away from other human beings.)
21 Jul 2012, 8:03 pm
