Here we go again

Post Reply New Topic

Had a meeting with my school supervisor today.
She asked me how things were going.

"I told her that I thought the school was doing good work, but I was concerned about an NT bias that I had noticed amongst most of the staff." They want to replace the behavior of Aspergers students without validating autistic spectrum normal behavior.

The supervisor told me that she was going to make an appointment for me to talk to a representative of the psychology department about that.

She told me that she noticed one occasion where my voice was raised.
I told her "With my asperger's I sometimes have poor volume control when feeling high levels of anxiety. I am working to control it better." She told me "Fine, just don't bring it here!"

She ended the discussion by stating "We are an award winning institution, we have not, and will not allow our students to act disabled here."

I told her "I want you to think about what you just said, how you said it, what I said at the beginning (NT biased), and how I am supposed to respond to what you just told me."

In all fairness, I am (by what I have seen), the only person with aspergers serving on the staff of an award winning educational institution for students on the autistic spectrum. They have successfully integrated a lot of children on the spectrum into the NT world. The problem is, I am the first set of eyes, ears, and voice from the other side serving as a member of their staff.

I hope future meetings go better.

I hope your future meetings go better, too. It's a good thing that they have someone from "the other side" on their staff to offer ideas and challenge their views.

How narrow-minded and ignorant this sounds. I wonder why she would say such a thing!



Good for you! Maybe through reflection, she will see how prejudiced this phrase is. If not, at least you've planted a few of the seeds of enlightenment - which is all you could do at this time.



The hardest thing for any of us advocating for autism at this time is that whether we like it or not, we are the generation of autistics that are beginning the process of educating others on the truth about autism. We are working towards weeding out and hopefully, once and for all eliminating the prejudices surrounding neurological differences.



I do too, irishmic. I admire you for your strength in standing up for yourself and the others (the present and the future staff & students) that have much to contribute to this school, if only they will allow them to be themselves. Good luck with your advocacy and keep us posted.

Well said monastic. It's replies like this that made it desireable to post what I did here.
Thank God I'm not alone!

I am the first person with high functioning autism serving as a member of their staff.

As I told the same administrator during the hiring process.
"Allowing me to work here will create many challanges."
The trick is navigating such challanges together.

Sometimes I feel like the Jackie Robinson of Aspergers.
I'll have to take my bruises, confront NT prejudice, and allways remain a gentleman.

I cannot help but think that the head teacher's behavior is very much like the old indian schools where native american students were forced to adopt or at least behave like stereo typical white americans.

Today we realize that this was WRONG. I am sorry you have to deal with such a zelot.

As a sucessful and open aspie you may challange the institute's main tenants. One question that you may want to think about is how fragile and tryin to stay in control control the teacher sounds.

By the way I bet most of the Aspie geeks I work with earn more than the supervisor and have more fun as well. -- living well is the best revenge

I think you nailed it Julieme.
But personally, I really don't care how much your group of geeks make.
If making money was my primary goal, I wouldn't be in education as a teacher.

Here's an update.
Last week I lost my temper with this teacher.
While I regret losing my temper, I do not regret standing up to this teachers bullying behavior.

Now, I work in the elementary school program with children lower on the autistic spectrum then the gifted students that I worked with.

It was an interesting transition, but I am grateful.

All I meant by my group of geeks comment was that I work with a several happy, sucessful aspies, none of which conform to NT behavior and we get along very well.. . Several of the groups pattents came from our Aspie thinking - including a newly released method to treat asthma.

Ocassionally we get called over and told to dress up because of a customer visit to the lab, or told that we should count to 10 before hanging up at the end of a phone talk. etc. but beyond that aspie behavior is just fine. For example choosing to sit under the desk (or cube tabletop), rocking , etc

This makes me question the usefulness of "Not allowing people to act disabled meaning as aspies".

Wish you much sucess in standing up for yourself and your students.