Lessons I’ve learned: autistic strengths and being my authentic self in the classroom

I spent most of my life before my autism assessment, feeling like a round peg trying to fit into a square hole and wondering why, no matter how I tried, I didn’t quite fit in with everyone else. It wasn’t until I was studying a post-graduate qualification in autism that things fell into place.

N.B. I use the term ‘Autistic person’ to describe myself rather than person with autism. This is because for me being autistic is an integral part of me, it’s who I am, not something I have. However, others with lived experience of autism may have different views, so it’s always best to ask the individual what they would prefer!

Being my authentic autistic self

I received my diagnosis in 2019 when I was 39 and for me, there was never any question that I wouldn’t share my diagnosis with my school. I needed to be my authentic autistic self in order to function and I couldn’t do this if I didn’t tell my employers. I couldn’t maintain the high level of masking that it took to not to be my authentic self.

While I do understand that sometimes people are reluctant to share their diagnosis, your employer does have a duty of care under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to support you and your union or ACAS can support you with this. Once my employers were aware, it made my working life much easier. People became much more understanding of the differences between neurotypes and embraced the positives this could bring to a workplace.

Of course, there are numerous reasons why a person may not want to disclose a diagnosis of autism. Every autistic person’s experience is unique. And some may choose not to get a formal diagnosis or they may find ‘labels’ unhelpful.

Considering language and perceptions

Much of the language used around autism, is formed from what we call the ‘medical model of disability’. It tends to be condition-centred, usually describing it as something that needs to be fixed or corrected with phrases such as ‘because of his autism …’ This can be both negative and disempowering for the individual involved leading them failing to reach their potential and struggling with internal ableism. The theory behind the medical model is that it describes the condition as the barrier to accessing society.

We need to avoid this perception as educators and start thinking in terms of the ‘Social Model of Disability’. The Social Model of disability places the responsibility for the barriers neurodivergent individuals face, squarely in the construction of society rather than the condition itself. This can be so powerful in empowering neurodivergent individuals who are living in a world designed and built for neurotypical people.

This creates a place where neurodivergent people can feel more confident in advocating for themselves, and their lived experiences can be heard. Being able to advocate for myself and my lived-experience, has meant that I have been able to feedback to SLT around policies and training around this, which has helped create a more inclusive environment around school for everyone.

Autistic strengths in the classroom

One of the really important parts of my autism assessment, was talking about my strengths in particular reference to autism. Focusing on someone’s strengths and the positive framing of language when talking about neurodiversity are both really important as it can make the difference between creating a positive inclusive workplace or a hostile workplace for neurodivergent people.

In terms of the strengths that an autistic teacher could bring to the classroom, I was interested to see if what I considered to the positive strengths of being an autistic teacher would be the same as my colleagues’ perception, so I asked both my Head of Department and Second in Department for their thoughts. What was interesting is that generally, their perceptions were the same as mine. Some of the things my colleagues mentioned as strengths included being able to give relevant and honest feedback that was reliable. Autistic people tend to be more direct in their language and often have the ability to hyperfocus on specific things, which I find helps me really drill down into very specific steps when giving feedback.

They also mentioned that they found it really useful when it came to supporting student’s with SEND I was able to offer the student’s perspective and empathise with them in a way that supported both colleagues and students. There is a common misconception that autistic people are not able to empathise, when really for many of us, we have a different abilities or experience of empathy. I really struggle with cognitive empathy, because I find it difficult to recognise facial expressions, however that doesn’t mean I can’t understand why someone feels a certain emotion, and I find explaining to a colleague why a student feels a certain way often helps them form a greater understanding of the student

Making a difference to students

For autistic students, being able to talk to an adult who genuinely and authentically shares their lived experiences of being autistic, and just ‘gets it’ is really beneficial. Those are some of the conversations which matter to me the most, the ones where they realise that they are not alone, that others have the same experience, and that they can explore how they address barriers in society with someone who processes things in the same way they do. I also think that it’s so important to all students to normalise their experiences of society, this reduces stigma and ableism, and provides them with a narrative that autistic people can be just as successful as everyone else, if we all work together to ensure we create an inclusive society.

They also mentioned that they found that I have a great ability to remember important knowledge around my students, that I care about the individual details that make that student who they are. I feel it is important to understand each student as an individual, because I never felt like it mattered who I was as an individual growing up. I suspect my ability to ‘systemise’ and ‘organise’ information is also my strength here which can be a common autistic trait.

A final thought on the role of leaders

Being an autistic teacher can bring many positive strengths to any setting, and it’s really important that Senior and Middle leaders focus on these strengths in order to allow autistic teachers to progress and succeed in their role. If someone had taken the time to identify my strengths when I was early in my career as a teacher rather than focussing on the fact I didn’t meet their standard for ‘social norms’, I would have been able to progress in my career much sooner rather than feeling like I wasn’t good enough to even stand for promotion.

Once my Head of Department focussed on using and enhancing my strengths to support the department, my confidence grew and I now have two TLR responsibilities. It’s also really important to see the individual and to not assume media stereotypes of autism, each autistic individual will have different strengths and differences and it’s important to not make assumptions around this. Hopefully this will inspire you to think about how you can create an inclusive workplace as well as an inclusive educational setting for students.

Looking for further support or advice?

The National Autistic society provides useful information on pre and post diagnosis support and steps to take when seeking a diagnosis, including approaching your GP. They also have a range of resources written by professionals and autistic people who share their knowledge, good practice, research and advice for anyone working with autistic people.

All teachers and education staff can call Education Support’s free and confidential helpline 24/7. When you call you’ll talk to a qualified counsellor for immediate, confidential emotional support: 08000 562 561.

About Kathryn

Kathryn has been teaching for twenty years, focusing mainly on Maths and supporting SEND students. She works for an academy trust in the North of England, and is both disabled and neurodivergent. She has been a union representative and case worker for the last twelve years which has given her wide perspective of how disability and neurodiversity is approached within the education sector.