Many autistic adults shudder when recalling school memories.
But why do autistic people suffer so much at school?
Historically, it’s been framed that a) school is above reproach, and b) there’s always something wrong with the child who doesn’t manage, and not the environment.
Some are starting to question that.
A thread 🧵
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#School #Autism #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent #EBSA #ABSA #PDA
For many autistics, our problems really start at school 😨
At home, if we’re lucky enough to be in gentle, loving homes, we can be ourselves. Let our minds wander, exploring, into our worlds. Play in the sand, or with our toys, for happy hours on end. Eat while playing or reading or listening to audio/music. Parallel play with others. Choose/adapt our favorite spot. And so on...
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A little detour into diagnosis:
Diagnosis age of children often happens about a year into school, and another noticeable (if lesser) wave of kids get diagnosed a year or so into starting high school.*
Autism is a neurotype. A natural human variant.
Which currently gets diagnosed through behavior and, sometimes, self-report.
*Refs, and a table showing diagnosis age against school start, are in the link at the end of the thread.
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An autism diagnosis usually centers around two things:
1. Is the person’s behavior annoying anyone,
2. Are they struggling a lot?
(Mostly, it’s n.1 if a child, & n.2 if an adult.)
Many-a-parent has protested to many-a-school that their child is suffering. As I remember, my words were “he’s dying inside.” The answer was, “he’s fine” (read: he’s not creating mayhem).
Sorry to be cynical, but they may as well have said, “no one cares.”
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Many of the signs of autism, as currently diagnosed, would be quite easy to mistake for distress.
Meltdowns, shutdowns, burnout.
Even things like perseverating and stimming (esp. in their less benign forms).
Studies have found that autistic 'symptoms’ often become more pronounced when we’re under stress, anxious, chronically overstimulated, worried, and/or scared (refs at the end).
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Educators & researchers reckon the reason autism so often gets diagnosed after starting school is because the kid failing to socialize properly only gets noticed at school.
I’d argue there are two errors here:
1. Conflating two things: ‘Autism as a neurotype’ with ‘Autism as a problem to be solved’.
2. Assuming school is a benign place full of the wonders of learning and friendship (apologies if my tone sounds sarcastic).
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K.J. Elphinstone
PatternChaser