Article in the Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs
In this journal article, the experiences and views of 12 former autistic school staff are explored. There is a particular focus on the language they used in interviews, and this revealed multiple manifestations of marginalisation and exclusion experienced by participants before they stopped working in schools. A key trope was invisibility: some participants were made to feel invisible, but at the same time, might try to be invisible (e.g., through masking) in order to be able to cope with their time in schools. This included being able to be open about being autistic, which participants did not always feel was safe, although not all of them knew that they were autistic at the time. Importantly, the participants also reported a number of positives, including being able to empathise with, and understand how best to support, children who were at risk of marginalisation themselves. Some participants also expressed a preference for a non-hierarchical approach, ‘being on a level’ with children, rather than being a disciplinarian. Having an intense focus and a passion for their work (monotropism) was also felt to be advantageous for schools. Most participants were content with their current circumstances, and many had retained a link with education in their professional life, but crucially, were now able to work on their own terms. One of the key take-home messages from participants is that autistic-led training is vital to tackle the issues they experienced, for both autistic and non-autistic teachers in schools.
Article in Educational Review
In this journal article, drawn from in-depth interviews with 21 autistic teachers, we explore the issues faced by autistic school staff in a range of roles in schools, particularly in light of the impact of Covid-19 on working practices.
For example, autistic school staff can experience significant sensory issues in the school environment, and so home-working was largely beneficial from this point of view, as were smaller class sizes, with children placed in ‘bubbles’. However, other changes had a more mixed response, such as the increased use of technology, which was both disliked and valued by our participants. Crucially, Covid-19 related adaptations enabled a more nuanced understanding of the concept of ‘change’ in relation to autistic school staff, demonstrating the factors that influenced whether dealing with change was experienced as stressful, manageable or even enjoyed.
This article is free to download.
Article in Disability & Society
Our journal article drawn from our Phase 1 findings has been published in Disability & Society. It is free to download. In the article, we explore the following themes:
1. Lack of understanding and support;
2. Poor treatment of autistic pupils;
3. Environment;
4. Mental health issues;
5. Problems with revealing autism diagnosis;
6. Positive experiences of revealing diagnosis;
7. Facilitating inclusion.
Covid-19 Summary report
We have produced a summary report of our findings in relation to Covid-19 drawn from our 33 interview participants. Our participants reflect on the changes to their work practices resulting from the pandemic, the impact on the children they teach, and the broader lessons that can be learned post-Covid. The report can be downloaded from HERE.
Leadership Focus magazine
Becky Wood has written a short article in Leadership Focus (p. 38), the magazine of the National Association of Head teachers, in which she describes an imaginary scene of an autistic Head teacher who is listening to a member of staff discussing an autistic pupil in less than complimentary terms. This member of staff is unaware that the Head teacher is autistic. Although this is fictional, our research indicates that this imaginary scenario could easily be true, as some of our participants occupied senior roles in schools, and a number of staff members felt unable to be open about being autistic. Indeed, hearing derogatory comments about autistic pupils merely served to reinforce that fear. (Please note that the author was unaware that puzzle piece imagery would be used in the article).
Phase 1 summary report
A free access summary report from Phase 1 of the project can be downloaded here. This sets out the basic characteristics of the participants and provides some comparisons between those who were working in a school at the time of completing the survey (about two thirds of the participants) and those who were no longer doing so. This report also lists some of the emerging themes from the study, which have since been explored in greater depth.
Article in Share magazine
There is an interview with Rebecca about the co-edited book ‘Learning from Autistic Teachers: How to be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School’ in Scottish Autism’s Share magazine. She describes the ideas behind the book and how it was developed.
Autistic School Staff Project 