Autistics often find themselves judged in the workplace not by their knowledge and skills, but by how well they perform “normalcy” in an office. To appear other than how they are, the Autistics must mask, as in putting on their happy worker faces and mimicking the “neurotypical” people around them,…
Tag: career
April brings “Autism {fill in the blank}” day and month. Is it “Autism Awareness,” “Autism Acceptance,” or something else? I don’t have the time or energy to care. Each year, I rant about the month. Most people are “aware” of autism, though I question if that awareness helps anyone. My…
It’s the last few days of April, with finals starting in a few days. Student project teams are submitting their final reports, videos, and interactive fiction projects. As with the entire semester, I’ll be swamped with grading for the next two weeks in a mad dash to file grades on…
If I were not home, our children would still require supplemental supports. Those are expensive and not fully covered by insurance. At home, I am the provider of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, reading supports, behavioral intervention, and much more. Mothers (and fathers) knew this before the pandemic. Special…
“Never publicly discuss your job hunt,” I have been advised by colleagues with the best of intentions. I’d offer the same advice to my students, or any other job seekers. However, other autistics, their families, friends, and allies need to know what it is like for an autistic adult. The…
Susan does a lot to help me function, but it’s unreasonable for anyone, especially me, to expect her to read and respond to whatever I am scribbling or typing. Susan is my wife, not my editor or co-author. Yes, we have worked together on the Tameri Guide for Writers, but not…
Podcast Episode 0060; Season 04, Episode 24; March 16, 2021 Productive. I want to be productive. More precisely, I want to know I am contributing to our family by producing work that earns an income. I’m one of the 85% of autistic adults with a college degree and no full-time employment. That’s our…
Once again I’m preparing for a low-paying adjunct assignment, vowing this will be the last time I work so hard for so little money. My base salary is $1900 per class. I spend a lot of time on these classes, updating existing materials and preparing new. Regardless of the term…
Podcast 0052; Season 04, Episode 16; January 5, 2021 I’ve been reflecting a lot on friendships, the connections I don’t have. Many autistics I know are more social than I am, especially online. Not every autistic is an introvert, especially in virtual communities. My autistic traits and introversion lead to personal…
Podcast 048; Season 4, Episode 12; November 17, 2020 What I’ve Learned about Teaching I’ve learned a lot about teaching over the last 30 years. Like everyone else, I’ve been learning about teaching since my first day as a student. Unfortunately, the lessons suggest that education is broken, and so…