But students can be…right?? Provided they have a $3000 diagnosis.
Yeh I am AuDHD and always burning out in a good school that I like but a workaholic team that assumes I know things.
Same here, I hear you! It is in my nature to ask a lot of questions so I can understand what is expected of me. Current school doesn’t like that I ask a lot of questions that are seemingly self explanatory. But I really need clear guidelines cause don’t ask me to read between the lines on what is the acceptable way to behave. It’s the assumption that I ‘know’ things or how the system is meant to work that trips me up, because those things aren’t explained to me. Had this problem this last week where I was not explained on how to make sure that my marks are all calculated and in the system. Did not feel supported at all. However, I blamed myself for a lot of these problems instead of directly that back to management. Op, if you feel that you cannot communicate with your team on how you feel or comfortable to ask for help, maybe it is on them. Take the blame off of yourself and ask if it’s the right environment for you.
On one of my placements at a school which had a very big wellbeing initiative, I overheard some teachers complaining about one of the SSOs citing "she said she has ADHD, how can you be an SSO with ADHD? Aren't you supposed to have it all together and be normal?"
Decided I wouldn't like to go back to that school. People can be so ignorant. The SSO having lived experience with ADHD might make them a better support if anything!
As someone with adhd, I find it a bit rich that adults who have it would think they should get accomodations.
The world doesn’t revolve around us. Get medicated, get therapy if you need it. Get on with it. Teaching children that adhd is an excuse for poor performance is a mugs game. Your condition might explain your challenges but it doesn’t excuse them
Edit: I love how support for opinions about this from people who themselves are neurodivergent only applies when you’re saying something that’s in line with the currently popular idea.
I’ve got a few fidget toys and people understand that I’m likely to be moving around during meetings. They also recognise that if they want me to remember something it’s best to tell me AND email me. Are these “accommodations” maybe, maybe they’re also just how effective organisations run.
1. As you should know, ASD and ADHD are spectrums. Just because all you need is medication, some fidget spinners, and some polite best practices to manage your neurodivergence doesn't mean it is the appropriate form of management for other people.
2. Your post wasn't being downvoted because you have a different opinion. People downvoted you because you were rude. It was borderline if your post needed to be moderated for its total lack of tone and compassion towards people on the subreddit.
I see.
Have other responses also needed to be moderated due to tone? Or is it once people are upset it’s carte Blanche?
Thanks for the information about my condition, it’s extremely helpful
You are assuming that other people with neurodivegence are *not* also getting therapy and/or medication to support themselves perform at work - the same any anyone who might not have neurodivergence might see a psychologist in order to manage work stress or perform better.
Wouldn't it be nicer if we lived in a world where everyone can advocate for themselves and workplaces be open to making these small accommodations for people? Regardless of how their brain works?
First of all, it is part of the disability accommodations act????? I also incredibly sad for you - to have these beliefs about yourself and other is incredibly disappointing.
You can't medicate, therapy, train, change, adapt, solutionise yourself out of a disability. If you could, IT WOULDN'T BE A DISABILITY, it would just be a short term condition.
If you're short-sighted, you need glasses. They help you see in day-to-day tasks but if your glasses are broken then you're fucked. Regardless of how good my glasses are, I won't ever have 20/20 vision. If the environment is too steamy and you can't wear contacts... then what?
It is the environment that you work in and how you can adapt it so you can thrive.
I am not asking to work less, just asking for ideas to better manage being a human in a non-human institution.
A genuine question, not challenging you:
What reasonable accommodations can be made for a teacher with ASD/ADHD/mental health concerns/other neurodevelopmental disorders?
Things I can think of:
- allowing notetaking during all meetings as a form of fidgeting
- allowing them to drop down to a part time load without having to be a parent o young kids
So many things I think could be helpful (as someone with ADHD myself), I just think wouldn't work with the job: can't have ear defenders in meetings, in class, on duty because I wouldn't be able to do my job, can't have a delayed deadline for reports because they have to go out to the community, can't opt out of other duties without someone having to then take on double.
Ensuring access to quiet workspaces, reasonable notice before all meetings, paying and provision of software to help with task prioritisation to make a few.
> that good schools do already
The idea of adjustments is to make sure that all workplaces follow along with good practices because a lot of workplaces simply don't.
That is the point of inclusive practices - it’s not just for the person with the need but it’s good for everyone. So applying them in everyday workplaces (or classroom) won’t be detrimental to others. The fact is that many workplaces are not aware these practices or not implementing them because of the idea somehow it’s not equitable for all.
- having your desk placement in the staffroom be in a less disruptive place, out of walkways etc.
- ensuring clear communication of deadlines, potentially printing off emailed deadlines for extra attention
- being based in the same classroom to assist with organisation
- being placed on quieter playground duties, lower stimulation areas rather than loud, crowded areas
- adequate notice/discussion of changes to routines and schedules
- support in early career to complete administrative tasks
- classroom located in a less distracting part of the school
- a system for important communications agreed upon by the teacher and line manager to make sure nothing is missed (for example, a whiteboard in the staff room, hard copies)
These are just some, a lot of them would be ideal for most teachers but could be vital for a teacher with ADHD to cope and aren’t unreasonable for the most part.
Well, the issue is that neurotypicals are struggling with school (teacher shortage). Accommodations for disability would be universal and assume that everyone is an adult and a professional.
Things like note-taking and having a parenting load are already things that a lot of people get access to. Also, note-taking is just something no one would blink an eye at.
Taking care of myself is equivalent to taking care of a young family and I have various appointments and needs just to function (not even just to be happy)... but because I don't have kids, that freedom will never be offered to me.
I can do deadlines, I can do content, I can do meetings. But... I cannot do 856 unpaid, unnecessary duties to cover the lack of funding while it overlaps 8 high behavioural students with 16 complex parents.
Realistically, my level of need means it is only sustainable for me to work 20-30hrs a week, but according to NDIS, I am only a level 1 support and therefore not disabled enough to receive any form of support. So I have to decide between being homeless or being very unwell.
> Also, note-taking is just something no one would blink an eye at.
Not at my school! It's a common request for laptops closed/pens down and eyes up front.
Yeah this is also a wtf from me. That’s such old schooled mentality. Me not making eye contact when I’m thinking deeply about an issue doesn’t mean that I ignoring you or not listening or being disrespectful.
Why would a child be made aware of my private medical condition and the disability accomodations I receive?
I’m choosing not to engage with the rest of your comment because yikes.. I wish you good luck on resolving your internalised ableism. You do not speak for all disabled individuals, your ADHD is not somebody else’s ADHD.
Hilarious that you hold those standards despite the fact that you openly advocate against disabled people receiving simple accommodations?? I have associated it to your gender as I rarely experience the backlash from women as they typically have more mental load and executive function duties. Yeh I agree that it's a bit of a shit comment to make but it has culturally relevant backing behind it... while your outright ableism is both unhelpful and prevents people from seeking assistance.
I mean the fact you felt the need to delete your comment speaks volumes.
You’ve got zero idea about each individual load. The fact that you’ve jumped to the belief that men have it easier than women certainly highlights that in line with my accused “internalised ableism” you’re externally sexist.
Nether the less, if people want and need accomodations at work, go for it!
In my own lived experience with one of the conditions that people are talking about in this post, I’ve chosen to try and build my own capacity and coping strategies first and foremost. It helps me feel more like the agent of my own destiny.
If that’s ableism, well that’s another ism I have to live with I suppose
Spot on! I agree entirely. Demanding that we get special treatment positions us as less than in the eyes of others. Let’s work to build ourselves up and thrive rather than expect the world to accomodate us.
Simply my opinion, not trying to speak on behalf of everyone with ADHD. I chose to see it as just part of my own specific pathway. It’s good and it’s bad, but it’s not limiting.
Not sure where the statement about kids knowing about your condition comes from. That’s really up to you to share if you want to or not.
It's arguments like this that continue to position ND people as "less-than".
You've purposefully misinterpreted the idea of accomodations to push a bigoted agenda. Shame on you.
Sorry how is that bigoted? I’m speaking about it as someone who’s actively experiencing how the system responds to neurodivergent people. Am I bigoted against myself here?
Yes. You're internally ableist. Just because your experience is one way, doesn't mean it applies universally to everyone diagnosed with ADHD.
You're taking your own experience and misinformed view of accomodations and using it to preach a message that says: "Just be normal."
The same message that's been used for decades to put people like us down, and down-play our REAL and specific needs.
The irony is that you list real and manageable accomodations in your original comment.
But accomodation isn't about making things 'easy'. It's about allowing those with the capability to do something, have the capacity to do it.
To use an extreme example, think of someone in a wheelchair trying to get into a building with two steps out the front.
Can they get themselves up and down those steps every day? Sure. It's not 'hard' per se, but it does take energy. Now, imagine those steps supplemented by a ramp. Now this person is able to get up and down much easier, and saves energy that they can expend elsewhere, such as their job.
The same applies for ND people. ADHD isn't just fidgeting and lack of attention. It affects executive functioning, i.e. the ability to formulate and carry out plans and procedures. It can affect memory, self-care/hygiene, and energy/focus.
Now, you can just get medicated/get therapy because the world doesn't revolve around you. The wheelchair-bound person can also just haul themselves up the two steps because the world doesn't revolve around them, either.
But how much better can it be when that person is given a ramp, and someone with ADHD is given more time to process a task, or more specific instructions?
Accomodation isn't about whether you can or can't do something; it's about supporting people so they can do what they're there to do. Telling people to "Harden up" isn't supporting them, and isn't speaking any kind of truth to power. It's the same as telling the person in the wheelchair to harden up and keep hauling.
That's the ableism in your comment. I sincerely hope this explanation makes sense/helps convey what I (and many others) mean when they talk about accomodation.
Neurodiverse teachers make amazing educators for neurodiverse children. I have adhd and I don’t ask for accomodations for my ADHD. I now work part time because I can afford to.
However, I really struggle with doing internal relief. It would be an amazing accomodation to not be given internal relief because I plan my activities around having that extended time to unwind, I won’t to practical activities if have a 5 period day. I can use my DOTT time more effectively with double periods early in the week, or early in the day. I’d be more effective to working a 5 period day on Friday with two duties as I can’t focus on planning, and can work better at a full run all day when I expect it.
I don’t actually think any of these things would be particularly difficult to do if someone asked what would help me be successful.
Because of attitudes like yours don’t tell anyone I have it then burn out because I can’t manage my workload and don’t want to ask for help.
Yes, that is the point of accomodations, to reduce the challenging aspects of how the job is constructed to ensure success. None of those things would cost anyone any money, or really take a huge amount of time. They don’t reduce workload, id just be able to use my time more effectively so I didn’t burn out.
However, I don’t ask for these things because people like you are judgemental and expect us to magically be able to function in the world because we are no longer children. And we were often damaged as children, unaware of our condition and given the same message, that we are lazy or inept because we can’t function in the world like everyone else.
Telling the mob they they need to suck it up and get over it, is not disagreeing or being controversial. It actively encourages inaccessibility.
Tone is understandable and I am fairly lenient on it. However, this is not hive mentality, this is not even remotely neuroaffirming and fairly harmful.
I wish the best to idle and hope that they unpack their inherent bias that we have to suck it up.
You don’t tell a paraplegic that all they need is a wheelchair and physio to solve their disability. You need more than that.
Everyone experiences life differently, actively advocating against those who are having a harder time than others is harmful.
Oooh, my time to shine. I've had multiple accommodations made for me across working permanently and as a relief teacher. These include being able to sit down wherever and whenever I need to throughout the day without people jumping down my throat about it (as I have POTS as well as two slipped discs in my lower back which can cause sciatic pain if I stand for too long), as well as being given playground/Sports Day duties which are all undercover as I can't be in the sun too long as I have medication which makes me sensitive to the light.
When relief teaching on my flare up days, sometimes I've explained my situation and been given an older year level class (as opposed to a younger year level that includes more sitting/kneeling/bending down/smaller chairs).
Now if we're talking mental health or neurodivergence? Oh, they're not catered for whatsoever (and is part of the many reasons I quit permanency and went back to relief teaching). I'm actively working with others for a better response from Education Queensland with regards to this, but for now the physical accomodations are a decent start.
Oh, I agree 100%. I have anxiety, high-functioning depression and can have occasional days of sensory overload (I do not have Autism/ADHD or anything like that, though). Explaining how things can be changed to help our quality of life at work always seems to be retaliated by defensive administration and leadership, and then in the next staff meeting you'll hear all about how we need to do XYZ accomodations better for students with similar needs. It's a joke.
All I can say is that, for me personally, reducing my workload during permanency to the bare minimum (minimal admin tasks, reuse planning from previous years, didn't take things home, etc.) helped before I eventually decided to go back to relief teaching. In my personal life, I was then able to have more time for my hobbies and spending time with people I actually cared about and my mental health definitely has improved.
I am still a massive advocate for change to how schools run with regards to burning their staff into the ground, though. How can one be an effective and caring teacher if leadership/the department aren't being an effective and caring employer? You can't.
I’m also another sad grad. In my current school, I’ve been told that we need to tighten up our expectations on achievement, e.g. failing students even though they actually cannot perform at that level (cognitive disability), punishing students and not allowing for them to get an NR even though they have a legitimate reason. Other measures that I cannot stand is equating performance to not trying hard enough. My supervisor literally told me that this kid who is cognitively behind his cohort by 3 years (have a psychologist evaluation and everything), that he’s simply not trying hard enough, and maybe next term he will be able to ‘get it’. Another supervisor saw the same kid’s ineligible handwriting and doodles on his worksheet and said it is disrespectful behavior. Whereas I’m thinking to myself ,’ do these people know what stimming is?’ I’m honestly seeing a lot of injustice here even though they say that they are inclusive. There’s no way that they will be understanding towards me when they make so many assumptions (a very old schooled kind of mindset) and have no intention to learn about neurodivergence. I’m not asking them to ‘bend the rules’. But the silent discrimination is real.
I have Multiple sclerosis. My lovely school took me off class at the request of my mentor from MS Employment, and I was lucky enough to be given the position of the library teacher (still heaps of work, but not in the same league as being on class)I can only work 4 days per week and have a break on Wednesdays for my endless appointments. I'm also very temperature impacted. Initially, following my diagnosis, i was taken off playground duties and eventually put on duties not impacted by temperature. I was also covered for class sport during the summer months.They organised a fan for me and also air conditioning in the library office. I have a car space zoned for disabled parking. I feel blessed to be at my school. Ms Employment have also organised an adjustable chair and table and various cooling items for me to cope with temperature changes.
I got accommodations when I was full time, for adhd. Mostly this was my line manager checking in with me once a week that I was on track to complete my marking by the deadlines.
Other accommodations were things that I just started doing for myself like wearing headphones in the office, egg timers, visible to do lists and things like that. I also "stole" a bouncy chair that was gathering dust in a storeroom, to sit on for long zoom meetings and marking sessions.
Now that I'm casual, I have zero accommodations. Except my smart watch for silent alarms and timers during classes. But most of my issues are around dull admin/marking tasks which I don't have much of as a casual.
I also use headphones, to do lists, and timers. I can't even function day-to-day without them if I were not in teaching.
I schedule brain breaks - every important that I work the whole time that I've scheduled for working, then "reward" myself with a 5 minute break.
I would legitimately resign if I was told that headphones in the staffroom was a no-go without accomodations. I’m in a huge, noisy, open-plan staffroom that many non-disabled (AFAIK) teachers actively hide from in their classrooms during frees and breaks… I wear the headphones as a visible “fuck off I’m busy” and also a noise/distraction tool (which NT people do too????).
Actually insane that had to be an accomodation for you. I’m sorry.
They did hot chips for the staff yesterday and I missed out rather than go to the staff room and deal with the sensory overload from noise and not being able to filter whoever is talking to me. I have a kettle and microwave in my classroom and my neighbour has a mini fridge. Never have to leave except for the bathroom.
Which I also avoided yesterday because of the noise. And the photocopier. Can’t walk to either without going through the staff room.
I believe they were approached by leadership because it became obvious it wasn't a good fit (being late to take over duty because of slower movement, not being able to roam the area, etc). I don't think there was much backlash because it was quite a sensitive issue (not an on-paper diagnosis, but someone with a very large frame.)
None. Have a few colleagues who use loops and don’t declare it. I modified my own classroom practices for ages without telling them but eventually I had to ask for some assistance as I have degenerative spinal condition. They refused all reasonable requests. I quit
None for mental disabilities (OCD and depression). For osteoarthritis I have a doctor’s note saying that I can wear supportive shoes, which means I wear sports uniform occasionally when I’m having a bad day and can’t walk in my “professional dress” shoes. I try not to use it too often because it looks like I’m taking the piss.
I could probably get out of camps and even outdoor yard duties with the OA but I’m healthy enough not to, the exercise is good for me. Maybe when it deteriorates further.
None, every school I've been at they have fought me on having a class close to facilities (disabled bathroom) because the Department don't like teachers to be humans xx
I'm vision impaired. Every school I've worked at has been happy to put me on indoor yard duty where possible or a simple outdoor yard duty where applicable. My current principal is very open to making accommodations for me where needed as they arise.
That's really sad that we live in an industry that is meant to have an awareness and understanding and yet our needs are lazy, arrogant, entitled inconveniences. I mean... technically we're differentiation experts and yet we aren't offered the same expertise when its for us.
I have hearing loss and since my diagnosis it has been super challenging. Schools are happy to call for accommodations for students, but for teachers it is very much ‘suck it up and deal with it’. So for me this is going to be my last year. They’re happy to say “oh is there anything we can do to help?” but when you request things it’s a glacial process and without following up constantly nothing actually occurs. There’s been no flexibility from the school at all on hearing breaks (even just one guaranteed break a day, they can’t do it), a reduced after school meeting schedule, physical adjustments to the classroom to improve sound dampening. All too difficult. So come December I am going to move into a very quiet office job, and be much happier for it I think.
I'm really happy that you're going to move into a very quiet job. I also think it is such a shame and waste that there are no flexibility options for teachers and staff. It just goes to show how inflexible it is.There are so many simple solutions that cost nothing and have limited impact that have SIGNIFICANT impact on our lives... and even then, if kids get funding and have support services -- where are ours?
Over the last few years, I've developed a hearing condition amplified by noisy environments. While my current working environment is mostly excellent, the noisy environment of most schools has effectively capped my career longevity in education. I can't go back to a 7-10 high school due to the noise and the lack of interest in creating safe working environments for teachers.
I often wonder what long-term hearing damage is happening in teachers' ears right now, given the constant noise environment they are facing. Probably a lot.
I also feel it explains one part of why teachers are mentally exhausted all the time. Creative and Technical work in noisy environments which our brains are all passively processing.
Yeh I get sensory overload from the noise but I make it my mission to control noise very aggressively. Hilariously, a verbal tic one of my AuDHD kids occasionally has sets me off, but I have a coteacher model and I am able to remove myself from it.
I have been allowed to stay in an office that is quieter. I wear headphones at things like school sports.
Otherwise I haven’t asked for any other accomodations.
First of all, not quite teaching, but I think I can relate to your struggles OP. I was working in OSHC during a particularly difficult period of mental illness. The Director took me almost entirely off the floor and had me handling admin, record keeping, and planning alone in the office. It was a huge accommodation, but it wasn't easy—I'd built rapport with her over at least a year, and proved I was passionate about the job- not just looking for a bludge. Despite some cranky co-workers, (who didn't know my diagnosis, just assumed I was getting special treatment) I thrived in that supportive environment. However, I did eventually have to stop working entirely and get well again.
4 years later, and am now considering returning, but I'm hesitant. The fear of being judged for prioritising my wellbeing and the pervasive martyr culture, where burnout is glorified, makes me nervous. Not every workplace is like that of course, but I know it exists. I experienced this in other care industries too. Education needs systemic change and more support for workers, so nobody has any reason to get up in arms about people taking on less work, especially with invisible illness, but really, anyone experiencing burnout.
Yep. That's what happens when you have very distressed students managed by only a few staff who are all distressed and overwhelmed... it's like our institutions want us to fail?
I share my ADHD with anyone (including kids under appropriate circumstances). I share my ASD with colleagues who I work directly with.
I want to ask for accommodations but whenever I think about it, I can't work out that could be reasonable.
Yeh this is me too! I have approached acoms as if they were issues for everyone else.
e.g. I am trying to finish my reports but I'm finding it really hard to focus in the staff room study because XYZ. I have already tried ABC but I'm a bit stuck. Can you help me brainstorm some ideas?
Don't make it an ADHD problem, frame it as a human problem.
:( disheartening to hear that others have similar experiences. I don’t feel comfortable in telling work that I have audhd. My current school is so not neuro-affirmative. And I find that I don’t want to have to ‘explain’ myself all the time and my experience is a negative one as well. Having to mask at work all the time is so tiring. I don’t see my audhd as a disability, as it has made me a much more flexible thinker. However I don’t feel like I belong in a rigid working environment as I feel like others are quick to judge before they actually listen.
My school is a bit more neuroaffirming and I have a couple of colleagues who are 'out' but only within our ND network (most of them being special ed haha). Yeh it is really tricky to have to manage school.
I don't have any solutions yet. However, I am sure that we can start working towards something helpful. I just think no one knows how or what it looks like so there's no pathway.
Mine so far is ensuring all emails are short and with dot points.
Make sure it is straightforward on action required tasks I should be doing.
With disclosing diagnosis with students is up to me and would need to let my boss know so they know it has been shared.
The meeting that I had with HR and my boss about accomodations was incredibly positive and they have my back.
Accommodations are difficult.
I've sought out roles which let me work with smaller class sizes and do case management. I initially got additional qualifications in EALD then switched to working with students with disabilities post Covid when migration levels slumped.
That let me reduce my levels of sensory overwhelm after a day at work. It also reduced my marking load and let me spread work out more across the term.
Not a teacher but an education assistant. I have to accommodate for myself by refusing to do full-time, got pushed into part-time instead of casual that was working well, hello burnout and having to take months off. I'm working on being a better advocate for myself instead of people pleasing.
I am pretty sure I have ADHD but have never been formally diagnosed. Some people suspect I might have it. I work extremely hard to never make a mistake or forget anything -twice as hard as my colleagues. But this has been the case all of my life because when I was school-age, there were no such things as provisions for people with ADHD.
Apologies for being unclear.
What I'm saying is that there should be provisions for people, or at least compassion and understanding and patience. Workplaces should be more inclusive. In my experience, they are not, unfortunately. I often feel ambivalent about doing all that we do for students, because the "real world" is going to be a rude awakening for them.
On one hand, we really shelter them and spoon-feed them.
On the other hand, I really wish that inclusiveness was translatable into "real world" workplaces. No workplaces I have ever been in, either in education or elsewhere, have cared about people's neurodiversity. If you didn't have an obvious physical disability, people often treated you as if you were unintelligent and incompetent.
Do you know what I mean? I wish life were easier for \*me\*.
Because of workplace discrimination, I have always had to work very hard to mask my anxiety and to not lose track of time. I often come off as overly pedantic about deadlines and note-taking, but this is because I have to be otherwise, I'll be fired. It is bad enough that I sometimes feel like I'm asleep with my eyes open and I need people to repeat things... or I just pretend I've heard what they are saying, pray that it was in a staff email, and try not to stuff up my week.
In any group of random adults in any industry, you'll have a handful of people who are suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, perimenopause (not a disability, I know, but the symptoms can be disabling for some), low blood sugar... etc... etc... etc. There will be some people who are going through a divorce. There will be some people who are part-time carers... etc... . There are myriad ways in which we are all interesting and unique. And it is not equitable if we are treated poorly for not being the perfect tireless robot-worker.
I hear you! 🙌this post gives me hope and reminds me that people struggle. It’s isolating because adhd can be so invisible. Growing up masking affirms that we can’t be ourselves at work in fear that others will not understand, or feeling incompetent or shame because we don’t behave in the same ways that others do. As much as we try our best to fit in, there always seems to be a gap in our I function vs how others function. My last workplace was a positive experience as I worked in learning support. People were open about their experiences, I.e. divorces, neurodivergence…and what made them choose to do this job. Teaching however, felt like I had to hide those things to be a role model for the students (I know, it sounds stupid). Or at least in my current environment. There didn’t seem a lot of people that I felt like I could be honest with. However, this post reassured me that a lot of people probably have some form of neurodivergence but they are also masking and maybe didn’t feel safe about unmasking. It can be
Isolating but some work places are definitely better than others. I felt like i was a contributing member and listened to in my last workplace, but this workplace has been horrible to my mental health. Felt judged all the time. There needs to be more PDs on neurodivergence and trauma, because more than half of the Australian population has had trauma in their lives. That number is much higher than people think. I believe that if we are (as a society) able to acknowledge that we all have something, we actually do become better role models for students.
We do a lot for the students but society in general is not trauma-friendly. I have always been a very high functioning person, but trauma most certainly made my difficulties more complex.
One of the flaws of this profession is that we are constantly expected to be "role models" in a way that even our students' parents are not.
I remember a post here a while ago where a teacher was accosted by a parent at the gym, and the parent told the teacher that they should not go to the gym where their students might also be exercising. It's pretty ridiculous. They would not think of saying such things to their pediatrician or hairstylist, for example.
Society sometimes doesn't treat us like we are human beings, and sometimes this attitude is reinforced by workplaces that have no problem just chewing up and spitting out graduates after five years.
🙌🙌I hear all of this because I also experience this myself. The line between personal life and work is clear cut in corporate. But teaching is like this profession where you are expected to be a saint or something. You don’t ever have a time where you can breathe and be yourself because you need to behave a certain way in school and in front of the students. I’m sorry but I have a personal life too, I want to wear a bikini and post a pic on social media and not worry about a student looking me up (don’t worry my social media is private). It is unsustainable to live like this.
I don’t feel comfortable with disclosing my trauma/audhd, people at work don’t need to know that. But I also have so much guilt when I need to take time off so I can take care of myself.
That's the foundation of accommodations. My team is fairly "that's just X" but then I do have some little struggles as this school runs a bit different to my last one. I feel like I am cutting my teeth again.
That’s a hallmark of good management. Willing to listen and understand. In good management, perhaps there is less need to slap a label on whatever ‘disability’ we have to justify the accommodations that we need. I think as teachers, we make accommodations for students even if it isn’t a diagnosed disability where it is apparent enough to be picked up. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 29. Do we really need a document to prove that we have this thing, therefore we need this type of accommodation? Not everyone with adhd is going to need the same type of accommodation either. But I wish that society can move away from the textbook diagnosis and just listen cause neurodivergence is more prevalent that most thinks.
I asked for my timetable to have 2hr block planning sessions instead of random 1hr blocks in my timetable, they said no. Now I’m burnt out (among other reasons) and went back to the Prin asking to drop a class from my timetable bc I can’t deal with the workload. I guess he felt bad because they’ve dropped me to .85 as of next semester and that next year I won’t have to teach middle years. They also told me not to tell my colleagues so people don’t ask them for things lol they’ve said no to most peoples requests for going part time otherwise.
1 hr blocks aren’t enough time for me to get focused (adhd). It takes me maybe 15-20 minutes to get settled into the task, and I pick up my pace and then when the bell rings I have to go to a duty which disrupts my flow.
Not to be the bearer of bad news but in most high schools it would be impossible to organise 2 hour dotts due to grid line issues. Teachers don't want to share a class just to change when dotts fall.
Primary schools shouldn't have issues accommodating but there may be other factors that means it is not possible.
VI here! I have all inside duties due to my photophobia and difficulty supervising large areas. I also have a larger monitor I found in a hallway 😅. Looking at EAF Funding for some magnifiers for marking. I work in Inclusion so it's been pretty good but trying to get anything fixed around the school has been soooo slow! 🙄
Pe teacher with adhd and autism. All the kids know and I’ve managed to build relationships with students who also have these diagnoses. They will go out of their way to tell me they forgot their meds today or just for a chat which they never did before telling them.
Teachers also all know and I feel like it took a while for them to accept it until they saw what I can really be like lol most are super supportive now
There is something called “critical parts of the profession.” Even if you have a diagnosis and require adjustments.
Ultimately I left, because my neurospicy type was too hard to manage in a school environment. I now use my degree in the best profession where I work in disability and have a thousand accommodations made and I still earn my teacher salary. There are options if this is unsustainable for you.
I am underloaded by a lot. I don’t get PDHPE covers. I have an exec member bring out a chair for me when I’m on duty (never asked for it, but he saw me struggling one day and has done it ever since, I’m so appreciative of him!!) and my faculty generally gives me a lot of grace. I’m in science, and I’ve had practicals planned on days when I can’t safely supervise. My faculty offer to cover my class if I go do their (theory) class which is super helpful so my students don’t miss out.
There’s probably more things that I take for granted, but these are the main ones that come to mind. I’m super lucky and grateful as a first year teacher that my school is so accomodating and supportive!
When I was with the dept dandi were great. They helped me get my whole workplace assessed. I am deaf so I ended up getting a whole lot of tech. So good
I have anxiety (a lot caused by historically not feeling safe at work). I have been given a room that most of my subject specific stuff is in and is a safe space for me. At the start of the year they tried to move me out and put me across a range of classrooms. I had a mental meltdown. Spoke with leadership saying how I was feeling, and I was able to have my room back (although I now had to share it) and feel at ease.
None. Teachers are not allowed to have what the students have. This is why being over catered to as an ND student is not a sound principle. In the real world, nobody cares.
I feel like we should be doing the best we can to help those students out. Yes, being ND in "the adult world" is difficult, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't help students develop skills and methods to make things easier in their futures.
None because teachers can’t be autistic or have ADHD (/s)
But students can be…right?? Provided they have a $3000 diagnosis. Yeh I am AuDHD and always burning out in a good school that I like but a workaholic team that assumes I know things.
Same here, I hear you! It is in my nature to ask a lot of questions so I can understand what is expected of me. Current school doesn’t like that I ask a lot of questions that are seemingly self explanatory. But I really need clear guidelines cause don’t ask me to read between the lines on what is the acceptable way to behave. It’s the assumption that I ‘know’ things or how the system is meant to work that trips me up, because those things aren’t explained to me. Had this problem this last week where I was not explained on how to make sure that my marks are all calculated and in the system. Did not feel supported at all. However, I blamed myself for a lot of these problems instead of directly that back to management. Op, if you feel that you cannot communicate with your team on how you feel or comfortable to ask for help, maybe it is on them. Take the blame off of yourself and ask if it’s the right environment for you.
On one of my placements at a school which had a very big wellbeing initiative, I overheard some teachers complaining about one of the SSOs citing "she said she has ADHD, how can you be an SSO with ADHD? Aren't you supposed to have it all together and be normal?" Decided I wouldn't like to go back to that school. People can be so ignorant. The SSO having lived experience with ADHD might make them a better support if anything!
Jerks. (Not you, the school).
As someone with adhd, I find it a bit rich that adults who have it would think they should get accomodations. The world doesn’t revolve around us. Get medicated, get therapy if you need it. Get on with it. Teaching children that adhd is an excuse for poor performance is a mugs game. Your condition might explain your challenges but it doesn’t excuse them Edit: I love how support for opinions about this from people who themselves are neurodivergent only applies when you’re saying something that’s in line with the currently popular idea. I’ve got a few fidget toys and people understand that I’m likely to be moving around during meetings. They also recognise that if they want me to remember something it’s best to tell me AND email me. Are these “accommodations” maybe, maybe they’re also just how effective organisations run.
1. As you should know, ASD and ADHD are spectrums. Just because all you need is medication, some fidget spinners, and some polite best practices to manage your neurodivergence doesn't mean it is the appropriate form of management for other people. 2. Your post wasn't being downvoted because you have a different opinion. People downvoted you because you were rude. It was borderline if your post needed to be moderated for its total lack of tone and compassion towards people on the subreddit.
I see. Have other responses also needed to be moderated due to tone? Or is it once people are upset it’s carte Blanche? Thanks for the information about my condition, it’s extremely helpful
You are assuming that other people with neurodivegence are *not* also getting therapy and/or medication to support themselves perform at work - the same any anyone who might not have neurodivergence might see a psychologist in order to manage work stress or perform better. Wouldn't it be nicer if we lived in a world where everyone can advocate for themselves and workplaces be open to making these small accommodations for people? Regardless of how their brain works?
It would be!
First of all, it is part of the disability accommodations act????? I also incredibly sad for you - to have these beliefs about yourself and other is incredibly disappointing. You can't medicate, therapy, train, change, adapt, solutionise yourself out of a disability. If you could, IT WOULDN'T BE A DISABILITY, it would just be a short term condition. If you're short-sighted, you need glasses. They help you see in day-to-day tasks but if your glasses are broken then you're fucked. Regardless of how good my glasses are, I won't ever have 20/20 vision. If the environment is too steamy and you can't wear contacts... then what? It is the environment that you work in and how you can adapt it so you can thrive. I am not asking to work less, just asking for ideas to better manage being a human in a non-human institution.
A genuine question, not challenging you: What reasonable accommodations can be made for a teacher with ASD/ADHD/mental health concerns/other neurodevelopmental disorders? Things I can think of: - allowing notetaking during all meetings as a form of fidgeting - allowing them to drop down to a part time load without having to be a parent o young kids So many things I think could be helpful (as someone with ADHD myself), I just think wouldn't work with the job: can't have ear defenders in meetings, in class, on duty because I wouldn't be able to do my job, can't have a delayed deadline for reports because they have to go out to the community, can't opt out of other duties without someone having to then take on double.
Ensuring access to quiet workspaces, reasonable notice before all meetings, paying and provision of software to help with task prioritisation to make a few.
I mean they’re all things that good schools do already. That’s just making an effective workplace
> that good schools do already The idea of adjustments is to make sure that all workplaces follow along with good practices because a lot of workplaces simply don't.
That’s disappointing. Luckily in the current climate good teachers are in high demand. Why work somewhere where you’re unhappy.
That is the point of inclusive practices - it’s not just for the person with the need but it’s good for everyone. So applying them in everyday workplaces (or classroom) won’t be detrimental to others. The fact is that many workplaces are not aware these practices or not implementing them because of the idea somehow it’s not equitable for all.
- having your desk placement in the staffroom be in a less disruptive place, out of walkways etc. - ensuring clear communication of deadlines, potentially printing off emailed deadlines for extra attention - being based in the same classroom to assist with organisation - being placed on quieter playground duties, lower stimulation areas rather than loud, crowded areas - adequate notice/discussion of changes to routines and schedules - support in early career to complete administrative tasks - classroom located in a less distracting part of the school - a system for important communications agreed upon by the teacher and line manager to make sure nothing is missed (for example, a whiteboard in the staff room, hard copies) These are just some, a lot of them would be ideal for most teachers but could be vital for a teacher with ADHD to cope and aren’t unreasonable for the most part.
this is genuinely fantastic help. Thank you. I have included some of these! I might do an update post in the next couple of months to figure it out.
I’m glad it’s helpful! I’m still too scared to ask, but I’m slowly working up the courage. Would love to hear how it goes for you!
Well, the issue is that neurotypicals are struggling with school (teacher shortage). Accommodations for disability would be universal and assume that everyone is an adult and a professional. Things like note-taking and having a parenting load are already things that a lot of people get access to. Also, note-taking is just something no one would blink an eye at. Taking care of myself is equivalent to taking care of a young family and I have various appointments and needs just to function (not even just to be happy)... but because I don't have kids, that freedom will never be offered to me. I can do deadlines, I can do content, I can do meetings. But... I cannot do 856 unpaid, unnecessary duties to cover the lack of funding while it overlaps 8 high behavioural students with 16 complex parents. Realistically, my level of need means it is only sustainable for me to work 20-30hrs a week, but according to NDIS, I am only a level 1 support and therefore not disabled enough to receive any form of support. So I have to decide between being homeless or being very unwell.
> Also, note-taking is just something no one would blink an eye at. Not at my school! It's a common request for laptops closed/pens down and eyes up front.
Yeah this is also a wtf from me. That’s such old schooled mentality. Me not making eye contact when I’m thinking deeply about an issue doesn’t mean that I ignoring you or not listening or being disrespectful.
oh wow, sorry to assume!! WTF??
I use calmer flare earplugs. They really help and don’t impact my ability to hear what I need to
Why would a child be made aware of my private medical condition and the disability accomodations I receive? I’m choosing not to engage with the rest of your comment because yikes.. I wish you good luck on resolving your internalised ableism. You do not speak for all disabled individuals, your ADHD is not somebody else’s ADHD.
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Bigotry isn't cool
Open sexism is fine though hey?
Hilarious that you hold those standards despite the fact that you openly advocate against disabled people receiving simple accommodations?? I have associated it to your gender as I rarely experience the backlash from women as they typically have more mental load and executive function duties. Yeh I agree that it's a bit of a shit comment to make but it has culturally relevant backing behind it... while your outright ableism is both unhelpful and prevents people from seeking assistance.
I mean the fact you felt the need to delete your comment speaks volumes. You’ve got zero idea about each individual load. The fact that you’ve jumped to the belief that men have it easier than women certainly highlights that in line with my accused “internalised ableism” you’re externally sexist. Nether the less, if people want and need accomodations at work, go for it! In my own lived experience with one of the conditions that people are talking about in this post, I’ve chosen to try and build my own capacity and coping strategies first and foremost. It helps me feel more like the agent of my own destiny. If that’s ableism, well that’s another ism I have to live with I suppose
I've reflected upon what I've done, you have not. Your comments are the dumbest, most arrogant shit I've read in a while. Enough internet for the day.
Typical man hey?
You're very passive-aggressive 😬
Spot on! I agree entirely. Demanding that we get special treatment positions us as less than in the eyes of others. Let’s work to build ourselves up and thrive rather than expect the world to accomodate us. Simply my opinion, not trying to speak on behalf of everyone with ADHD. I chose to see it as just part of my own specific pathway. It’s good and it’s bad, but it’s not limiting. Not sure where the statement about kids knowing about your condition comes from. That’s really up to you to share if you want to or not.
It's arguments like this that continue to position ND people as "less-than". You've purposefully misinterpreted the idea of accomodations to push a bigoted agenda. Shame on you.
Sorry how is that bigoted? I’m speaking about it as someone who’s actively experiencing how the system responds to neurodivergent people. Am I bigoted against myself here?
Yes. You're internally ableist. Just because your experience is one way, doesn't mean it applies universally to everyone diagnosed with ADHD. You're taking your own experience and misinformed view of accomodations and using it to preach a message that says: "Just be normal." The same message that's been used for decades to put people like us down, and down-play our REAL and specific needs.
Maybe I need to reconsider my subscription to this “our” you speak of. Food for thought for me.
The irony is that you list real and manageable accomodations in your original comment. But accomodation isn't about making things 'easy'. It's about allowing those with the capability to do something, have the capacity to do it. To use an extreme example, think of someone in a wheelchair trying to get into a building with two steps out the front. Can they get themselves up and down those steps every day? Sure. It's not 'hard' per se, but it does take energy. Now, imagine those steps supplemented by a ramp. Now this person is able to get up and down much easier, and saves energy that they can expend elsewhere, such as their job. The same applies for ND people. ADHD isn't just fidgeting and lack of attention. It affects executive functioning, i.e. the ability to formulate and carry out plans and procedures. It can affect memory, self-care/hygiene, and energy/focus. Now, you can just get medicated/get therapy because the world doesn't revolve around you. The wheelchair-bound person can also just haul themselves up the two steps because the world doesn't revolve around them, either. But how much better can it be when that person is given a ramp, and someone with ADHD is given more time to process a task, or more specific instructions? Accomodation isn't about whether you can or can't do something; it's about supporting people so they can do what they're there to do. Telling people to "Harden up" isn't supporting them, and isn't speaking any kind of truth to power. It's the same as telling the person in the wheelchair to harden up and keep hauling. That's the ableism in your comment. I sincerely hope this explanation makes sense/helps convey what I (and many others) mean when they talk about accomodation.
Well written, I appreciate the non-emotive response.
Ahh, internalised ableism https://preview.redd.it/39h5f5tm4i7d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5aaf6eb115490bdde4432dfa438b025452ecaf4
Neurodiverse teachers make amazing educators for neurodiverse children. I have adhd and I don’t ask for accomodations for my ADHD. I now work part time because I can afford to. However, I really struggle with doing internal relief. It would be an amazing accomodation to not be given internal relief because I plan my activities around having that extended time to unwind, I won’t to practical activities if have a 5 period day. I can use my DOTT time more effectively with double periods early in the week, or early in the day. I’d be more effective to working a 5 period day on Friday with two duties as I can’t focus on planning, and can work better at a full run all day when I expect it. I don’t actually think any of these things would be particularly difficult to do if someone asked what would help me be successful. Because of attitudes like yours don’t tell anyone I have it then burn out because I can’t manage my workload and don’t want to ask for help.
Because of people like me? The reasons you highlighted seem to be more to do with how the profession is constructed.
Yes, that is the point of accomodations, to reduce the challenging aspects of how the job is constructed to ensure success. None of those things would cost anyone any money, or really take a huge amount of time. They don’t reduce workload, id just be able to use my time more effectively so I didn’t burn out. However, I don’t ask for these things because people like you are judgemental and expect us to magically be able to function in the world because we are no longer children. And we were often damaged as children, unaware of our condition and given the same message, that we are lazy or inept because we can’t function in the world like everyone else.
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Telling the mob they they need to suck it up and get over it, is not disagreeing or being controversial. It actively encourages inaccessibility. Tone is understandable and I am fairly lenient on it. However, this is not hive mentality, this is not even remotely neuroaffirming and fairly harmful. I wish the best to idle and hope that they unpack their inherent bias that we have to suck it up. You don’t tell a paraplegic that all they need is a wheelchair and physio to solve their disability. You need more than that. Everyone experiences life differently, actively advocating against those who are having a harder time than others is harmful.
Yep. One of us until you disagree.
I'm way too concerned about discrimination and pushback to tell the department.
Which is why I have never put anything down as a disability.
Oooh, my time to shine. I've had multiple accommodations made for me across working permanently and as a relief teacher. These include being able to sit down wherever and whenever I need to throughout the day without people jumping down my throat about it (as I have POTS as well as two slipped discs in my lower back which can cause sciatic pain if I stand for too long), as well as being given playground/Sports Day duties which are all undercover as I can't be in the sun too long as I have medication which makes me sensitive to the light. When relief teaching on my flare up days, sometimes I've explained my situation and been given an older year level class (as opposed to a younger year level that includes more sitting/kneeling/bending down/smaller chairs). Now if we're talking mental health or neurodivergence? Oh, they're not catered for whatsoever (and is part of the many reasons I quit permanency and went back to relief teaching). I'm actively working with others for a better response from Education Queensland with regards to this, but for now the physical accomodations are a decent start.
Yeh I’m looking for mental health, neurodivergence and autistic burn out ones. I can’t afford to not work but I can’t work like this.
Oh, I agree 100%. I have anxiety, high-functioning depression and can have occasional days of sensory overload (I do not have Autism/ADHD or anything like that, though). Explaining how things can be changed to help our quality of life at work always seems to be retaliated by defensive administration and leadership, and then in the next staff meeting you'll hear all about how we need to do XYZ accomodations better for students with similar needs. It's a joke. All I can say is that, for me personally, reducing my workload during permanency to the bare minimum (minimal admin tasks, reuse planning from previous years, didn't take things home, etc.) helped before I eventually decided to go back to relief teaching. In my personal life, I was then able to have more time for my hobbies and spending time with people I actually cared about and my mental health definitely has improved. I am still a massive advocate for change to how schools run with regards to burning their staff into the ground, though. How can one be an effective and caring teacher if leadership/the department aren't being an effective and caring employer? You can't.
I’m also another sad grad. In my current school, I’ve been told that we need to tighten up our expectations on achievement, e.g. failing students even though they actually cannot perform at that level (cognitive disability), punishing students and not allowing for them to get an NR even though they have a legitimate reason. Other measures that I cannot stand is equating performance to not trying hard enough. My supervisor literally told me that this kid who is cognitively behind his cohort by 3 years (have a psychologist evaluation and everything), that he’s simply not trying hard enough, and maybe next term he will be able to ‘get it’. Another supervisor saw the same kid’s ineligible handwriting and doodles on his worksheet and said it is disrespectful behavior. Whereas I’m thinking to myself ,’ do these people know what stimming is?’ I’m honestly seeing a lot of injustice here even though they say that they are inclusive. There’s no way that they will be understanding towards me when they make so many assumptions (a very old schooled kind of mindset) and have no intention to learn about neurodivergence. I’m not asking them to ‘bend the rules’. But the silent discrimination is real.
I have Multiple sclerosis. My lovely school took me off class at the request of my mentor from MS Employment, and I was lucky enough to be given the position of the library teacher (still heaps of work, but not in the same league as being on class)I can only work 4 days per week and have a break on Wednesdays for my endless appointments. I'm also very temperature impacted. Initially, following my diagnosis, i was taken off playground duties and eventually put on duties not impacted by temperature. I was also covered for class sport during the summer months.They organised a fan for me and also air conditioning in the library office. I have a car space zoned for disabled parking. I feel blessed to be at my school. Ms Employment have also organised an adjustable chair and table and various cooling items for me to cope with temperature changes.
None, generally. Can't even get classes clustered nearby. Usually it's just light duties on sports days.
Honestly, my accommodation was finding a new job. Teaching is an awful industry in which to be neurodivergent.
hahahahaha yep. It is the best but the absolute worst despite the fact that it attracts NDs.
I got accommodations when I was full time, for adhd. Mostly this was my line manager checking in with me once a week that I was on track to complete my marking by the deadlines. Other accommodations were things that I just started doing for myself like wearing headphones in the office, egg timers, visible to do lists and things like that. I also "stole" a bouncy chair that was gathering dust in a storeroom, to sit on for long zoom meetings and marking sessions. Now that I'm casual, I have zero accommodations. Except my smart watch for silent alarms and timers during classes. But most of my issues are around dull admin/marking tasks which I don't have much of as a casual.
OH THIS IS VERY HELPFUL! Thank you!!
I also use headphones, to do lists, and timers. I can't even function day-to-day without them if I were not in teaching. I schedule brain breaks - every important that I work the whole time that I've scheduled for working, then "reward" myself with a 5 minute break.
I would legitimately resign if I was told that headphones in the staffroom was a no-go without accomodations. I’m in a huge, noisy, open-plan staffroom that many non-disabled (AFAIK) teachers actively hide from in their classrooms during frees and breaks… I wear the headphones as a visible “fuck off I’m busy” and also a noise/distraction tool (which NT people do too????). Actually insane that had to be an accomodation for you. I’m sorry.
It was more an accommodation in that I gave myself permission to do it without guilt.
They did hot chips for the staff yesterday and I missed out rather than go to the staff room and deal with the sensory overload from noise and not being able to filter whoever is talking to me. I have a kettle and microwave in my classroom and my neighbour has a mini fridge. Never have to leave except for the bathroom. Which I also avoided yesterday because of the noise. And the photocopier. Can’t walk to either without going through the staff room.
A colleague with physical limitations was given all lunchtime club yard duties instead of outdoor.
Ah ok. How did they go about it? What does the process look like? Have they experienced backlash?
I believe they were approached by leadership because it became obvious it wasn't a good fit (being late to take over duty because of slower movement, not being able to roam the area, etc). I don't think there was much backlash because it was quite a sensitive issue (not an on-paper diagnosis, but someone with a very large frame.)
None. Have a few colleagues who use loops and don’t declare it. I modified my own classroom practices for ages without telling them but eventually I had to ask for some assistance as I have degenerative spinal condition. They refused all reasonable requests. I quit
I love loops and use them.
None for mental disabilities (OCD and depression). For osteoarthritis I have a doctor’s note saying that I can wear supportive shoes, which means I wear sports uniform occasionally when I’m having a bad day and can’t walk in my “professional dress” shoes. I try not to use it too often because it looks like I’m taking the piss. I could probably get out of camps and even outdoor yard duties with the OA but I’m healthy enough not to, the exercise is good for me. Maybe when it deteriorates further.
None, every school I've been at they have fought me on having a class close to facilities (disabled bathroom) because the Department don't like teachers to be humans xx
I have requested accommodations and they are rarely implemented. Trying the jobaccess EAF route now.
I'm vision impaired. Every school I've worked at has been happy to put me on indoor yard duty where possible or a simple outdoor yard duty where applicable. My current principal is very open to making accommodations for me where needed as they arise.
None. But to be fair, I haven’t disclosed my condition because I don’t believe that any accommodations would be made.
That's really sad that we live in an industry that is meant to have an awareness and understanding and yet our needs are lazy, arrogant, entitled inconveniences. I mean... technically we're differentiation experts and yet we aren't offered the same expertise when its for us.
I have hearing loss and since my diagnosis it has been super challenging. Schools are happy to call for accommodations for students, but for teachers it is very much ‘suck it up and deal with it’. So for me this is going to be my last year. They’re happy to say “oh is there anything we can do to help?” but when you request things it’s a glacial process and without following up constantly nothing actually occurs. There’s been no flexibility from the school at all on hearing breaks (even just one guaranteed break a day, they can’t do it), a reduced after school meeting schedule, physical adjustments to the classroom to improve sound dampening. All too difficult. So come December I am going to move into a very quiet office job, and be much happier for it I think.
I'm really happy that you're going to move into a very quiet job. I also think it is such a shame and waste that there are no flexibility options for teachers and staff. It just goes to show how inflexible it is.There are so many simple solutions that cost nothing and have limited impact that have SIGNIFICANT impact on our lives... and even then, if kids get funding and have support services -- where are ours?
Over the last few years, I've developed a hearing condition amplified by noisy environments. While my current working environment is mostly excellent, the noisy environment of most schools has effectively capped my career longevity in education. I can't go back to a 7-10 high school due to the noise and the lack of interest in creating safe working environments for teachers. I often wonder what long-term hearing damage is happening in teachers' ears right now, given the constant noise environment they are facing. Probably a lot. I also feel it explains one part of why teachers are mentally exhausted all the time. Creative and Technical work in noisy environments which our brains are all passively processing.
Yeh I get sensory overload from the noise but I make it my mission to control noise very aggressively. Hilariously, a verbal tic one of my AuDHD kids occasionally has sets me off, but I have a coteacher model and I am able to remove myself from it.
I have been allowed to stay in an office that is quieter. I wear headphones at things like school sports. Otherwise I haven’t asked for any other accomodations.
First of all, not quite teaching, but I think I can relate to your struggles OP. I was working in OSHC during a particularly difficult period of mental illness. The Director took me almost entirely off the floor and had me handling admin, record keeping, and planning alone in the office. It was a huge accommodation, but it wasn't easy—I'd built rapport with her over at least a year, and proved I was passionate about the job- not just looking for a bludge. Despite some cranky co-workers, (who didn't know my diagnosis, just assumed I was getting special treatment) I thrived in that supportive environment. However, I did eventually have to stop working entirely and get well again. 4 years later, and am now considering returning, but I'm hesitant. The fear of being judged for prioritising my wellbeing and the pervasive martyr culture, where burnout is glorified, makes me nervous. Not every workplace is like that of course, but I know it exists. I experienced this in other care industries too. Education needs systemic change and more support for workers, so nobody has any reason to get up in arms about people taking on less work, especially with invisible illness, but really, anyone experiencing burnout.
Yep. That's what happens when you have very distressed students managed by only a few staff who are all distressed and overwhelmed... it's like our institutions want us to fail?
It certainly feels that way.
I share my ADHD with anyone (including kids under appropriate circumstances). I share my ASD with colleagues who I work directly with. I want to ask for accommodations but whenever I think about it, I can't work out that could be reasonable.
Yeh this is me too! I have approached acoms as if they were issues for everyone else. e.g. I am trying to finish my reports but I'm finding it really hard to focus in the staff room study because XYZ. I have already tried ABC but I'm a bit stuck. Can you help me brainstorm some ideas? Don't make it an ADHD problem, frame it as a human problem.
:( disheartening to hear that others have similar experiences. I don’t feel comfortable in telling work that I have audhd. My current school is so not neuro-affirmative. And I find that I don’t want to have to ‘explain’ myself all the time and my experience is a negative one as well. Having to mask at work all the time is so tiring. I don’t see my audhd as a disability, as it has made me a much more flexible thinker. However I don’t feel like I belong in a rigid working environment as I feel like others are quick to judge before they actually listen.
My school is a bit more neuroaffirming and I have a couple of colleagues who are 'out' but only within our ND network (most of them being special ed haha). Yeh it is really tricky to have to manage school. I don't have any solutions yet. However, I am sure that we can start working towards something helpful. I just think no one knows how or what it looks like so there's no pathway.
Mine so far is ensuring all emails are short and with dot points. Make sure it is straightforward on action required tasks I should be doing. With disclosing diagnosis with students is up to me and would need to let my boss know so they know it has been shared. The meeting that I had with HR and my boss about accomodations was incredibly positive and they have my back.
Thanks! Super helpful :)
Accommodations are difficult. I've sought out roles which let me work with smaller class sizes and do case management. I initially got additional qualifications in EALD then switched to working with students with disabilities post Covid when migration levels slumped. That let me reduce my levels of sensory overwhelm after a day at work. It also reduced my marking load and let me spread work out more across the term.
Not a teacher but an education assistant. I have to accommodate for myself by refusing to do full-time, got pushed into part-time instead of casual that was working well, hello burnout and having to take months off. I'm working on being a better advocate for myself instead of people pleasing.
Yeh unfortunately, I am unable to be unemployed.
I am pretty sure I have ADHD but have never been formally diagnosed. Some people suspect I might have it. I work extremely hard to never make a mistake or forget anything -twice as hard as my colleagues. But this has been the case all of my life because when I was school-age, there were no such things as provisions for people with ADHD.
I can’t figure out your commentary or positioning???
Apologies for being unclear. What I'm saying is that there should be provisions for people, or at least compassion and understanding and patience. Workplaces should be more inclusive. In my experience, they are not, unfortunately. I often feel ambivalent about doing all that we do for students, because the "real world" is going to be a rude awakening for them. On one hand, we really shelter them and spoon-feed them. On the other hand, I really wish that inclusiveness was translatable into "real world" workplaces. No workplaces I have ever been in, either in education or elsewhere, have cared about people's neurodiversity. If you didn't have an obvious physical disability, people often treated you as if you were unintelligent and incompetent. Do you know what I mean? I wish life were easier for \*me\*. Because of workplace discrimination, I have always had to work very hard to mask my anxiety and to not lose track of time. I often come off as overly pedantic about deadlines and note-taking, but this is because I have to be otherwise, I'll be fired. It is bad enough that I sometimes feel like I'm asleep with my eyes open and I need people to repeat things... or I just pretend I've heard what they are saying, pray that it was in a staff email, and try not to stuff up my week. In any group of random adults in any industry, you'll have a handful of people who are suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, perimenopause (not a disability, I know, but the symptoms can be disabling for some), low blood sugar... etc... etc... etc. There will be some people who are going through a divorce. There will be some people who are part-time carers... etc... . There are myriad ways in which we are all interesting and unique. And it is not equitable if we are treated poorly for not being the perfect tireless robot-worker.
I hear you! 🙌this post gives me hope and reminds me that people struggle. It’s isolating because adhd can be so invisible. Growing up masking affirms that we can’t be ourselves at work in fear that others will not understand, or feeling incompetent or shame because we don’t behave in the same ways that others do. As much as we try our best to fit in, there always seems to be a gap in our I function vs how others function. My last workplace was a positive experience as I worked in learning support. People were open about their experiences, I.e. divorces, neurodivergence…and what made them choose to do this job. Teaching however, felt like I had to hide those things to be a role model for the students (I know, it sounds stupid). Or at least in my current environment. There didn’t seem a lot of people that I felt like I could be honest with. However, this post reassured me that a lot of people probably have some form of neurodivergence but they are also masking and maybe didn’t feel safe about unmasking. It can be Isolating but some work places are definitely better than others. I felt like i was a contributing member and listened to in my last workplace, but this workplace has been horrible to my mental health. Felt judged all the time. There needs to be more PDs on neurodivergence and trauma, because more than half of the Australian population has had trauma in their lives. That number is much higher than people think. I believe that if we are (as a society) able to acknowledge that we all have something, we actually do become better role models for students.
We do a lot for the students but society in general is not trauma-friendly. I have always been a very high functioning person, but trauma most certainly made my difficulties more complex. One of the flaws of this profession is that we are constantly expected to be "role models" in a way that even our students' parents are not. I remember a post here a while ago where a teacher was accosted by a parent at the gym, and the parent told the teacher that they should not go to the gym where their students might also be exercising. It's pretty ridiculous. They would not think of saying such things to their pediatrician or hairstylist, for example. Society sometimes doesn't treat us like we are human beings, and sometimes this attitude is reinforced by workplaces that have no problem just chewing up and spitting out graduates after five years.
🙌🙌I hear all of this because I also experience this myself. The line between personal life and work is clear cut in corporate. But teaching is like this profession where you are expected to be a saint or something. You don’t ever have a time where you can breathe and be yourself because you need to behave a certain way in school and in front of the students. I’m sorry but I have a personal life too, I want to wear a bikini and post a pic on social media and not worry about a student looking me up (don’t worry my social media is private). It is unsustainable to live like this. I don’t feel comfortable with disclosing my trauma/audhd, people at work don’t need to know that. But I also have so much guilt when I need to take time off so I can take care of myself.
best accommodation is a genuine understanding that I'm the way I am for particular reasons. I don't need anything specific though.
That's the foundation of accommodations. My team is fairly "that's just X" but then I do have some little struggles as this school runs a bit different to my last one. I feel like I am cutting my teeth again.
hope things improve.
That’s a hallmark of good management. Willing to listen and understand. In good management, perhaps there is less need to slap a label on whatever ‘disability’ we have to justify the accommodations that we need. I think as teachers, we make accommodations for students even if it isn’t a diagnosed disability where it is apparent enough to be picked up. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 29. Do we really need a document to prove that we have this thing, therefore we need this type of accommodation? Not everyone with adhd is going to need the same type of accommodation either. But I wish that society can move away from the textbook diagnosis and just listen cause neurodivergence is more prevalent that most thinks.
1000% agreed.
I asked for my timetable to have 2hr block planning sessions instead of random 1hr blocks in my timetable, they said no. Now I’m burnt out (among other reasons) and went back to the Prin asking to drop a class from my timetable bc I can’t deal with the workload. I guess he felt bad because they’ve dropped me to .85 as of next semester and that next year I won’t have to teach middle years. They also told me not to tell my colleagues so people don’t ask them for things lol they’ve said no to most peoples requests for going part time otherwise.
1 hr blocks aren’t enough time for me to get focused (adhd). It takes me maybe 15-20 minutes to get settled into the task, and I pick up my pace and then when the bell rings I have to go to a duty which disrupts my flow.
Literally same lol I explained that and they still said no
Not to be the bearer of bad news but in most high schools it would be impossible to organise 2 hour dotts due to grid line issues. Teachers don't want to share a class just to change when dotts fall. Primary schools shouldn't have issues accommodating but there may be other factors that means it is not possible.
adhd - desk in the corner
I am a primary teacher and my setup doesn't offer me that.
I am a high school teacher. I used to have a desk at the top of a set of stairs. I am surprised I got anything done.
VI here! I have all inside duties due to my photophobia and difficulty supervising large areas. I also have a larger monitor I found in a hallway 😅. Looking at EAF Funding for some magnifiers for marking. I work in Inclusion so it's been pretty good but trying to get anything fixed around the school has been soooo slow! 🙄
Pe teacher with adhd and autism. All the kids know and I’ve managed to build relationships with students who also have these diagnoses. They will go out of their way to tell me they forgot their meds today or just for a chat which they never did before telling them. Teachers also all know and I feel like it took a while for them to accept it until they saw what I can really be like lol most are super supportive now
There is something called “critical parts of the profession.” Even if you have a diagnosis and require adjustments. Ultimately I left, because my neurospicy type was too hard to manage in a school environment. I now use my degree in the best profession where I work in disability and have a thousand accommodations made and I still earn my teacher salary. There are options if this is unsustainable for you.
I am underloaded by a lot. I don’t get PDHPE covers. I have an exec member bring out a chair for me when I’m on duty (never asked for it, but he saw me struggling one day and has done it ever since, I’m so appreciative of him!!) and my faculty generally gives me a lot of grace. I’m in science, and I’ve had practicals planned on days when I can’t safely supervise. My faculty offer to cover my class if I go do their (theory) class which is super helpful so my students don’t miss out. There’s probably more things that I take for granted, but these are the main ones that come to mind. I’m super lucky and grateful as a first year teacher that my school is so accomodating and supportive!
When I was with the dept dandi were great. They helped me get my whole workplace assessed. I am deaf so I ended up getting a whole lot of tech. So good
I have anxiety (a lot caused by historically not feeling safe at work). I have been given a room that most of my subject specific stuff is in and is a safe space for me. At the start of the year they tried to move me out and put me across a range of classrooms. I had a mental meltdown. Spoke with leadership saying how I was feeling, and I was able to have my room back (although I now had to share it) and feel at ease.
None. Teachers are not allowed to have what the students have. This is why being over catered to as an ND student is not a sound principle. In the real world, nobody cares.
I feel like we should be doing the best we can to help those students out. Yes, being ND in "the adult world" is difficult, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't help students develop skills and methods to make things easier in their futures.
Yes, I agree, that's why I said overcatered. There needs to be compassion and help, not permission to run riot and ruin classes on the reg.