Is it right to be worried about disclosing autism diagnosis?

[Judge]

In Italian, "teacher"(=maestro/professore) refers to a teacher/professor. I'm not sure what you mean by "administrator" (perhaps a principal/director?). I imagine that school roles can vary depending on where you live.

Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't aware of your national origin.

In the US there are some major differences between teachers and administrators particularly at the level of public schools. Which can amount to potentially an adversarial relationship in terms of labor relations.

Which I'm just thinking could be more precarious in terms of disclosing one's autism.

One thing that has always haunted me was in my last year of high school, when one of our beloved instructors chose to formally announce to the class and the community that he was a gay activist. His peers and students supported him. The public school district terminated his employment. Just one year after the American Psychiatric Association and DSM-II no longer referred to homosexuality as "deviant behavior".

 

[vergil96]

As far as I know, at least in my experience, teachers are bound by professional confidentiality.

Okay, it's good to know.

f you feel the need for one of your teachers to be aware of your situation, take them aside and explain it to them, but be mindful that they might discuss it among themselves (it all depends on whom you tell and whether they fulfill their teaching duties, which should include respecting professional secrecy and student privacy).

I don't mind the teachers, but the already mentioned administrators, I have bad experiences with some of them, unfortunately. But given that the teachers have the responsibility of confidentiality, it shouldn't be an issue, since these workers are far from the line of communication with regard to classes. By an administrator, I mean administrative, not teaching staff.

When you share personal information and want the recipient to receive it without misunderstandings or jump to personal conclusions, you need to ensure you're ready to "educate" them about your situation/topic.

Yes, it's best to be as specific as possible.

It's important to listen to others, yes, but only those who matter to you and whose opinions are meant to be constructive, not destructive. The world is full of bullies but also people who are misinformed, not intending harm. It's right to guide those seeking information and ignore those looking for a fight.

It's a fair point.

Are you willing to provide "documentation" to the teacher in question?

What do you mean by documentation? I haven't been through the formal diagnostic process, although this is all backed up by professionals' opinions - but not written down on paper. I think also any doctor's notices should be as specific as possible, listing what exactly I need, but I don't know what the possibilities are. I don't go for doctor's advice with what seems to be rather an expectation problem such as the expectation that I follow a chaotic schedule and there are is just one time during the class takes place, not multiple groups. I try to e.g. do as much as possible online when I feel like I'm not keeping up with going to all the places at different times. I try to make it as easy as possible. Or when I'm overstimulated and I know I'll recover soon, I don't ask for advice on this either. Perhaps for other people it's not something normal, but for me it is normal to go through extended shutdowns and "disappear" for some time.

 

[Au Naturel]

As far as I know, at least in my experience, teachers are bound by professional confidentiality. If you feel the need for one of your teachers to be aware of your situation, take them aside and explain it to them, but be mindful that they might discuss it among themselves (it all depends on whom you tell and whether they fulfill their teaching duties, which should include respecting professional secrecy and student privacy).

This brings us to:
Are you willing to provide "documentation" to the teacher in question? When you share personal information and want the recipient to receive it without misunderstandings or jump to personal conclusions, you need to ensure you're ready to "educate" them about your situation/topic. In a way, it's your responsibility to prevent any confusion and avoid leaving the person to their own devices. So, are you giving them a box with a puzzle? Teach them how to put the pieces together, not just by showing them the picture to follow but by giving them detailed instructions on how you want the puzzle to be completed.

This leads us to a "landing pad" that will be "softer or harder" depending on how you've handled the above point.
What's the cost if all teachers find out?
If you've managed everything well: by this point, you should conclude that the loss is less than the gain, hence having paranoia/anxieties that can be managed by the rationality of your conscious explanation. You should be able to address your doubts or fears based on the puzzle and the instructions you've provided to the teacher.

No confidentiality here. A licensed medical professional has an obligation to confidentiality. All your records must be handled under the HIPPA laws.

Teachers have fewer obligations. They are governed by FERPA regulations which prevent information from being disclosed outside of the institution but are fairly loose about disclosure within. If you are autistic, they are free to tell anyone within the institution with a need to know. Anyone outside the school would require a signed waiver.

An Eligible Student Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) | Protecting Student Privacy

studentprivacy.ed.gov

 

[Gerontius]

Yes, it's worrying sometimes.

Turns out I might have trouble with some career choices because I have a paper diagnosis

 

[Au Naturel]

Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't aware of your national origin.

In the US there are some major differences between teachers and administrators particularly at the level of public schools. Which can amount to potentially an adversarial relationship in terms of labor relations.

Which I'm just thinking could be more precarious in terms of disclosing one's autism.

One thing that has always haunted me was in my last year of high school, when one of our beloved instructors chose to formally announce to the class and the community that he was a gay activist. His peers and students supported him. The public school district terminated his employment. Just one year after the American Psychiatric Association and DSM-II no longer referred to homosexuality as "deviant behavior".

Yeah. You can be fired for almost any reason if a school board thinks you will cause controversy in the community.

 

[Au Naturel]

Yes, it's worrying sometimes.

Turns out I might have trouble with some career choices because I have a paper diagnosis

If you don't disclose it, how would they know?

 

[Gerontius]

If you don't disclose it, how would they know?

It's the military; they got access to all medical records if they like.

 

[Au Naturel]

It's the military; they got access to all medical records if they like.

Then it is a matter if an autism diagnosis would matter. Unless you're going for a highly classified or combat position, it should not matter. If they disallowed autistic people from any and all military service, many of their highly technical positions would never get filled.

At one time, being gay was an instant fail for enlistment. Then, as long as you didn't volunteer the info, you could still enlist. (Don't ask - don't tell.) Then it didn't matter anymore.

When I was going for my clearance at Lockheed, it was different from enlisting in the military. You could be just about anything as long as you disclosed it. Used to do drugs? Are gay? Extreme leftist politics? As long as you disclosed everything, you were good. They were concerned about the chances of being blackmailed and hiding something meant you could be. We had a guy with a TS clearance who was a card-carrying member of the US Communist Party. Another who was a direct blood descendent of Grigory Zinoviev, hero of the October Revolution. I was a former "drug user."

Don't worry about it and apply anyhow.

 

[Gerontius]

Then it is a matter if an autism diagnosis would matter. Unless you're going for a highly classified or combat position, it should not matter. If they disallowed autistic people from any and all military service, many of their highly technical positions would never get filled.

At one time, being gay was an instant fail for enlistment. Then, as long as you didn't volunteer the info, you could still enlist. (Don't ask - don't tell.) Then it didn't matter anymore.

When I was going for my clearance at Lockheed, it was different from enlisting in the military. You could be just about anything as long as you disclosed it. Used to do drugs? Are gay? Extreme leftist politics? As long as you disclosed everything, you were good. They were concerned about the chances of being blackmailed and hiding something meant you could be. We had a guy with a TS clearance who was a card-carrying member of the US Communist Party. Another who was a direct blood descendent of Grigory Zinoviev, hero of the October Revolution. I was a former "drug user."

Don't worry about it and apply anyhow.

I go to the recruiter tomorrow again. I'm trying to become a sailor. They do say autism is an automatic failure/DQ but I have a good working relationship with the psychologist and I hope they waive it as they're short on crewmen lately. I scored pretty high on a practice aptitude test, have a job, can hold a job, don't struggle with depression anymore, and have never taken illegal drugs or prescription psych meds either. Hopefully I can get into the service.

Wish they had either misdiagnosed or didn't give me a paper diagnosis. Perhaps I am not autistic. Perhaps just growing up in a messed-up setting homeschooled made me weird and awkward. Perhaps I am autistic (it'd be Asperger's in the old days) but I know I am capable of a hell of a lot more than making do-nothing wages for a lousy factory job.