#ActuallyAutistic shares its best and worst school experiences

#ActuallyAutistic is a popular social media hashtag that helps autistic people have a voice and discourse.
Only autistic people are allowed to post to it, providing a safe, understanding place on social media for autistic people.
During the week, twitter user @devjunfp asked #ActuallyAutistic what its good and bad experiences of school were and what schools can do to support autistic students better.
Below are some of the best responses to the question:

#AskingAutistics #ActuallyAutistic #Education what were your best and worst experiences at school? What do schools need to differently to fully support our #Autistic children? #Inclusion #autismacceptance #Neurodiversity pic.twitter.com/dUQkWhTjLK

— (((K Dara))) (@devjunfp) September 10, 2018

School was :/ for me, late diagnosis in grade 6 so then everything was modified for me which was fine. Highschool was hell, the put me in a behaviour program then a full special needs the worst was my math teacher didn’t teach us beyond adding, subtracting and multiplication.

— Egyptian Dreamer @ LEAGUE HYPE (@Naunet_Sea) September 10, 2018

Autistics are often referred to as lacking empathy. The most unempathetic people I’ve met are non-autistic students. 70% of #autistic students report being bullied. If students were taught to be accepting & tolerant of others, school wouldn’t be such a hostile place for us.

— Quantum Leap (@QLMentoring) September 11, 2018

Masked at school. Was the (mostly) quiet and invisible one, sitting alone, not causing a fuss, going off on my own, hiding in toilets. Teachers never did anything as my autism was concealed by my quiet front. Wish they had talked with parents as parents knew I was very anxious

— @autismisindividual (@LansleyAnna) September 11, 2018

Best: gifted/music programs w/ AMAZING teachers; Worst: nasty 1/3 teacher who constantly singled me out, punished me. 2 years of psychosomatic illnesses & her stinging words still ringing in my head: “you know, people just really don’t like you.” Just what every 8yo needs to hear

— Aspien Blue (@AspienBlue) September 11, 2018

-more quiet spaces (and access to them)
-more activity
-more/better training for everyone
-better and/or more effectively spent funding
-staggared recess (so fewer kids running about outside at once)

-to treat kids with respect and decency.
— Miss Placed (@MissPlaced14) September 11, 2018

 
This year, Amaze asked Victorian autistic people about their experiences of education in the Amaze produced film, Spectrospective. See what they said here: http://spectrospective.com.au/