Navigating Teacher Agency,Empathy,and Disability Discourses in Schools: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Autistic Teachers’ Perceptions of Work Experiences in the United States

Abstract

Abstract

Background:

Research on autistic employment has often focused on quantitative indicators such as employment rates and type of employment. Currently, there is only minimal research on autistic teachers’ experiences, and most of this work was conducted in the United Kingdom. We sought to understand the perspectives of autistic teachers in the United States on their employment experiences.

Methods:

We conducted interviews with eight employed, licensed-diagnosed or self-identified autistic teachers working in U.S. schools. We asked teachers about their work experiences, including whether they were satisfied with their employment, barriers they faced, and strengths they brought as autistic teachers. Interview transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results:

Our analysis generated four themes. First, we found that participants perceived a general disrespect toward the teaching profession; such attitudes may have specific negative impacts on autistic teachers and their ability to enact teacher agency. Second, participants expressed that their unique contributions to supporting neurodivergent and other students were often circumvented by neuro-normative expectations, which manifested in a lack of empathy from non-autistic colleagues and school leaders. Third, our participants reported that non-autistic colleagues participated in disability discourses that reflected ableist assumptions and a lack of knowledge about autism, which led to fears about disclosing their autistic identities. Fourth, some participants reported positive changes in their work experiences, when other school professionals and leaders were willing to be supportive.

Conclusion:

The perspectives of our autistic teacher participants reflect hope for cultural changes that would allow for them to thrive in the teacher workforce. However, there is much work to do to enact these changes; non-autistic teachers and school leaders need to be aware that they have autistic colleagues and make specific efforts to accommodate their needs and resist ableist assumptions about autistic teachers’ potential contributions to the profession.

Community Brief

Why is this an important issue?

Although previous research has shown that there are autistic people in the teacher workforce, we do not know much about their experiences or how to support them. It is important to learn more about the experiences of autistic teachers and this is especially true in the United States, as there has been very little US-based research on autistic teachers.

What was the purpose of this study?

We conducted this study to gather autistic teachers’ perspectives on their work experiences.

What did the researchers do?

We interviewed eight diagnosed or self-identified autistic teachers about their experiences, including whether they were satisfied with their jobs, if they faced any obstacles to doing their work, and their perceived strengths as autistic teachers. Then, we made transcripts of these interviews and used a process called reflective thematic analysis to group participants’ responses into themes.

What were the results and conclusions of the study?

We found that, similar to many teachers in the United States, our participants felt that the teaching profession was not well-respected by people who are not teachers. This lack of respect for teachers may have particular negative effects on autistic teachers and their ability to feel like they have a say in how they do their work. Participants also said that they felt that being autistic had benefits for teaching, but they experienced a lack of empathy from non-autistic teachers and school leaders who did not recognize their contributions. Non-autistic teachers and school leaders also talked about autism in a way that participants perceived as harmful, and made it hard for them to disclose that they were autistic. Finally, some participants reported that their school environments were supportive in at least some ways, which could indicate that there is reason to be hopeful that more positive changes could be made in the future.

What is new or controversial about these findings?

This study is one of very few studies to report on the experiences of autistic teachers in the United States. Although many people are aware that there are autistic students in schools, they might not be aware that there are also autistic teachers. Some people might not think that autistic people can be good teachers, but our findings suggest that, while autistic teachers face barriers in their workplace, they do have the potential to be good teachers.

What are potential weaknesses in the study?

There were only eight participants in our study and they were all White. Because of this, we did not learn about the experiences of non-White autistic teachers, and how they may be different from White autistic teachers.

How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?

These findings will help school districts change their culture and policies to be more supportive of autistic people and reduce barriers to their participation in the teacher workforce. It will also help other teachers and school leaders better understand the important contributions of autistic teachers.