Do autistic people make the best teachers?
If you really want to know something in a very deep way, learn about it from an autistic person.
As experts in our field, indeed as autodidacts, autistic people make wonderful sources of information on a range of topics. Additionally, we love to share what we know - thus the infodump. For those that aspire to teach in a formal setting (e.g., K-12), there are certain qualities that are essential if one is going to be successful. Here they are, in no specific order.
1. Patience
When teaching children in a formal setting, one of the greatest tools for the teacher is patience. When a child is given patience whilst learning, that is water that allows them to grow and bloom. As we well know, not everyone learns in the same way or understand topics the same way, so giving them patience while they begin to understand on their own is the essence to teaching. This way, they are taught to begin teaching themselves, and they may begin striving to improve upon their skills and knowledge on their own. This can be observed in children as young as three or four.
2. Desire to Learn
Another important tool for a teacher of children is to create a desire and passion to grow and learn. This is the spark, that when fanned by patience and encouragement, can cause a child’s interested to develop into a passion for the subject for which they’re engaged.
3. Desire to Teach
It may sound obvious, but in order to create this desire to learn, a teacher must also have the desire to teach. If their teaching is impassioned, which ours often is, it will carry onto the kids in the class.
4. No Stress
Children are naturally sensitive to emotions, good or bad ones. Using our natural alexythemia to pick up on these emotional states can help you in working with the kids to not act out in class. Negative emotional states can interfere with their ability to learn and to focus. To avoid this, a teacher must leave their own negative emotions and stresses at the door and cultivate a positive atmosphere in class.
As a teacher, I believe I found my path – to guide my students to their highest potential in every way possible.
What would you do if you were to teach children your special interest?