A person who is on the spectrum should not be treated less just because of the label. I've run into this problem throughout my life. People will do it unconsciously, but it happens all the time.
I met this lady who ran a social group for people on the spectrum. She had to stop doing it for a complication of reasons. She also had a child who is extremely quite low functioning and has been through a separation and a divorce from an abusive husband.
Right now, she is teaching in an extremely urban district I used to teach in. When she posts these things on FB and when I tell her how I used to teach in the district myself for 1.5 years and how I might know a few people she can talk to that can help her out, she avoids answering some of my questions. She always has "excuses" for not being able to meet to pick up magazines she could use for art projects. She claims she's been already standing her ground in the classroom and making connections to be part of the community. I'm not convinced she's maximizing her possibilities as I am friends with a former teacher who taught most of her career at this district and wanted to introduce them to each other which their respective permissions to do so beforehand first. I feel as if I am being unconsciously judged that I could never amount to help her because I am on the spectrum, about 15-20 years younger than her, and I am not married with an extremely autistic child.
I am thinking I want to unfriend her on FB at this point, because I feel uncomfortable with someone I cannot communicate with, level with, and hang out with. She can stay on my LinkedIn as a networking friend though. Thoughts?
I met this lady who ran a social group for people on the spectrum. She had to stop doing it for a complication of reasons. She also had a child who is extremely quite low functioning and has been through a separation and a divorce from an abusive husband.
Right now, she is teaching in an extremely urban district I used to teach in. When she posts these things on FB and when I tell her how I used to teach in the district myself for 1.5 years and how I might know a few people she can talk to that can help her out, she avoids answering some of my questions. She always has "excuses" for not being able to meet to pick up magazines she could use for art projects. She claims she's been already standing her ground in the classroom and making connections to be part of the community. I'm not convinced she's maximizing her possibilities as I am friends with a former teacher who taught most of her career at this district and wanted to introduce them to each other which their respective permissions to do so beforehand first. I feel as if I am being unconsciously judged that I could never amount to help her because I am on the spectrum, about 15-20 years younger than her, and I am not married with an extremely autistic child.
I am thinking I want to unfriend her on FB at this point, because I feel uncomfortable with someone I cannot communicate with, level with, and hang out with. She can stay on my LinkedIn as a networking friend though. Thoughts?
