Can people with asd/ adhd be good teachers?

[Spudnicks]

I'm a mature student near the end of my journey to becoming a teacher. I'm autistic, have adhd and starting to worry I wont be any good at it. I suffered anxiety whilst volunteering in school, and although I felt awkward around staff members I loved interacting and teaching the children. Then I was told by someone that teaching is a profession that isn't suitable for those with asd/adhd and it rarely works out for them.

Are there teachers with asd/adhd who can reassure me this is not true?

It really depends on how it expresses itself for you.

I have ASD and have rarely found it to be a problem. It takes a bit longer to gel with the kids and staff, but once they get to know me and my mannerisms it's usually fine and they actually appreciate my sometimes blunt ways. I found that my organisational and straight-forward problem solving skills are very valuable in the job.

On the other hand, I've only ever known one person with ADHD in teaching and for them and their colleagues, it's been a bit of a nightmare - lack of organisation, procrastination to the nth degree, a need to be noisy in an office where others like to concentrate,... They often got overwhelmed, too, which didn't exactly help, and all of this together had a profound effect on colleagues around them.

Having said all that, it could be different for you again. Both conditions are on a massive spectrum and it all depends on how they're expressed.

Thankyou for your kind but honest reply, I really appreciate it.
With the asd side, I think interacting with people is my biggest worry. Not so much the DC, I found that much easier during my time volunteering. To sum it up, I feel I am a smart and capable academic with reasonable intelligence and common sense but feel so immature with communication and it's this that is making me anxious. I have a habit of putting my foot in my mouth, not knowing what is socially acceptable and unacceptable to say. And I am VERY literal. It can be hilarious at times but can also cause confusion.
I'm not too bad with the ADHD side, I do struggle with executive functions but I can often push through this and use hyperfixation to compensate and get things done. I don't like noisy offices, and if I also had to concentrate I'd probably have an earphone in with green noise, and hope that being an introvert means I wouldnt pester colleagues too much

Yes. I'm in the process of diagnosis for autism myself and like to think I'm at least occasionally a good teacher (been doing it over 20 years).
I also know successful teachers with ADHD. Including one who is nationally recognised has written multiple study guides/pedagogy/theory books and has been promoted on to senior leadership. She is a marvel and a whirlwind. She was late diagnosed too.
I suspect there are quite a lot of neurodiverse teachers in their 30s and 40s.

I wonder if you are referring to Jenny Webb, @GrammarTeacher? If so she is an excellent example of a highly successful ND teacher and really open about her diagnosis and experiences. She is on Twitter as Funky Pedagogy and has written a lot about her ADHD.

There are a lot of neurodiverse teachers. Please don't worry, OP. It sounds like you have a great connection with the children and this is an incredibly important natural aptitude which is very difficult to teach, whereas strategies to help you manage your executive function and organisation can be learnt. I don't have any kind of diagnosis but there is neurodiversity in my family and I am certainly not a naturally organised person, so I have had to learn this as a skill. I make heavy use of alarms and calendar reminders to keep myself focused. Anecdotally, I think a lot of people with ADHD traits respond very well to the structured nature of a school timetable.

I am indeed. Jenny is an amazing person and actually one of the reasons I'm now pursuing my own diagnosis after masking for so long.
We had a long chat at a conference last year.
As you say, there are loads of ND teachers out there. It's a strand in the DiverseEd movement.
I would say that the way I present has helped me as a teacher although it probably contributed to my longer path to being a HoD than most people have.

That's wonderful @GrammarTeacher ! I wish you the very best as you pursue a diagnosis.

There are two teachers at my school that I know have ASD - both excellent teachers. Good luck. I'm sure you'll be brilliant.