The Head of the Department

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I've been accepted into the college, now I just have to be accepted into the program. I had an interview with the head of the department. That went less than well. He asked me why I wanted to be in the ASLILE program, I proceeded to tell him it was my passion and one of the only things I'm good at.
I guess you can say, as I call it, "my Rainman quality", that I've taught myself five languages, and I'm fluent in them (you have to have a degree in an ITP to be an interpreter regardless of fluency). I'm amazing at languages. I can pick up on them very easily. Anyway, I told the head of the program that I taught myself ASL, and that I'd never had a class before. We then signed a quick conversation. He said that I was one of the best beginning signers he had seen. Not to sound arrogant or anything, but I know I am good at ASL.
Here's where it gets quite...interesting...he had my record, which obviously had my accommodations and my diagnosis in it. He asks me how am I suppose to be an interpreter if I'm Autistic? Like, that just wouldn't work because of my lack of fine motor skills, I couldn't sign. He gives me a few ways that an interpreting job could go, and how would I react to it. Because I don't like talking in front of people, how am I supposed to interpret for a lot of people? And because I'm not that fond of cussing, what if I was interpreting in a courtroom and the client was cussing, how would I handle that? Long story short, he didn't like the fact that I'm autistic so I didn't get in the program. They only accept applicants every two years. What do I do? Do I wait for two years and apply again and hope he doesn't remember me? Do I change my major because he won't even let me in the program? I can't go to another school because its the only school in the state that has ASL and I can't go out of state. I'm lost and I don't know what to do.

Sounds like discrimination to me.

Of course, if you complete the program only to be unemployable because of autism, he may be doing you a favor.

thats illegal
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I agree.

I have to disagree there. There may be different ranges on the spectrum, but, my sister had a roommate with aspergers who is also amazing with languages who started working as an interpreter and is now a teacher. He's done amazingly well. So, having a non NT brain/body doesn't automatically make one bad at this.

take this quiz to see if its illegal or not
https://egov.eeoc.gov/eas/

I don't disagree that AS = no job because of ability, but some people just know the trade and KNOW your odds of ever getting in is pretty much zero.

I had a person once tell me I might never get to the goal I wanted (pre-AS knowledge...different issue), and ultimately, he was one of the people who plunged a knife into my back when he had the chance, but that he TRIED to warn me off....well, I should have taken the not-so-subtle hint and changed course.

He was trying to tell me I was not going to be allowed to succeed WITHOUT being so blunt about it. He was also covering his ass if I ever claimed he sold me false hope about ever getting to my goals.

Some job markets are really cruel, and even if it is discrimination, it takes a special kind of stubborn to pursue something you KNOW is going to be an uphill fight every day you do it.

I don't like discrimination, but I do appreciate (to some degree) those who are honest enough to admit they are going to do it so that I have fair warning (as compared to those who lie and say it's "fair" when they know it will not be).

That's discrimination. Would he also not allow an NT with social anxiety into the program? Why does he even need to know about your autism?

This is ridiculous. Having autism means you will have problems, sure. It's not up to him to pretend to know the future. We all have problems, but this is one thing you are REALLY good at. He is effectively making you "disabled" in the sense of disability related unemployment. Your disability won't be the thing to stop you from getting a job if you can't even get the education you need.

By the way, being an interpreter is a great job for a lot of autistic people. If you need to learn how to be more social (or even act) during your time on the job, you can get help for that before you graduate.

In the US, your diagnosis should NOT be in any information a professor receives. They should only be getting a list of accommodations you need. Interviewers are not allowed to ask about disabilities. You should contact the university and make them aware of the situation. If you are qualified as an applicant, Asperger's should not be a factor in admissions decisions.

I totally agree with what you say. Although living in Australia, I spent most of my life working for a US company. They were at pains to cater for minority groups and actively sought to increase the diversity of their employee pool, which in turn increased their ability to compete in the work place. God help any employee who discriminated against another employee on grounds of nationality, sex, sexual orientation or minority status, because they didn't last long in the organisation. From this individual example, it seems to me that academic institutions are behind the thinking of employers when it comes to hiring.