Hello,
My name is Christine, I am34 years old and have been diagnosed with level 1 and level 2 autism. I've also been diagnosed with moderate to severe Chronic PTSD, severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Panic Attacks. As well as moderate to severe OCD, severe ADHD, moderate Major Depressive Disorder, mild to moderate agoraphobia, and moderate eating disorder not otherwise specified primarily anorexia. I began working as a substitute special ed aide in 2021 and by 2022 I was hired full time (which I told them I was diagnosed with autism in the interview), so I stayed in the same class for 3 whole years until the 2024 school year. Then at the end of the 2024 school year, they told me 2 days before the last day of school I was going to be transferred to a different school with some of the students in the class even though the aide that came after me got to stay in my original class, and I didn't say anything because I was afraid to and didn't know if they would change it; since there was no handbook and no one told me how I could look into receiving accommodations. Anyway I sucked it up and went to the school and in the first class I was getting physically attacked by a student, so then I transferred to another class at the school which was worse because the teacher was mentally, verbally, and emotionally abusing/harassing the aides and students; and it became so much stress that my anxiety went through the roof, and I couldn't eat, or sleep, and my hair was falling out as well. So, then I contacted the district and said i needed to resign they told me I could go back to my old class; but then the next day later they wanted me to go to a different class which threw me over the edge; so, then I fully resigned. And after months of working on myself with my therapist I felt better to go back to work and emailed the district and they said i would have to do an application again, but I couldn't get accommodations for that because I can read and type. So, my therapist and I spent a lot of time gathering my medical records and therapy records as well as a letter she wrote and sent it to the superintendent but never had a meeting with the superintendent. Instead, we had a meeting with the assistant superintendent of human resources who told me that my requests for accommodations (staying in the same class for consistency and a full lunch) they would have to have a meeting to see if they could give me those accommodations. So, I just gave up I just really wish I could go back in time and stand up for myself and be back in my original class I did well in. But there also have been lots of aides who have resigned so I'm not the only one. Also, my therapist told me that some of the challenges of autism might get worse as I get older and we don't know how long my body could have done this job. But I'm wondering if I get better if I would be able to sustain it. For right now though, I'm signing papers with a lawyer on Tuesday for her to help me get disability.
01 Aug 2026, 11:28 am
