In this special New Year’s episode Amanda shares some big news, that she’s Autistic! To help Amanda reveal this difficult and amazing truth to the world Amanda brings on her co-host, Jessica Martin from Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All podcast. They discuss Amanda’s recent autism diagnosis and its implications. Amanda shares her emotional journey and the significance of understanding neurodivergence. The conversation explores strategies for supporting neurodivergent students in educational settings, including the innovative use of AI tools like Claude for lesson differentiation. The episode also touches on societal perceptions of autism and the importance of recognizing and accommodating diverse needs in the classroom. Join Jess and Amanda as they candidly navigate this substantial and personal topic.

00:00 Introduction and Initial Nervousness
00:52 Revealing the Diagnosis
01:56 Podcast Introduction
02:38 Discussing Autism and Neurodivergence
06:48 Using AI for Differentiation
10:03 Challenges and Strategies for Neurodivergent Students
14:19 Personal Reflections on Autism
18:11 Concluding Thoughts and Next Episode Teaser
24:14 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Transcript:

Amanda: [00:00:00] Press record. Well, no, let me start it. Okay. Right now I probably look calm and normal and, uh, I don’t, inside my heart is pounding. I’m shaking. Um, I feel out of breath a bit. Um, yeah, I’m very nervous. I feel like crying a bit. I don’t know, like we’re pulling off a bandaid, um, right now. And, uh, go ahead Jess.

Amanda: Say it.

Jess: Amanda is autistic. She got the formal diagnosis this, gosh, has it already been a week or [00:01:00] so? Like a week or two ago? Look at, he’s shaking. Amanda’s shaking right now, but I mean, we’ve kind of thought Amanda is autistic for a long time. Like there were a lot of, there was a lot of symptoms and, and, um, I don’t know how to describe it.

Jess: Like characteristics, things that she related to as she. Started studying and learning more about neurodivergence and autism and yeah, she went and got herself professionally diagnosed and the diagnosis was very, very, very, very, very strong that Amanda does have autism and she, she is autistic. And I was just wondering, you know, how are you holding up from this, this life changing.

Jess: Um, prognosis.

Tim Mchugh: Welcome to the Wacky Teacherpreneur [00:02:00] Podcast. Your hosts, Jess and Amanda, have been friends and teacher entrepreneurs for years. Along with their successes, they’ve had lots of failures, foibles and fumbles, and now they’re here to share it all with you. Stay tuned for some funny times and awesome business insights.

Tim Mchugh: Let’s go behind the scenes of their teacher businesses now, raw, unfiltered, real. Let’s get started.

Amanda: That’s like asking me how I am, which I hate that question when someone says, how are you? Uh, and, and this is small talk, right? Like I can’t do small talk. I just, because there’s so much to say.

Jess: What would, what would I feel overwhelmed by that [00:03:00] question. What would be like, okay, so pretend I’m just a teacher, entrepreneur.

Jess: That I just met you, like what would be three things you’d want me to know now about you as you are an autistic entrepreneur? Like three things to understand about you and your journey.

Amanda: Well, the first thing I would say is I am just one person. I am very unique. I have a personality, I have a culture. I have a family that’s impacted who I am.

Amanda: I have ingrained conditioning from being a woman in this world. Uh, I, I’m only one person, um, and I also have a DHD, so that changes things too. And yeah, so that’s the first thing. Like I am unique. I am not, I. I don’t, I just, I think [00:04:00] that one of the misunderstanding, well, there’s so many misunderstandings about autism, I just think people have a very simplified idea of what it is, and a lot of people have very little awareness of the varied ways that it can.

Amanda: Manifest itself in unique people and the very layered other like comorbidities is what they’re called, like other, um, diagnoses that are on top of it, that sort of change. So there’s this term called A EHD, which is someone with autism and A DHD, which. I think, uh, about 40% of people who have a DHD also have autism.

Amanda: Uh, I don’t know. I just have a lot of knowledge about this. I’ve been studying it for like, I don’t know, five years now since my kid was diagnosed with autism [00:05:00] in 2021. So it’s been like, yeah, but I knew, uh, they were autistic before that and so. And I, I knew I was too, uh, before being formally diagnosed, but self-diagnosis is so stigmatized as well, uh, by doctors and things, and people talk a lot of crap about that.

Amanda: Uh, so I don’t know what, what did I just, I didn’t say three things I just said. How many things did I just say?

Jess: Um. Well, if you wanna just tell us that one thing because I now I have a burning question. Hearing you talk. So what I was thinking about for teacher entrepreneurs is like, I think that people, I think more and more people are getting diagnosed as autistic, and I’ve just noticed it personally in.

Jess: My teaching career and, and as a, as a kid who grew up in, in public schools, right? I just noticed that more and more women, more and more [00:06:00] people are being diagnosed with autism. So what do you think an entrepreneur could do, whether they have autism or not? What could they do? Like how would you create products keeping in mind?

Jess: Like all the different types of people in the world or like, do you think, like looking back now, like are there certain, are there certain lessons or things that you think like you really like, like just as you, as a unique human, like what are some things that, like you, what, what could people do to appeal to autistic students?

Jess: Hmm.

Amanda: Um, that’s a really good question. And again, it’s so loaded and overwhelming. There’s so many things you can do. But, uh, the first thing that came to mind, which you’re probably gonna laugh, is ai. Um, I actually, [00:07:00] there’s so many, I’ve been using Claude, which is, I guess. They’re trying to be more ethical, I guess, in like their privacy, uh, of what people are saying and things in Claude.

Amanda: But I’ve been playing around with Claude to differentiate my lessons for Neurodivergent kids. Um, and it’s really, it has some really great ideas. Um, I could read you some of the things that Claude has come up with. Um. I am writing new curriculum right now, um, about ai, uh, and how to help kids and parents and teachers transition during this time of change and AI just sort of taking over everything.

Amanda: And, uh, I really, let me, I’m going to Claude right now actually to, so Claude, I ha I, I had it write a [00:08:00] lesson. And then I said, okay, can you help me differentiate this lesson for students who have autism or A DHD or dyslexia? And Claude went even further and differentiated for kids with dyslexia, kids with anxiety, kids with dysgraphia.

Amanda: Which is writing like, um, and that’s also often a comorbid sort of like trait. I hate that word comorbid. But another, um, autistic people can have dysgraphia, they can also have dyslexia, they can have a lot of anxiety, um, depression, things like that. I mean, they struggle with all of these depending on, you know, who it is.

Amanda: But yeah. So let me just read you some of the things that. That, uh, that Claude came up with for [00:09:00] differentiation. It’s pretty awesome. Uh, and so like every lesson that you write, you could. You know, ask AI for help in, well, how could this lesson be improved for kids who are neurodivergent? I don’t know. Does that answer your question?

Jess: Yeah. That’s amazing. I wasn’t even expecting you to come up with an answer quite like that. Right? Like that, that kind of blows my mind a little bit. And I know you’ve told me about Claude before, but I had, I mean, like what a great idea for teacher entrepreneurs listening to go to something like Claude.

Jess: Input a lesson that you’ve written and just ask how you could make it better for people with neurodivergence. Right? Like, and like you said, it went even further than you would even go. So I think that’s a really cool way to use this technology right now. Like that’s, that’s kind very interesting. Like I am, I’m definitely intrigued.

Amanda: Yeah. So here, let me just read you a little bit of what Claude [00:10:00] came up with. One thing that. Teachers really need to remember. Oh and ELL. It came up with ELL strategies for ELL too, which is English language learners. Um, but, okay, so strategies for students with autism spectrum. I don’t like the word disorder.

Amanda: Uh, okay, so it said possible challenges, social communication. O obviously abstract thinking, sensory sensitivities, and preference for routine. And some of the things that it said you could do is respect sensory needs, uh, have quiet spaces that these kids can. Retreat to have alternative seating. Um, allow alternative communication.

Amanda: Uh, so like, you know, speech to text or like, especially if a kid has dysgraphia or you know, if you’re having kids [00:11:00] give presentations, allow. The student to like prerecord the presentation or do the presentation in front of just a smaller group or just in front of the teacher, or, you know, excuse the presentation if the student has a lot of anxiety.

Amanda: You know, like imagine being someone who is, you know, has a lot of social struggles, just have to stand up in front of a whole class and give. A presentation. Like why is that an expectation? And I think that’s the biggest thing is you really have to shift your expectations of kids that are, are neurodivergent.

Amanda: And I mean, teachers have so much on their plates already, and so to use AI to kind of learn more, uh, it’s very efficient. It’s like a quick way to fig, like learn about things. I think.

Jess: Um. And wouldn’t it be great if all TPT sellers had like a little, [00:12:00] like some sort of blurb in their product? Like, Hey, here’s just some quick ideas for how to differentiate this for different types of people.

Jess: Right, because I was just thinking about a strategy that my district sort of forces us to use. They, they tell us like almost every lesson has to have turn and talk. And then I have been thinking about. I have a lot of classes during the week where I have autistic students that are kind of, they’re, they’re, um, they’re integrated with a gen ed classroom, but they’re, they usually just have their own classroom with their own teacher, and then we pull them into gen ed, right?

Jess: So they’re around all these noisy kids and it’s really overwhelming. And, and sometimes I’m like, I, you know, I gotta go with my lesson plan, right? So I’m like, turn and talk. And then I see all of them are just like this, they’re just like. They’re like not talking to anyone. And then I think about like, the principal comes in and they’re writing notes.

Jess: Like, I notice not everybody’s turning and talking. You know? And [00:13:00] so it’s just like, I don’t know. It is a different way of thinking. Like I, I’m not, while you were talking, I was just like, gosh, maybe, you know, I do have this big, um, barrel of like puppets and stuffed animals. I wonder if. I could say like, turn and talk if you’re comfortable.

Jess: Or you know, grab a plushie to talk to in your mind. Right, because like just because they’re not verbally communicating with someone doesn’t mean that there isn’t some sort of information processing going on. Right. And so as you were talking, I was thinking of my own lessons, like, oh, what if I tried this?

Jess: And I mean, how handy would that be for teachers? Buy a teachers pay teachers lesson, and then just see that some ideas like that would instantly help people in their rooms, right.

Amanda: Yeah. Well, and I think you’re bringing up a really important point too, that principals expect everyone to be participating, you know?

Amanda: And that’s, I think principals, vice principals, like all the school staff, they really need to shift their. [00:14:00] Um, their understanding of a classroom and I just, our public system is all about compliance and, you know, if there are students that aren’t complying or aren’t participating, you know that it’s somehow like someone’s fault.

Amanda: Um, and. I just, yeah. And I love that idea of having like them turn and talk to like a stuffed animal or even just show me your thinking, you know, by putting your fingers on your, you know, temples and I, I, I did wanna bring up, like, I, I really, I think this is important too, that there are so many, I know that there’s this whole idea that there’s this.

Amanda: Um, phenomenon of overdiagnosis. Like, like you said, so many people are being di diagnosed with autism. I don’t know if that’s necessarily. Um, well, I, I do think there’s an pro, there’s a, a phenomenon of over-diagnosis of A DHD, especially in kids, right? [00:15:00] Um, these days. Um, but there’s also an under-diagnosis, so like they’re happening at the same time.

Amanda: Uh, and so there’s a lot of kids in classrooms that are autistic and they’re, it’s called high masking, um, where they seem normal. Like, I think a lot of people listening are probably gonna be quite shocked to hear because I seem so normal, right? Like, uh, I seem so normal. And that’s why we have these pictures of two of us, right?

Amanda: That everyone masks. Even normal, like typical people, everyone, we have social norms, right? That we have to conform to. Like for example, friends, especially girls, women, they hug a lot. Um, and I. I don’t like hugging, you know, but I’ve never said that to people. Like [00:16:00] I’ve ne and I also am very uncomfortable dancing.

Amanda: Like there’s cer just, I think too much about it. Like, where do I put my hand? And is this weird? And like, did I pull too hard? Did I push away? Like, how long should this last? I, I think that’s part of, you know, being autistic is like just, uh. Just awkward being, feeling really awkward, but like, especially girls and women, we mask a lot more I think than like boys or men with autism or there’s like this female phenotype is what I’ve learned.

Amanda: Um, that’s there’s more knowledge, uh, about this now and. Men can have the female phenotype two. So it’s not like it’s just in women. So like there could be autistic men that their autism manifest in more of a female way, so they might be a lot more interested and, uh, motivated [00:17:00] to have friends and to socialize and to mask more to fit in.

Amanda: And so basically the point I’m trying to make is that there’s a lot of kids in classrooms that are autistic. They have no idea. Uh, and neither do their parents. They might, maybe the kids these days have some, you know, they’re like way more aware I think about Neurodivergence and they might have some sort of ideas and they might even self-diagnose and things.

Amanda: I, you know, I’ve been a teacher for 16 years and just, I think it was like last year. I had a female student tell me they were autistic and diagnosed. Autistic. And I, that was the first time in my career as a teacher that I’ve ever had a, a student tell me that. Um, and. Even males. Like I’ve never had a male come up to me and say that, um, ever, I mean, I’ve had diagnosed male students in my [00:18:00] classroom, and this is another thing about autism.

Amanda: You can monologue, you could talk on and on and on. I have no idea how long I’ve been talking and where I’m going with this, but do you have anything to say, Jess? I think

Jess: this was a really good first episode to just introduce people to, to you know this and, and let them know that. This is going on in your life because I mean, this is two wacky teacherpreneur and you are half of the two wacky.

Amanda: Well, I know, and I, I I, I wanna talk about you in the next episode and like maybe how this has impacted you because, um, I think with telling friends and, and like family about this diagnosis, I, I feel it’s. I think that it’s sort of like a brain explosion moment, but most of the people I’ve told are like, oh, that makes sense.

Amanda: You know, they’ve been, but, but the people I’ve [00:19:00] told are people that I’ve been talking to about it a lot already, and they already have some background and knowledge about it. But sometimes I wonder like, um, if they might consider, like, if someone’s so seemingly normal. Has autism that they might start to think like, wait a minute.

Amanda: If, if, if Amanda has it, then like, and I’m weirder than Amanda. Not, I mean, and I think weird is good, right? Like, do I have it too? I don’t know. Like, I’m wondering if you and I, we’ve talked about this a little bit, but

Jess: we have, are are we good on this episode?

Amanda: No, I want you to tell me, or maybe we could do that on the next one.

Jess: Um, yeah, I mean, like, I, I think I told you this, is that you were concerned that maybe. Like, I would think that I had it too. And I said, [00:20:00] well, one, I was just happy for you to get, you know, a diagnosis and get all this paperwork and all this information. But I also feel, and I know there’s other people in your life that feel this way, that like, I am kind of old at this point.

Jess: Like, I’m kind of like, if, if I have it like. How, how would knowing benefit me in the future when I’m like almost 45 years old? I mean, I’m almost halfway done here and I just feel like, so I mean, it didn’t really make me feel, but I did tell you, like truthfully and honestly when you said that one thing I was kind of thinking selfishly, I was like, oh, well of course, because a lot of, uh, autistic people are attracted to me.

Jess: Because throughout my life, even in school, there are autistic kids and some of them aren’t even diagnosed. But I know instantly, and I do have kind of an awareness about it because I used to work in group homes with autistic adults. And so I guess I [00:21:00] learned a lot of like, you know, I learned a lot of characteristics, personality traits, things I see people doing, right.

Jess: So I’ve noticed, and maybe I’m just super hypersensitive and aware. Since working in the group homes. Of autistic people because that, those were my clients. Those were people I was getting paid to support them. And I had to go to conferences and I had to take classes and lessons and learn, you know, how do I support these people?

Jess: And, and now in school it’s kind of the same thing. But I do notice, like, you know, coworkers and adults in my life and kids, I have noticed a lot of autistic people drawn to me. And maybe, I don’t know, is it like magnets? Where autism finds autism, or is it just like I am a safe, warm place for people to confide in or talk to, or they feel like maybe I do know a little bit more about it, so like I’m not gonna judge them.

Jess: I don’t know. These are all kind of selfish [00:22:00] thoughts on my, my behalf. I don’t think they’re selfish.

Amanda: I don’t

Jess: see how

Amanda: they’re selfish at all. Well, it’s kind

Jess: of about me, right? Like, like, oh, of course. Like these people are drawn to me. That’s how it feels. A little selfish, right? But

Amanda: Well, anyway. But I, but there are, there is research that shows, and maybe I can link it in the show notes, that the first thing you said about magnets, autistic people are attracted to autistic people.

Amanda: There’s actually research that shows that, that like, oh, really? Yeah. There’s like an. Like a autistic radar. Where are the other autistic people? You know, like the other people that, and, and there are actually, there’s research also that there’s different types of autism. Um, and, and I think we see that like when you were working with people in adult homes.

Amanda: They were at that, they, they, they [00:23:00] couldn’t live independently. Right. And they needed a lot of support. Whereas I am like, you know, like you said, I’m 43. I, I have success. I’ve, I’ve had a career. I’m a mom. I’m still married. Like I am, you know, financially secure, like. And you asked like, how, how would this benefit me if I got a diagnosis?

Amanda: Uh, maybe we could talk about that in the next episode too. Um,

Jess: yeah, we can bring it up again.

Amanda: Okay. Let’s do that. Okay. But I think, are we good? Just this announcement and sharing about, yeah. This was a big one. I,

Jess: I don’t think we should go too deep the first episode because maybe some people at listening have a lot to think about.

Amanda: I think they do and maybe they have questions. And feel free to ask all your questions. This has been, I’m not nervous anymore. I feel a lot more calm [00:24:00] talking. That’s great about this. Openly It feels really good. So thank you. That’s, thank you for the push to pull the bandaid off. Namaste.

Jess: Namaste.

Tim Mchugh: Thanks for listening to this extremely serious episode, brought to you by some truly wacky teacherpreneur. Visit our website wacky teacherpreneur.com to get more support growing your business. Please leave us a five star review and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you’ll have good luck forever.