DC1346
Well-Known Member
I self diagnosed as an aspie last year and received a clinical confirmation last April.
I am employed as the chef instructor of a rural high school's Culinary Arts program and at the start of the school year, I met another aspie teacher who works in special ed.
I have been somewhat frustrated in my efforts to communicate with this woman and was wondering if the experiences I'm about to describe are typical.
Example 1: We were at a high school assembly and the teacher in question had forgotten to print out the principal's revised schedule. Towards the end of the assembly, she approached me to ask where she was supposed to take her students after the program ended.
"You'll be going to third period."
She nodded. "So I'll see you tomorrow and I'll take them to art."
"No," I said, "You'll bring them to Culinary Arts. Your kids have me for third period."
"Right! So I'll take them to art."
Since the teacher in question is a small woman, I crouched slightly and forced myself to make eye contact. "You're not hearing me. Third period will be held after the assembly. Your students are coming to Culinary Arts."
I saw something click inside her eyes. "Oh Culinary Arts!" she exclaimed. "Of course!"
And of course things being what they are, the assembly ran over and we wound up having to go to 4th period instead.
"You told me 3rd period!" she grumbled after she came to my room with her kids.
(sigh)
Example 2: Yesterday my 3rd period class produced strawberry empanadas. Empanadas are a type of tart made with pie crust that's cut into small rounds. The rounds are topped with a filling and folded over. The edges are crimped with a fork and the pastries are baked. The ones we made were heavily dusted with powdered sugar after they came out of the oven.
The aspie teacher came to me and said, "Chef I need a bag."
I offered her a small zip lock bag.
"No, no ... I need a bag. It's to put the cookies in."
I offered her a larger zip lock bag.
"No, no ... a bag. I need a bag."
I held the smaller zip lock bag in one hand and the larger one in my other hand. I held up the bags. "These are the only bags we have for food storage."
"A bag, I need a bag for the cookies."
I could not understand why my colleague was so frustrated. She had told me that she needed bags to put the cookies in. I only had two sizes of zip lock bags. Why was she getting upset?
"I'm sorry," I said, "But I don't understand what you want."
"A bag!" she insisted, "A BAG!"
I shook my head. "I need more information."
The bell rang and she abruptly left without saying goodbye. I think she was annoyed.
She picked up a stack of foam plates covered with plastic wrap and headed out the door ... and the moment I saw her with the foam plates, I abruptly realized that she had wanted a GROCERY BAG.
I don't know why she couldn't have articulated this. The woman is quite intelligent. She has a Ph.D. and as an aspie, she must have had normal language development. I don't understand why she kept repeating the word "bag" instead of elaborating her needs by telling me that she needed a way of carrying several plates of cookies back to her room. I would have given her a grocery bag or a cardboard box.
(double sigh)
So ... is this type of conversation typical for aspies?
I now find myself wondering if I'm equally annoying to NTs when I talk to them.
I am employed as the chef instructor of a rural high school's Culinary Arts program and at the start of the school year, I met another aspie teacher who works in special ed.
I have been somewhat frustrated in my efforts to communicate with this woman and was wondering if the experiences I'm about to describe are typical.
Example 1: We were at a high school assembly and the teacher in question had forgotten to print out the principal's revised schedule. Towards the end of the assembly, she approached me to ask where she was supposed to take her students after the program ended.
"You'll be going to third period."
She nodded. "So I'll see you tomorrow and I'll take them to art."
"No," I said, "You'll bring them to Culinary Arts. Your kids have me for third period."
"Right! So I'll take them to art."
Since the teacher in question is a small woman, I crouched slightly and forced myself to make eye contact. "You're not hearing me. Third period will be held after the assembly. Your students are coming to Culinary Arts."
I saw something click inside her eyes. "Oh Culinary Arts!" she exclaimed. "Of course!"
And of course things being what they are, the assembly ran over and we wound up having to go to 4th period instead.
"You told me 3rd period!" she grumbled after she came to my room with her kids.
(sigh)
Example 2: Yesterday my 3rd period class produced strawberry empanadas. Empanadas are a type of tart made with pie crust that's cut into small rounds. The rounds are topped with a filling and folded over. The edges are crimped with a fork and the pastries are baked. The ones we made were heavily dusted with powdered sugar after they came out of the oven.
The aspie teacher came to me and said, "Chef I need a bag."
I offered her a small zip lock bag.
"No, no ... I need a bag. It's to put the cookies in."
I offered her a larger zip lock bag.
"No, no ... a bag. I need a bag."
I held the smaller zip lock bag in one hand and the larger one in my other hand. I held up the bags. "These are the only bags we have for food storage."
"A bag, I need a bag for the cookies."
I could not understand why my colleague was so frustrated. She had told me that she needed bags to put the cookies in. I only had two sizes of zip lock bags. Why was she getting upset?
"I'm sorry," I said, "But I don't understand what you want."
"A bag!" she insisted, "A BAG!"
I shook my head. "I need more information."
The bell rang and she abruptly left without saying goodbye. I think she was annoyed.
She picked up a stack of foam plates covered with plastic wrap and headed out the door ... and the moment I saw her with the foam plates, I abruptly realized that she had wanted a GROCERY BAG.
I don't know why she couldn't have articulated this. The woman is quite intelligent. She has a Ph.D. and as an aspie, she must have had normal language development. I don't understand why she kept repeating the word "bag" instead of elaborating her needs by telling me that she needed a way of carrying several plates of cookies back to her room. I would have given her a grocery bag or a cardboard box.
(double sigh)
So ... is this type of conversation typical for aspies?
I now find myself wondering if I'm equally annoying to NTs when I talk to them.
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