Starting a New Journey

Welcome to my blog here on the East Haddam-Haddam Patch! I hope you'll enjoy reading about my life and travels, my epiphanies and experiences, and I hope you'll ask me about things related to your own lives and those of your loved ones.

To introduce myself, I am a teacher in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM for short), and I have, for the past eight years, worked with students on the Autism Spectrum.  

I have a BS in Applied Mathematics, an MS in Geology and am working on a Masters in Special Education.  However, my experience working with those on the Autism Spectrum goes far beyond my teaching experience, or even my educational experience.  

I was recently diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of Autism that has, for my entire life, affected me socially.  I have, over my lifetime, had to learn to navigate a world and a society that seemed confusing to me.  Every day, I had to deal with peers who, when they realized I was different, ignored me or, even worse, made fun of me. I survived though. In college and graduate school, I had a chance to be myself, since the world of academia fit my unique abilities, and me, but I wanted more.  When I found the world of teaching, where I could pass on my knowledge and experiences to students who, in some cases were struggling to find their way like I had, I jumped right in.

Now, I have found my niche. For eight years, I have taught students who seemed to be just like me. Many parents thought I WAS a student at first (my wife says I have a baby-face, but I think they saw a little of their own child in me) and were overjoyed to find out I was a teacher. I heard a number of times from students and parents that I MUST has Asperger's. It was a relief when I was finally diagnosed.  I knew I was different, but did not have a name for it until now.  It put me in the unique position of being a teacher of students who have a disability where I, myself, have the same disability.  I could teach them from experience. I could UNDERSTAND them and what they were going through.  Most of all, I could HELP them make their disability into a DIFFERENCE, one that could be STRENGTH!

I will be blogging weekly about current aspects of education in the state and the country, as well as about working with special needs students.  If you have questions, feel free to ask them. I'll do my best to help you and your student navigate the educational system with their unique learning styles and needs.