Education on the Spectrum

an Autobiographical Narrative by a Teacher Educator on Schooling and his own Late Diagnosis

Abstract

The article is a reflective, first-person narrative by a teacher educator in the field of Education/Pedagogy who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adulthood. It constitutes a (self-)formative review of experiences lived as a student, reinterpreted in light of a late diagnosis. Drawing on recent literature on autobiographical accounts by autistic adults, the study proposes the category of school context as an analytical framework to understand how deficits, strengths, and feelings are also institutionally produced. By articulating memory, teacher education, and inclusion, the text shifts the focus from individual adaptation to the transformation of educational practices. It highlights the importance of preparing teachers who are attentive to listening, empathy, and the recognition of differences, but above all emphasizes the need to reconfigure the school institution toward a truly inclusive education.