School gave me PTSD

Each day at school in me grew more fears.  

As the days went by I shed more and more tears.   

Misunderstood, broken and scared,  

While staff and peers watched and stared.  

We fail autistic people from such an early age,  

Then you wonder why we struggle to engage.  

Traumatised by a system that’s meant to help us learn;  

whilst a life free of flashbacks is something I so deeply yearn.  

Was I alone in experiencing this hell?  

Or was everyone else going through it as well?  

Turns out it isn’t just me,  

so many autistic children left with PTSD.  

“I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the age of 17 after spending years traumatised by the education system. I was misunderstood by the very people who were there to keep me safe in school. This caused severe anxiety and distress every single day. This is the reality of so many young autistic people. We are forgotten and pushed aside until we hit crisis point. Education staff need better training to understand us and our experiences. How many more autistic children need to be traumatised like me before change is made?”