Embracing Self-Worth and Advocacy
Understanding and asserting your rights to accommodations, whether in educational settings or the workplace, is not just about ensuring you receive what you deserve; it’s about affirming your value and refusing to settle for less. It’s crucial to recognize that accommodations are not preferences or luxuries but essential requirements that enable equal opportunities and a level playing field for individuals with autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent conditions.
The Significance of Saying ‘No’
Saying “no” to inadequate support and “yes” to your rights is a powerful stand against the marginalization of your needs. It’s an affirmation that your needs are legitimate and critical for your success and well-being. Embracing this stance is not about demanding special treatment; it’s about advocating for fairness and equality.
Navigating Accommodations: Educational and Workplace Settings
TheNeurodivergentBrain.org is your ally in this journey. It’s a treasure trove of knowledge that empowers you to understand your unique neurodivergence and articulate your experiences to those who need to hear it. This understanding is your toolset, equipping you with the language and confidence to communicate your experiences, assert your boundaries, and resist any attempt to diminish the importance of your needs.
The Essential Nature of Accommodations
Accepting anything less than what you rightfully deserve can be harmful, leading to a diminished quality of life and unmet potential. It’s essential to recognize that the accommodations you seek are not about rolling out the red carpet for you; they’re about ensuring you can engage, learn, and work effectively, just like anyone else.
Leveraging Knowledge: The Power of TheNeurodivergentBrain.org
Through TheNeurodivergentBrain.org, you’ll find information and inspiration—a guide to formulating a strategy that elevates your quality of life. It champions the idea that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed and thrive, emphasizing that your quest for accommodations is both fair and necessary.
Everyone’s Right to Opportunity and Success
Let this be your rallying cry: Your needs are valid, your requests for accommodations are justified, and you deserve an environment that recognizes and supports your potential. Stand firm, advocate passionately, and never underestimate the transformative power of saying “no” to anything less than you deserve. Together, we can create a more inclusive and understanding world for all neurodivergent individuals.
The Steps to Filing a Complaint
Filing complaints with the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding civil liberties violations and with the Department of Education (DOE) for educational rights infractions is a crucial step in ensuring that your or your child’s rights are protected. Here’s a detailed guide on how to navigate these processes, including the importance of timely action.
Filing a Complaint with the Department of Justice (DOJ)
Steps:
- Identify the Violation: Ensure that your situation constitutes a civil liberties violation under the jurisdiction of the DOJ, such as discrimination based on disability.
- Gather Documentation: Compile all relevant information, including any communication with institutions, documentation of the discrimination, and how the issue affects you or your child.
- Submit Your Complaint: Complaints can be filed online, by mail, or via fax.
- Online: Visit the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Complaint Portal.
- Mail: Send a detailed letter to the Civil Rights Division at the DOJ’s address.
- Fax: You can also fax your complaint.
- Call: Contact the DOJ
- Follow Up: After submitting, you may be contacted for further information. Keep track of all communications.
Timeline: There’s no strict timeline, but acting swiftly ensures that evidence is fresh and helps in timely remediation of the issue.
Filing a Complaint with the Department of Education (DOE)
Steps:
- Identify the Issue: Ensure the issue falls under the DOE’s purview, like failure to implement an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan accommodations.
- Prepare Your Complaint: Detail the specific issues, including dates, individuals involved, and any steps already taken to resolve the matter locally.
- File the Complaint: You can file a complaint online through the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Complaint Form.
- Wait for Investigation: The OCR will review your complaint and decide whether to investigate. During this period, they may require additional information from you.
State-Specific Procedures
Every U.S. state has its own regulations and codes, including those related to IEP accommodations (often detailed in the state’s Administrative Code or Statutes). It’s vital to consult your state’s Department of Education website for specific procedures and timelines.
Use Adobe PDF Form Editor to save a stamp,avoid the aggravation of a printer, and quickly get it done and off your desk. Pro Tip: Reward yourself when you complete the task. Follow-through can be challenging when neurodivergent, so creative tactics are necessary to overcome them. Whenever you find yourself hesitant to complete the task, reward yourself after as a thank you to yourself for the hard work of following through. A reward can be a quick break outside, a power nap, or even a snack. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just something that brings you joy.
International Guidelines
For those in other countries, the process can vary significantly. Here are a few examples:
- Canada: Contact the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
- United Kingdom: Reach out to the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
- Australia: Lodge a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Each country has its own agency for handling such complaints, so it’s essential to research the appropriate authority in your country.
Why Immediate Action is Imperative:
- Timeliness: Ensures evidence is current and accurate.
- Prevention: Stops ongoing discrimination or violation of rights.
- Remediation: Allows quicker resolution and restoration of rights.
Taking swift action when rights are infringed upon is crucial for rectifying the immediate issue and helps set a precedent for the respect and protection of civil liberties and educational rights.
One Last Note
It’s imperative to remember that seeking accommodations for autism, ADHD, or any other neurodivergent condition isn’t a matter of want or luxury. It’s about securing the fundamental requirement to learn, work, and participate in society on an equal footing. These accommodations are not special privileges; they are essential adjustments that ensure everyone has a fair chance to succeed and thrive, just like anyone else.
The journey towards securing these rights is not an expression of being unreasonable or whiny; it’s a justified demand for equality and inclusivity. Currently, the playing field is far from level, with individuals facing unnecessary penalties and barriers in educational and professional environments due to a lack of understanding and support.
This disparity highlights the urgent need for change, emphasizing that accommodations are critical in dismantling the obstacles that neurodivergent individuals face. It’s about creating a world where everyone, regardless of their neurological makeup, can achieve their full potential without being hindered by systemic inadequacies. Remember, advocating for necessary accommodations is a fair and just society for all.
I have seen a child who is very aggressive and do not focus her teacher and class fellow even they hit the class fellow and bit her head if teacher will not follow her he loudly cry and bit his feet
Please go to https://theneurodivergentbrain.org/visitor-questions/ to view a possible solution. Thank you for commenting.
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This made me laugh, thank you- I appreciate the no comment comment- Sometimes your response is the best response – I feel the same.
My brother is autistic but has lots of talents in arts and crafts. We are in Sri Lanka. Can you suggest an online course or resource to support him? He cannot speak also due to language issues. He speak only a few words.
I wish I could suggest a online course if there was one. Does he like to play online video games? I found with my own Autistic son that video games help with the motivation to socialize. Any video game with other players, so if he needs help to do level up in the game etc, he would have to socialize in order to /move up in the game. It would be even better if you could also play the same game with him in the beginning so he can watch how you communicate to others as well. Being social, talking is not a priority for most autistics, including myself. SO the motivation to socialize just isn’t there, hence why gaming helps so much. Because when gaming one is motivated by rewards to socialize- game rewards, dings, leveling up, etc. Some games require asking other players to help, in order to succeed at the game. Or if there is a community center where he can do arts and crafts with other individuals can help with that as well. Autistics learn by watching others interact. Verbal speaking is just one way to communicate as well. He is effectively communicating now through his art- visually. Perhaps you could do your own art(painting, drawing) to communicate to him that way-and when you show him your art explain what you were feeling and why created it. He is observing and learning from you, and all of us learn at different speeds. Talking outload while he is around, narrating what you are doing, why you are doing it, will also help. Speak to him as though he is speaking back to you. Not in a condescending way more like you would do if he didn’t have autism at all. Normal tone, normal words, it makes a big difference.
My child is very attracted to his elder brother and elder brother friends.he loves to roam outside classroom.stubborn when teacher asks to do something repeatedly or stand or get out of the class.he laughs or smiles when teacher is scolding by getting distracted by others.
Make sure to communicate the dangers clearly to the child. Autistic’s, including myself get very distracted and curious by our surroundings. So make sure to communicate the dangers of going outside, do not sugar coat the consequences of being without an adult. I am very communicative with my children, and I will communicate exactly what will happen if you do something and what I will feel like if something bad were to happen. For example, yesterday my oldest son Otto, spilled water at the top of the steps and walked away from it. I said , Otto it is very important to clean up water whenever you spill it. BECAUSE, if you leave the water there someone, might slip and fall. If someone were to fall down the steps, they could die. Otto responds like a autistic preteen “I have fallen and I didn’t die” – I responded- “Yes, but just because those times you didn’t is no guarantee it won’t happen. Mommy may not see that water and fall down the stairs. Now go please clean it up, and thank you.”
You have to close the loop when communicating with your autistic child. This is not a time to punish or shame, this is a time to educate. Your voice is one to be trusted, it has reasons that are valid and need to be respected. Yelling will not get you the results you are seeking. Calm and in a teaching manner, using exact language is how you will achieve your goals. Remember to be the person you wish your autistic child to be. If you want calm and loving behavior then be calm and loving.
In regards to the school setting, the above applys as well. If your child is behaving in that manner, then it is time to review how the teacher is teaching not in your presence. The school should also be modeling good behavior. I suspect that the teacher behaves in a manner different then he expects, hence the smirk or laughter from the child. If the teacher says to behave one way and then turns around and behaves another way, is not fair and shows favoritism, does not treat your child with respect- then the teacher is getting what he is giving.
I will be honest, I would take a classroom of autistic and adhd children any day of the week. I would have them busy and happy. Art,engineering, science- It is incredibly easy to motivate a autistic child, by talking to their curiosity. Divergent children love to learn way past their level. The school setting just doesn’t meet their needs. These kids are our future designers, architects, rocket scientists, chefs, musicians, Mothers, Fathers, teachers – you name it, whatever they love they will become masters at it. Seriously, their brains are amazing.
Be a kid again and see the world through their eyes. Be curios again. The world is a magical place, non-divergents grow up and are serious and want to do adult stuff and are only fun on holidays or days off. Be in the present and explore your world with them. There is something out there your child is curious about- go check it, it might be a really cool bug or something.
Those were questions!! Thank you for asking.
Super
Thank you!
l am Pakistani my child has ADHD
Hello! I am so glad you visited my site. Welcome!