I have ADHD and can get an accommodation for subtitles when we watch movies and videos in class and I haven’t had it added yet bc I’m like well I can get by I guess whatever. But then I found out my autistic friend can’t get that accommodation because she’s not formally diagnosed so now I’m having it added for myself and everyone else in my classes who needs them and can’t get them.
“Reasonable” Accommodations that may get approved in a workplace (or school)
(this is obviously limited by our specific disabilities and varies job to job, but based on what we’ve asked for and what we’re currently discussing with our work’s HR/disability department)
a) headphones or earbuds with music
(In school we used this for tests. We were sometimes asked to test separately (different room, different time) from other students because of this, but it almost always got approved even pre ADHD diagnosis. At work, this helps us prevent overstimulation and thus work more effectively & safely. There’s more hoops and paperwork for a workplace, but we work in fast food and they’re actually letting us proceed with paperwork and the hoops to jump through so we can do it. We do have to have a “medical provider” sign off on paperwork &/or an official note stating that they know we’re disabled and agree we need the accommodation, but our workplace includes therapists for that. We’ll probably still involve our psychiatrist for backup/support, but they mostly just care that a professional backs us up. At school it didn’t matter what kind, but we’re discussing what kinds of earbuds/headphones are allowed with works disability people because food safety protocol limits which kinds they allow.)
b) texting in instead of calling out sick
(We go mute when we’re honestly sick, either because sore throat happens first or because the stress and overstimulation that come with being sick makes us mute (¿autism? ¿ADHD? ¿sensory processing disorder? it’s something around there). Usually a workplace avoids this because some people might text in sick when they just don’t want to work or have fun plans, so the big thing here is validating that you won’t call in just because and you’re texting because you *can’t* talk when sick. You do want to stress can’t or they’ll demand you to do it anyway. So it’s possible to ask for the ability to text instead (using text capable phone numbers or a messaging app if your work has one), and discuss with management or go through the HR paperwork to have that.)
c) more frequent breaks / more breaks
(This is a big one for physical disability. We usually ask for this because asthma & POTS together can be a nightmare. They usually don’t want to let you sit while doing your job in fast food, but they may be willing to let you take more frequent breaks or more total (a ten minute break every two hours as an example). Usually they stick to the legal minimum, so you may have to do HR paperwork for this &/or have a doctor’s note about why you need this (injury or physical disability).)
d) shorter breaks
(this one can better for ADHD/autism sometimes, or any dissociative disorder. the longer breaks usually get me out of Work Mode™ or give me too long to start dissociating. (I don’t always ask for this but it might work for you.) sometimes this just means breaking your 10min breaks into 5's, or breaking a 30 into two 15's or three 10's. it can also go with more breaks overall. it depends on your needs. this also usually requires a doctor’s note unfortunately.)
e) ability to take an Emergency Break™
(by this I mean an unscheduled break. In this case I’d need it for PTSD or a panic attack— the ability to step away (just nudge a manager or tap a code or have them know that sometimes you’ll have to duck out without communicating at the time) to let ourselves calm down. this could also be for physical disabilities where you may have an unpredictable episode, collapse, or a sudden/unpredictable need to use the bathroom or eat. usually managers get angry if you step away when you aren’t scheduled to do so, especially if there’s a lot of customers (peak period, rush, etc.).)
f) alternate communication methods
(we work in a kitchen environment. there are alerts for hot, cold, knife, blind corners, etc. as well as alerts when something runs out or is about to run out up front. we need to communicate (acknowledge or respond) with coworkers. but we go mute sometimes. so having a method like....three knocks means ‘working on it’, two knocks means ‘I heard you/acknowledged’, and four knocks means ‘I’ll do that now / I’ll start that now’. Or sign language (official language or one you work out between coworkers & managers; I haven’t learned ASL yet so I rely on signs most people will understand, like a hand drawn across my neck and then miming speaking (mouth movement with hand) to say ‘I can’t speak’/I’m mute), or hums/whistling/non word noises, or another method that works for you.)
g) ability to bring/have stuffed animals / comfort items or fidget toys
(this is obviously limited by what job you do. but when in school, we often did this to help us regulate. some jobs may allow this as well, especially with backup from a doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, or mix thereof. they might limit the size or type, but it’s worth investigating, if any fidgets or comfort items will help you concentrate or work easier or more effectively.)
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This is a starter list, but it may be a good leaping off point or give you ideas for something you may not have considered or thought possible/worth asking for before. If this helps even one person get the accommodations they need, then it’s done its job. ☺💜
¡Please add on if you have any suggestions for your disabilities or any of the ones included here!
as someone who missed around 9 days last year due to migraines and was dismissed around 7 times, i need advice about what to do to help and if there is a such thing as accommodations them. i'm entering my second to last high school year which means more testing along with two high level classes and im not sure i can get through this year the same way i did last year. any advice helps!
the usual symptoms i get are: numbness in my hands, light sensitivuty, noise sensitivity, pain around my eye/above my eye, sore muscles, and dizziness
- how your school life could be affected by you being autistic
- how you can productively work around those difficulties, or
- what accommodations you can ask for
so i thought i’d combine all those questions together and talk about everything i could think of about the subject!
Because the video seems quite content heavy, here are my “brief” (yikes...) notes for what i wanted to talk about!
(there might be some things mixed in here that are to do with other disorders/disabilities instead, like dyspraxia, sensory processing disorder as a standalone diagnosis, etc, but to start with some parts of being autistic that could affect you at school are:
- sensory overload if it’s loud/bright/smelly due to sensory sensitivities
- sensory underload if you have to work in silence or aren’t allowed to stim due to sensory processing issues
- difficulty keeping up with the lesson because of trouble processing verbal information
- difficulty writing due to coordination problems/holding a pen being painful for long periods of time/problems with fine motor skills/etc (could be more to do with dyspraxia or other common comorbid conditions)
- difficulty picking out key information, leading to sparse notes/notes with gaps because you took too long writing something easier and missed the next bit/jumbled notes
- trouble remembering information due to executive dysfunction
- trouble concentrating due to executive dysfunction (could also be because of anxiety/sensory overload/overwhelm) (or also specifically because of difficulty tuning out background noise)
- trouble understanding the lesson because of how it’s taught (autistic people might need things explaining in several different ways before we understand)
- difficulty working in groups because of trouble with social skills/anxiety relating to this
- trouble with peers (e.g. bullying/being easily distracted) leading to anxiety/distraction/trouble concentrating) (although this can be a problem for anyone, autistic people might be more vulnerable)
- not being able to ask for help when you need it (either because of difficulty expressing yourself, difficulty communicating, or anxiety leading to reluctance to ask)
- being (or going) semi- or non-verbal (not being able to form speech and express yourself verbally)
- difficulty answering questions correctly because you interpret the question differently/incorrectly, or alternatively because of trouble recognising or expressing your own thoughts (alexythimia)
Some accommodations I can think of off the top of my head for those things are
- for sensory overload or underload - headphones or a hat to muffle noise in class, scented hand cream, cuticle cream or lip balm, stim toys
- being able to leave classes very slightly early between classes might be helpful too, so you’re not in the hallways when everyone else is/it’s very crowded/it’s very loud, to help protect you from overloading and keep your stress levels as low as possible.
- for trouble with keeping up in class (maybe due to verbal processing/struggle taking notes/fine motor skills difficulties) use a laptop or record your classes/lectures.
- get copies of any lesson plans/powerpoints/documents/worksheets they use in class - even more helpful to have ahead of class to follow along with the lesson plan as its taught.
- take a copy of your textbook home if this isn’t something students can normally do (so you can reference it later/go over class material if you got lost in class/have somewhere to look for answers for any questions you have) - good for key point summaries/end of chapter reviews, if you struggle to pick out key points yourself.
- have a teaching assistant with you in class - they can help to repeat content or instructions that you missed/forget, to explain anything you don’t understand, and answer extra questions/rephrase things teachers have said.
- if the stress of working in groups is particularly difficult for you - have a set group/one person in your class as a partner/buddy so there’s always someone familiar/comfortable.
- If you struggle with being distracted, seeing if you can sit apart from certain difficult people, or in a certain place in the classroom (like the front, or the edge of a room so you’re not so surrounded by people)
- being able to leave class if you need to in an emergency (e.g. sensory overload/meltdown/panic attack/overwhelm) - e.g. having a card you get out and put on your desk when you need to leave in an emergency so you don’t have to wait to be dismissed.
- having a quiet space to go to at school e.g. a staff room or a designated empty classroom.
- disclosing your disability to relevant teachers/staff, asking whether your teachers are trained/informed about autistic people, and specifically your needs. (Disclosure is a personal choice and is for your own benefit - you don’t have to do it. (The National Autistic Society a leaflet with lots of autistic traits on it and some accommodations that could be a helpful springboard for your own disclosure letter/writing.) Disclosure via email/letter can take some anxiety out of the conversation as you can prepare in advance + have answers to likely questions prepared (less stress on communication skills and processing).
- for difficulty speaking in front of people, being excused from giving presentations/speaking in front of the class (you might instead give a presentation to a smaller group or just your teacher)
- If you are or go semi- or non- verbal, it’s also good if your teacher knows about that, so they know not to push you if you’re not answering. Sometimes I’m taking too long to answer, people repeat themselves loudly because they think i can’t hear them (instead of me having trouble processing what they’re saying and how to respond) so If you do a big head shake for example, to show that you’ve heard them but can’t reply, that could help communicate to them that you’re paying attention but can’t speak about it.
- if you have difficulty asking for help due to anxiety, a traffic light system of understanding might help. You have a green, amber and red card for understanding that you used to show when you were stuck, and the teacher would come over to you and answer your question. (You don’t have to stop the class/speak in front of the class to ask for help.) Can be easily used class-wide or just you.
- if you have difficulty asking for help due to communication difficulties, highlighting the section/sentence that you’re stuck on could help - instead of having to phrase a question, you can just say ‘please could you rephrase this’, or ‘explain what this word means’ etc. (erasable highlighters are good, or translucent sticky notes if you can’t write on something like a textbook) (highlighting also stops you forgetting which bit you’re stuck on.)
- assistive learning devices, and things like those coloured plastic sheets that you can put over handouts to read, printing handouts on different coloured paper, or pencil grips -these examples are basic; there are lots of good technology/electronic aids
- having extended deadlines for independent projects if you specially request them (if you struggle with executive dysfunction), or instead, your school might will want to deal more with ‘the root of the problem’ by supporting you in getting over the thing you’re struggling with. E.g. for executive dysfunction difficulties, giving you time management strategies/monitoring your work more closely to help remind you/motivate you instead of extended deadlines. (Putting the framework into place for you to complete things on time and supporting you to do this). This may mean extra ‘classes’ at school to go over skills like time management and organisation.
So, general tips for coping with school are:
- Speak to relevant people, telling them your needs/difficulties and asking what help/accomodations/resources are available to you, as well as doing your own research into what could help you
- Structure your life as much as you can- to reduce stress and make sure that executive dysfunction isn’t being a big background mental/capacity drain - like using a bullet journal, planner, apps, alarms, visual prompts for timetables, and routines
- Take time out + prioritise your (autistic) health as best you can, like
stimming
making a safe and sensory-friendly environment to come home to and recharge after school/college/university
carrying a pouch of little stimmy things with you, making sure your clothes are sensory friendly,
making sure you have things like ear defenders/headphones/sunglasses/gloves/hat with you if you’re getting sensory overload
making sure you have sensory friendly food in (and also some foods that don’t need any/much preparation if you’re having a bad day but need to eat)
thinking about what you really enjoy/find calming and scheduling in time every day to do that (also, special interest things!)
And finally, join societies/clubs/something that you’re interested in as a means to meet people. It can be easy to be isolated at school or college as an autistic student, especially if you don’t like or can’t do the things that students typically do to socialise, like party, drinking, or spontaneous plans. Benefits of clubs/societies/evening classes:
something in common is a great basis for approaching someone to make friends with them because it
gives you an automatic conversation opener! It’s easier to be like “hey, I heard you like (a thing), I really like that too, especially (this particular part of it)!”, than if you’re just approaching them with a blank slate.
a structured environment (easier to excuse yourself and to know what to do when you’re there
So, I hope that if you’re finding school tricky, there might be something in there that could ease things a little for you. An important thing to remember that if school is hard for you, it’s probably not because you’re not trying hard enough, but maybe because it’s not accessible for you. Keep going! ✨
These people are so sure they know what our kid needs and that what she needs is bootstrapping. And they're just gonna implement it without discussion.
In fact this counselor has been slowly bootstrapping ME by withdrawing support and stonewalling me when I am trying to wave her over to help with the school entry transition.
as a reminder to anyone who is going into a new semester:
if you have accommodations/an accommodation plan email your teachers!!! even if you don’t think you’ll use them!!
example template for emails:
Dear (teachers name),
I am enrolled in your (class info eg. name, day/s of the week, and time meeting). I am working with (name of your accommodation center) and have attached a copy of my accommodation plan. If you have any questions about how my accommodations would work in your class, please let me know so I can schedule a time to meet with you. Thank you and I’m looking forward to being in your class.
Introduction
In the realm of education, the 504 Education Plan stands as a crucial resource, ensuring equal opportunities for students with disabilities. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the intricacies of the 504 plan, its significance, and how it supports students in their academic journey.
What is a 504 Education Plan?
A 504 Education Plan is a legal document crafted under…
