Verdandi wrote:
I pointed out that the ADA is supposed to provide protections for disabled employees. The point being that the intent is that workplace or schools need to account for and accommodate disabilities.
A problem with the ADA is that you often have to take your employer to court to get them to follow it, which makes it difficult to stay with that employer. Sometimes. This is of course not always the case. Some employers will follow through on it if you bring it up. Some employers will resist it. I came across an article last year about how to legally fire people with ADHD who are trying to get workplace accommodations in law firms. The weird thing was I had a friend who was at the time working with a law firm to improve their disability accessibility for employees, and she actually thought the article was reasonable because accommodations might be "too expensive." That kind of thing annoys me to no end.
I do think the ADA, despite its limits, has actually managed a lot of good over the years.
I don't think most professionals are even aware of burnout, let alone willing to entertain the possibility of its reality. After all, "burnout" sounds like "adult regression" and of course only children regress, as is professionally known.
Not sure if you saw the study from England where they did an actual screen of the adult population and found 1 percent to have ASD's, instead of the old numbers of 5 in 10,000 from the 60's through the 80's. Many of these individuals, had no idea they an ASD, but had many of the same life problems, as those that already had a diagnosis.
I would guess the numbers of undiagnosed and people unaware they have a form of ASD is close to same in the US. Without appropriate identification of adult individuals with the condition, it would be difficult to study burn-out at all in adults.
Children with access to health services are routinely screened now, and many more have been diagnosed with ASD's, burnout may be a more recognizable condition in ASD's in the future when these individuals become adults, because they have been identified with an ASD and the relationship may become apparent burnout with greater numbers of adults diagnosed and identified with an ASD.
The majority of adults that have the traits for ASD's, probably aren't diagnosed, or aware they could possibly have an ASD. The first step for these individuals to ever have any chance at any support for the condition through counseling, or support from the ADA, or any other programs offered, is awareness of what ASD's are, beyond the stereotypical images in the media, medical screening for the condition in adults, and an affordable opportunity for diagnosis.
This part has been identified as a problem in the adult population, and a specific area that the government and Autism Speaks is researching. That research, and potential changes that may result from the research, in how ASD's are diagnosed and identified in the adult population, is the current paramount issue for many adults, unaware of ASD's that may potentially have an ASD.
Considering the problems of employment that have been identified with people that have Aspergers as a diagnosis, that have been able to afford a diagnosis, if the healthcare reform act stays in place, many more adults may have an opportunity for a diagnosis, through that action alone.
This is what I was trying to get to before, in regard to the statistics on Aspergers, maybe it will make more sense in the context of the study in England.
I think in general the ADA has done good for the disabled in general, for school aged individuals with ASD's, and has the potential to do good for adults with ASD's if they are willing to risk the issues related to getting covered by it, but don't see much more of an actual positive impact, at this point, in the lives of adults with ASD's, than what the Autism Speaks organization has provided.
There is potential in both, but no significant results. At least, from the response here; adult autistics seem to have as much faith in the ADA as they do in Autism Speaks.
I'm glad to see that ASAN supports the ADA; I can see them as a positive influence in providing awareness of the ADA, understanding how to gain protection from it in the workplace, and encouragement to take advantage of it when needed, for those individuals with ASD's that gain support from ASAN.
12 Sep 2011, 2:03 am
