work place advocates

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I am floating an idea of advocates for employed and unemployed aspies.

I know that governments have set up disability support programmes that advocate for individuals in the workplace, but there are not enough resources to go around

I have read thread after thread and story after story of individuals on this site who cannot find a job, or a dismissed from a job because they could not cope. I also see employed individual who are underachieving - geniuses who scrub out dog kennels is an extreme example!

What about WP Advocacy, with a training schedule for advocates, a diploma or some sort of recognition of training, and some acknowledgment from government that these advocates can work with individual aspies to get them suitable placement? Of course 'suitable' needs a careful defination.

I am not a practical person so I need the imput of the logical aspie mind.

I was thinking of doing something like that when I couldn't find an advocate in Maryland for myself.

Have no flippin' idea how to do it and I don't drive, so the point would be mute.

But we can think about it.

# who do we approach for practical ideas
#a curriculum for training advocates
#government registeration

Help!

BTW I see the advocates as volunteers.

The government wants us to work, the employers don't want us (somebody else can have them). I've found my employer (bullying at work) responded favourably to a big stick (don't take no s*** Union Rep). We need the general population better educated and the employers forced to accomodate us, because they're w******.

as a start...write your Congressperson. Also, check on advocacy groups (there's one for everything else... maybe the 2 together can start the ball rolling.

Contact Stephanie Evans at the Asperger's Association Queensland. I met her a couple of weeks ago and she is brilliant and passionate about advocating for Aspies. Her Aspie son is now 19 and she has an NT daughter who's 21.

She set up the Asperger's Association in Queensland 14 years ago and has worked full-time as a volunteer all those years.

Go to http://www.asperger.asn.au/HomePage

Stephanie is away on holidays in Europe for 3 weeks so you'll have to wait.

I want to do more advocacy but will have to wait a few years until my youngest is settled in school.

But I did my own mini-advocacy at work last week presenting a 1 hour talk about Asperger's to 100+ physios. I have been asked by a few people for a copy of my powerpoint presentation and also asked for a part 2 lecture regarding Asperger's.

Helen

Making it work topic

I have a job coach pending for me because I have been approved for disability benefits in the workplace as I am physically slow. But this would be a great idea in Canada as there is nothing that I know of that advocates for those with Asperger's. We tend to fall through the cracks because we are so "high functioning", like an invisible disability.

For those interested in this and live in the US:
http://www.cilcp.org/resource_center/
They should be able to point you in the right direction.