I have been taking Vyvanse to manage my ADHD (technically "ADHD without hyperactivity") for several years, but I am going off my meds for a while (whole other story, and I am doing it with the help and supervision of my psychiatrist).
It turns out that my company - where I've been working for the past few years - considers ADD/ADHD to be a disability that they are required to accomodate. I have already spoken privately with my managers about how they can support me and they are on board. But are there any other accomodations that I should formally request? I'm open to suggestions.
Disability Accommodations for ADHD?
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Radical Goats
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nixnicks
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Anxiety - preferred pronoun: She
Re: Disability Accommodations for ADHD?
Hi,
I understand you have disclosed your ADHD as a disability to be accommodated in your workplace to ease the ADHD symptoms,because you are discontinuing Vyvnase. You disclosed your ADHD to your direct "report to" employer, who is on board, but you are looking for other solutions in the workplace that act as support.
Is that right?
If it is physical solutions you are seeking, the one thing that helps me is color. I sort all of my email folders by color, and filing becomes so much easier.
Timers. Not just countdown timers, but clocks that speak the time in various options. I use the 1 minute version in the morning, 5 and 10 minute intervals depending on the task at hand. If I allow it to go on to long (or too loud) it will trigger my anxiety. Just a heads up.
If you are looking to the people end of support, please be careful. I had a real problem when I disclosed to my very corporate, didn't like me very much anyway employer about my ADHD. They responded by contacting my psychiatrist and tried to get a letter detailing my needs (psych never complied, not HIPAA friendly.) That in itself is not such a horrible thing, if it were sincere action to assist me. However, this inquiry was coupled with weekly meetings with me (during the hours that I had a deadline closing in on me) discussing my mistakes with the head of HR present taking notes the entire time. High Anxiety? Intimidating?
Just a bit.
I have also heard of other employers that have responded in an equally professional (medical documentation on file necessary) but understanding and sympathetic manner. Then if they are really smart employers, they realize that they have an individual on their team that "thinks out of box" (most of us shiney people do) and maybe even has talents and skills not yet tapped for the company's gain.
It sounds like the reaction from you management team so far is leaning to the later description, and I really hope it continues to do so for you.
In any event, write down names and times of all conversations. I never got involved in a lawsuit, but maybe I should have, just for awareness sake. Gotta go. My speaking timer sounds angry.
I understand you have disclosed your ADHD as a disability to be accommodated in your workplace to ease the ADHD symptoms,because you are discontinuing Vyvnase. You disclosed your ADHD to your direct "report to" employer, who is on board, but you are looking for other solutions in the workplace that act as support.
Is that right?
If it is physical solutions you are seeking, the one thing that helps me is color. I sort all of my email folders by color, and filing becomes so much easier.
Timers. Not just countdown timers, but clocks that speak the time in various options. I use the 1 minute version in the morning, 5 and 10 minute intervals depending on the task at hand. If I allow it to go on to long (or too loud) it will trigger my anxiety. Just a heads up.
If you are looking to the people end of support, please be careful. I had a real problem when I disclosed to my very corporate, didn't like me very much anyway employer about my ADHD. They responded by contacting my psychiatrist and tried to get a letter detailing my needs (psych never complied, not HIPAA friendly.) That in itself is not such a horrible thing, if it were sincere action to assist me. However, this inquiry was coupled with weekly meetings with me (during the hours that I had a deadline closing in on me) discussing my mistakes with the head of HR present taking notes the entire time. High Anxiety? Intimidating?
Just a bit.
I have also heard of other employers that have responded in an equally professional (medical documentation on file necessary) but understanding and sympathetic manner. Then if they are really smart employers, they realize that they have an individual on their team that "thinks out of box" (most of us shiney people do) and maybe even has talents and skills not yet tapped for the company's gain.
It sounds like the reaction from you management team so far is leaning to the later description, and I really hope it continues to do so for you.
In any event, write down names and times of all conversations. I never got involved in a lawsuit, but maybe I should have, just for awareness sake. Gotta go. My speaking timer sounds angry.