The Integration Mandate, confusing combinations & Employment

Conjecture

• The US Supreme Court based its holding in "Olmstead" on the INTEGRATION MANDATE of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• In 1999, the Supreme Court held that "UNNECESSARY INSTITUTIONALIZATION" of people with disabilities violated Title II of the ADA -- specifically the "INTEGRATION MANDATE."

 

• When we're thinking about "INTEGRATION" and Olmstead and especially COGNITIVE DISABILITY ---
  • We're thinking about INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE --- and
  • INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE across DISCIPLINES and the SOCIETY.

 

• For people with "PHYSICAL DISABILITIES," the INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE has included
  • Construction of curb cuts and ramps
  • Hearing Devices
  • Speech Aid Devices
    

One of the things that has been so CONFUSING and DIFFICULT for Neuro-Diversity and Psychiatric Disorders ----

• People can be "ASYNCHRONOUS" in ways we're not expecting --
• They might have INTELLECTUAL, CREATIVE and/or ATHLETIC GIFTS and ---
  • Nonetheless, struggle with Executive Functioning issues such as:
    • Working Memory
    • Emotional Regulation
    • Planning
    • Organization
  • Nonetheless, struggle with Fatigue.
    
  • Nonetheless, struggle with OVER-EXCITABILITIES
    

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)

Asynchonous/OVER-EXCITABLE people may be/probably using LEGAL and/or ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES to "MANAGE" an unwieldy load.

• On the legal side--
  • Caffeine
  • Sugar
  • Alcohol
  • Marijuana
  • Tobacco/Cigarettes/Vaping
  • Prescription Drugs
• On the Illegal side ---
  • Misuse of Prescription Drugs
  • Opioids
  • Cocaine
  • Methamphetamine
  • Etc.

For the Neuro-Diverse Asynchronous Person who is more vulnerable to Psychiatric Disorders ---I would submit the reason they are more vulnerable is because their needs for "HOMEOSTASIS" don't "MATCH" with the MODERN LIFESTYLE.

AND THERE ARE "NO EXCUSES"

"SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT" is often a component of DOJ (US Department of Justice) Olmstead Settlement Agreements --- it's often a good deal for TAXPAYERS as well in the long run.

That "SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT" needs to include viable options for the asynchronous person who is often struggling to manage:

• BIG STRENGTHS
• EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING CHALLENGES, and
• FATIGUE
  

The way we avoid BURNOUT and BREAK-DOWN is not by doing nothing ----It's by:

• Building on Strengths
• Compensating for Executive Functioning Issues, and
• Individualizing "TIME MANAGEMENT" ---
  • especially, for those "SLOW PROCESSORS" who sometimes to often are dealing with a much HEAVIER SENSORY/INFORMATION LOAD.