Alena,
I agree with your statements, but want to clarify. Bipolar disorder and ADHD are two separate things. Having said that, though, you are right. The label should never be allowed to become a barrier to opportunity.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
A student that has ADHD may or may not experience difficulties with their employment. I know plenty of people who have bio polar disorder, or ADHD who are able to manage their schedules and work environment. Functional limitations should be addresed with the employeer.
Lisa,
The concern about honesty in the hiring process is exactly why it is illegal for employers to ask about disability prior to an offer of employment. As to when the impact of ADHD will mean the employee's performance suffers -- that's a wrong question. It should be IF the performance suffers -- and there should never be assumptions made.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Unfortunately, because so many highly qualified persons apply for employment I wonder if (although illegal)employers routinely choose the best qualified person without disability-in other words if a poerson applied for a job and discloses an attention disorder wouldn't an employer choose a candidate without such a disability? Or if the candidate with an attention disorder were hired at what point does their output suffer because of concentration issues, etc??? Are there certain fields of study a person with ADHD should steer clear of for their own best outcome?
Cynthia,
You are right. We provide accommodations for students with disabilities, and those same accommodations may be available to them on the job. But the coping strategies that the students learns and uses to successfully make it through school are invaluable to the student for their future endeavors.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I would hope that the student, future employee would learn during the education experience to develop skills that would counter some of the possible problems ADHA would cause them in the workplace. Education is more than learning what is in the books and on the board. They are also learning what is expected of them in their field of study and should be planning how to handle that on a personal level during the education process. While I do not pretend to understand the full impact ADHD has in the learning or work environment I know my personal limitation and weak spot in my profession for me. I have to make lists of everything or NOTHING gets done. If I have no lists my thought process is worthless. So I have developed an great system that keeps me focused and productive.
Olin,
You are right. That is part of why we hope that students will have the opportunity to learn effective coping strategies while they are in school. The tricks they learn with us can serve them well later, as well.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
ADHD isn't just in a classroom, the disablity is 24/7. On the job they may not be able to focus, retain steps to a task, become stressed out more quickly than their counterparts etc.. it is a challenge for those students to cope in any situation.
Pamela,
That is why it is important for such students to learn coping strategies while they are in college. The symptoms don't go away, but they can be managed.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Ellis,
Fortunately, many individuals with disabilities gravitate to their areas of strength when they are looking for employment in a way that is not possible when they are in school. In school, the tasks are the same for everyone and there is a standard means of accomplishing things. In truth, there are few jobs that have the individual doing EVERYTHING that might be done within a profession. That provides a little flexibility (for example, a nursing student who runs into trouble trying to transfer patients when in school (because of size or strength) can work their whole professional lives in a doctor's office and never be asked to transfer a patient!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Students with ADHD may not be compliant with deadlines, timely communications or organization.
The same behaviors and issues the student had in school usually carry over to the workplace. Depending on the job any limitations the employee has can be presented as a request for a reasonable accommodation. ADA policies continue to be in effect just they were in school.
Heather,
Those are good questions. Let me answer in reverse order. Yes, employers DO have the same obligation to provide reasonable accommodations as do educational institutions (employers are covered until Title I of the ADA, schools under Titles II or III). Could knowledge of disability inappropriately influence hiring decisions. Yeah -- it could. That is part of the reason that it is expressly illegal to ask, on an application or in an interview, if someone has a disability. At the same time, there are ways that people with disabilities can learn to "sell" their disability. For example, they can go into an interview and say, "you should know that I have ADHD. You don't have to worry about that, though, because I know exactly what needs to be done to make sure that it isn't a problem for you or for me. My ADHD means I can easily get distracted from tasks and assignments. Here is what I have learned to do to keep myself on track -- yada yada yada -- and here's what I need from my supervisor to make sure that isn't a problem -- yada yada yada." Does that make sense?
Dr. Jane Jarrow
This topic was lightly touched throughout the lesson. The person will experience the same problems in a work setting that he or she experienced in school. the person may have a hard time remembering important meetings or assignments. He or she may also have a hard time completing tasks or assignments, or may have a tendency to procrastinate which can make it difficult to meet deadlines. In some cases they sometimes have a hard time controlling emotions and speaking in turn, which could result in a blow up or argument with a fellow coworker/boss. People diagnosed with ADHD may also lack organizational skills and time management skills, which may also affect job performance.
With that being said, I was wondering if at a job interview the person discloses to the potential employer that they are diagnoses with ADHD, can that negatively influence the employer's decision to hire the applicant? Is it illegal for the employer to discriminate in that way, or does it just depend on the job? Also, do employers have the same obligations in assisting people with disabilities as educational institutions do?
Michael,
Yes -- and no. There ARE things that an employer can do to support a worker with a disability, just as there are things we do at the college level. And if the student steps up and asks for accommodation, it should be made available. But remember that not all individuals with ADHD take medication in control of their symptoms (see discussion elsewhere on these discussion boards).
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Dr. Jarrow,
The employer must be made aware of the students funcitional limitations so that they can implement the methods necassary for them to be effective in their role at the company. For instance,students with ADHD are easily distracted without taking the proper medication. Therefore, with this understanding, the employer must take this into consideration.
Mike
Gary,
Yes and no. The functional limitations are the same, but the tasks are often so very different from the school setting to the work setting that the coping strategies may be very different. For example, the problems in maintaining attention and focusing on what is said in casual conversation may have little impact on the student's academic performance, but have LOTS to do with how successfully they interact with co-workers and are seen as contributing members of team projects on the job. I once read a great article called "Keeping Your Job at the Water Cooler: A Guide for the Worker with ADHD!"
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I would imagine these functional limitations during employment may be similar to functional limitats at school. Accommodations provided during the students studies may provide insight for the student as to ways of succeeding in the work environment.
Cynthia,
It is good that you have already started to recognize the impact of such problems beyond the classroom, and seem to have a handle on how to help your son gravitate toward his strengths.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
My son has ADHD and right off hand, my biggest concern, is the inability to read social cues. He has obsessive tendencies and when he is fascinated by something, he can not seem to stop talking about it, even if the people around him tell him to stop. He is an expert on the weather, titanic, sharks, and history...... however, the other students in his class do not share these interests. He is 11 years old and some of these interests started at age 2. For this reason, he has a hard time fitting in with his peers, and he drives his older siblings insane. I would imagine he will have to work alone. Otherwise, he might be an extreme distraction to colleagues. Medication controls his lack of attention, his impulsivity, and blurting out; however, it has done nothing to control his obsessive need to talk about his interests.
