Autism and the ADA - Research Paper Example

 Autism and the ADA Abstract The essay discusses autism and the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which has transformed the lives of autistic individuals in the United States. The range of benefits offered by the ADA for autistic individuals is discussed in detail in the essay. Introduction The ADA or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is the act which has been life-changing for people with disabilities all around the United States. The Americans with Disabilities Acts have been successful in providing civil rights protection to American citizens who have certain kind of mental or physical disabilities. The ADA provides all US citizens with a uniform law, regardless of their age, race, gender or religion. But for people who have disabilities such as autism, the Americans with Disabilities Act guarantee them equal opportunity in local government services and state government services, public schools as well as public accommodations. Uta Frith (2008, p. 2) states ‘Autism is a developmental disorder, and therefore its behavioural manifestations vary with age and ability. Its core features, present in different forms, at all stages of development and at all levels of ability, are impairments in socialisation, communication and imagination.’ For children who have autistic syndromes or autism, the Americans with Disabilities Act protects them by making it necessary for child care centers and private schools to abide by the regulations set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The primary objective of the ADA has been to enforce the equal opportunities that American life has to offer for the individuals with disabilities. For example, a child who is autistic cannot be refused to participate in public or private agencies due to his disability. US Laws and Policies Primarily, there are three major laws in the US which protects the interests of people with autism. The three laws are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), IDEA and Vocational Rehabilitation Act (Section 504). These laws together help autistic children and individuals to get integrated properly in the US schooling system. Another act which protects the interests of autistic children especially is the Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The Vocational Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to all those American institutions which receive federal funds. Both these set of laws help prevent access denial to students with autism in schools especially. It also makes it mandatory for school systems and school services which receive federal funds, to provide support and necessary services to students with autism. Eligibility under ADA To be eligible for the additional services as mentioned in the Americans with Disabilities Act, a child with autism needs to demonstrate that one of his or her major life activity has been impaired due to the disability of autism. Some of the major life activities which are deemed as valid by the Americans with Disabilities Act include self-care, performance of manual tricks, working normally, being able to be learn, and being able to speak and walk properly. Uta Frith(2008, p. 3) states ‘Most young autistic children do not seem to comprehend what others are saying to them or, indeed, what is going on around them. Deafness is often suspected but ruled out. Social interaction is severely limited. Imaginative pretend play is noticeably absent. The children are often fixated on simple activities, and may inadvertently tyrannise their family by intolerance of any change in routine.’ An individual who is diagnosed with autism will automatically qualify for the Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act. For children who are suffering from autistic problems, the ADA makes sure that the child with autism cannot be discriminated in school or in other institutions. However, the ADA does not guarantee the appropriateness of the accessed services for the autistic child. Understanding Reasonable Accommodation According to the definition given by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a qualified employee or a qualified applicant who possesses a certain disability is essentially an individual who can perform the necessary functions of a particular job with the help or without the help of reasonable accommodation. ADA describes reasonable accommodation as making the facilities already existent in the company readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation also means the modification of work schedules and restructuring of the job for a person with disability such as an autistic person. The restructuring of jobs according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, also implies that certain equipments and devices needs to be modified or acquired in order to accommodate an autistic person. The employers might also require offering qualified interpreters for accommodating the autistic employee reasonably. Under the ADA, reasonable accommodations can include a written list of immediate tasks which needs to be completed, training periods which are comparatively longer to accommodate autistic employees, and ensuring that the distractions in the workplace is minimized for the benefit of the employee with disability. ADA Privileges for Autistic Individuals Some of the aspects which the Americans with Disabilities Act cover for children with autism include the rights offered to autistic children for supportive services such as providing the child with in classroom aids, protections offered to the autistic child in the post-high school stage such as college or employment, access to the autistic child for all the available programs listed in the school or educational institution, which includes extracurricular activities also, and additionally a number of protective measures provided to the autistic children in the fields of education and employment. For adults with autism, there are a number of options which are available to them. Several kinds of jobs can be taken up because they are enforced by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some of the jobs include restocking shelves, factory assembly work, math teacher, janitor jobs, re-shelving library books, stocks and bonds analyst, landscape designer, copy shop, computer programmer, veterinary technician, engineer, book indexer, copyeditor and biology teacher. Conclusion It must be noted however that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not specify any medical conditions which qualify as a disability. Rather they are certain criteria which will laid down by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Once these criteria are met by the autistic individual, he or she automatically qualifies as and gets a range of benefits as mentioned in the Americans with Disabilities Act. References Coulthard P., Fitzgerald M. (1996). Autism – Who Cares? 5th Congress Autism – Europe Barcelona Fitzgerald M. (2006). Autism, Asperger’s syndrome and Creativity. Awares.org. www.awares.org-conferences Frith , U. (1991) Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Johnson, CP. (2004). New tool helps primary care physicians diagnose autism early. AAP News, 24(2):74. Read More