Language, Texas, Patience & More

Volume 17

October is ADHD awareness month, so today’s issue offers perspective and resources to help young adults with attention deficit disorder. It’s real. It’s tough. And, according to the CDC, it impacts nearly one in every ten young people. Also celebrating a birthday this month is the Plain Writing Act, which I’d never heard of it until this week. Read on for this news and more.

Looking forward to your thoughts and ideas on these topics. Please share this post with others, too, and help build community.

---

To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you somebody else is to fight the hardest battle you’re ever going to fight. Never stop fighting.

— E.E. Cummings

---

Driven to Distraction is the best book I’ve ever read about ADHD. I devoured it cover-to-cover and recommend it almost weekly to parents struggling to help their kids. I wish I had known about it years ago, as it helped make sense of the challenges we were experiencing at school and home and to focus on our daughter’s many strengths, which we often overlooked. Here are a few other important facts to know about ADHD and ADD, along with several short instructional videos. I found them very useful, and I hope you do, too.

Simply said.

This month also commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Plain Language Act . Like many things that benefit the broader community, this law helps people with intellectual disabilities by requiring government agencies to use clear communication that the public can understand and easily act on. These “easy-to-read” editions help cognitively disabled people stay as informed as others in their communities with less difficulty.

For example, here are plain language materials that explain the Americans with Disabilities Act and Medicaid. As young adults with disabilities grow up, they can benefit from learning more about both topics. I shared these recently with our family and found the simplified definitions and explanations helpful to everyone, not just our son. Probably not a surprise, right? Ramps, closed captioning and audiobooks help many more people than just those with disabilities. Using plain language when writing important materials that everyone needs to access seems like a good goal, too.

Planting seeds.

Speaking of learning, I was thrilled to hear about UC Davis’ new SEED program for students with disabilities. The four-year program is specifically designed for young people with autism, Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disabilities and aims to become a model for universities nationwide. While college isn’t for everyone, many young adults with disabilities yearn to attend. Programs like this offer additional supports and experiences to meet the special needs of their students, while providing meaningful access to college life. West Coast, best coast?

Texas discrimination.

Unfortunately, such inclusive thinking isn’t on display these days in Texas. Last week, the social worker regulatory board voted unanimously to revise a section of its code of conduct that defines when a social worker can refuse to serve someone. The revised code allows social workers to discriminate on the basis of a disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Advocates and lawmakers are working to reverse this decision. Let’s hope they succeed.

Pandemic news.

The global health crisis continues, and moves to make outdoor dining permanent are adding to the challenges of people with mobility issues. On the bright side, Covid-19 has shined a spotlight on just how capable young people with disabilities can be. This young woman made more than 1,000 masks to help people in need! Creatively redefining a sense of family purpose that incorporates someone with special needs is an especially effective way to build resilience. So does being patient. According to Dr. Amit Sood of the Mayo clinic, “If you choose to be patient, you are helping yourself. You're living longer and happier. And you're helping your loved ones.” What do you do to stay patient, especially during tough times like these?

---