The other day I had to do quite a bit of rework on a project because I "forgot" a step. Actually, what happened, is that they changed the procedure and this particular step somehow wasn't communicated to me at the time. It's not the first time with this particular person. I was beginning to think it was me when someone else came to me with a question about another project and in going over it with her, I noticed she had left something out as well. Turns out she hadn't been told that this was one of the steps (and it wasn't in the written instructions). Doesn't surprise me at all. I don't think that this is being done out of maliciousness, I think the person doing the instructing just isn't all that effective as an instructor. There is nothing to be done about it except be on the alert as much as possible and double check with someone else.
Anyway, before I could go back and put in the missing step (which involved some calculations, which is something I'm not very good at), another priority came up so it was some time before I could get back to the original project. I did ask if I could finish the first project first while everything was fresh in my mind, but I was told that that was not possible, that this new project had to take priority. So I took a deep breath and started work on the second, hoping it wouldn't take too long so I could get back to figuring out the first.
Now, because I don't have a formal diagnosis, I am officially "normal" and therefore not entitled to any accommodations. Not that it would do any good to request them if I did have a diagnosis. Because "the requirements of the job" are all important. If you can't do them, then you don't have any business here. And one of the requirements of the job is that you have to be able to drop things at a moment's notice so to be able to respond to the changing requests of our many clients, when they want them, how they want them, no matter how unreasonable you might think them. It is why I feel like a machine so many days. There is no place for the human, and especially no place for the brain-flawed human, in my type of work.
This makes me wonder about the wisdom of individual educational plans or other forms of support tailored to autistic children. Yes, it is important that children be able to learn and one size of learning certainly does not fit all. But I am wondering if in doing so we are setting these children up to fail when they are adults and the support that they have become accustomed to and depend upon is suddenly yanked away. We as a society (at least in America) do not do a good job in general of preparing our young to take their place in society--school in many places is a joke--and this is doubly so when special needs are involved. Employers aren't running charities--they have needs that they have to have filled, and while some might be more able and more inclined to accommodate than others, all things considered, they would prefer to hire someone that they don't have to go out of their way to accommodate. Maybe that's discrimination, but put yourself in their shoes: if you were hiring someone to do something for you, you'd want a person who was capable of doing the job with a minimum of fuss.
I never had an individualized educational plan. By today's standards I was brought up rather harshly. My needs were definitely not catered to or accommodated; in fact, they weren't even considered needs. It was sink or swim. I suspect that I am probably one of the lucky ones, because I managed to learn to swim. But it came with a price.
Anyway, before I could go back and put in the missing step (which involved some calculations, which is something I'm not very good at), another priority came up so it was some time before I could get back to the original project. I did ask if I could finish the first project first while everything was fresh in my mind, but I was told that that was not possible, that this new project had to take priority. So I took a deep breath and started work on the second, hoping it wouldn't take too long so I could get back to figuring out the first.
Now, because I don't have a formal diagnosis, I am officially "normal" and therefore not entitled to any accommodations. Not that it would do any good to request them if I did have a diagnosis. Because "the requirements of the job" are all important. If you can't do them, then you don't have any business here. And one of the requirements of the job is that you have to be able to drop things at a moment's notice so to be able to respond to the changing requests of our many clients, when they want them, how they want them, no matter how unreasonable you might think them. It is why I feel like a machine so many days. There is no place for the human, and especially no place for the brain-flawed human, in my type of work.
This makes me wonder about the wisdom of individual educational plans or other forms of support tailored to autistic children. Yes, it is important that children be able to learn and one size of learning certainly does not fit all. But I am wondering if in doing so we are setting these children up to fail when they are adults and the support that they have become accustomed to and depend upon is suddenly yanked away. We as a society (at least in America) do not do a good job in general of preparing our young to take their place in society--school in many places is a joke--and this is doubly so when special needs are involved. Employers aren't running charities--they have needs that they have to have filled, and while some might be more able and more inclined to accommodate than others, all things considered, they would prefer to hire someone that they don't have to go out of their way to accommodate. Maybe that's discrimination, but put yourself in their shoes: if you were hiring someone to do something for you, you'd want a person who was capable of doing the job with a minimum of fuss.
I never had an individualized educational plan. By today's standards I was brought up rather harshly. My needs were definitely not catered to or accommodated; in fact, they weren't even considered needs. It was sink or swim. I suspect that I am probably one of the lucky ones, because I managed to learn to swim. But it came with a price.
