September 14th is National Attention Deficit Awareness Day; Workplace Legal Expert Robin Bond Says Employers Need To Accommodate Workers with AD/HD.WAYNE, Pa. -- Employers may not realize that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), formerly called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, a chronic, neurologically based syndrome characterized by any or all of three types of behavior: hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity. (AD/HD) is considered a "disability" covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. civil-rights law, enacted 1990, that forbids discrimination of various sorts against persons with physical or mental handicaps. (ADA Ada, city, United States Ada (ā`ə), city (1990 pop. 15,820), seat of Pontotoc co., S central Okla.; inc. 1904. It is a large cattle market and the center of a rich oil and ranch area. ). Therefore, the Attention Deficit Disorder attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder (ADD or ADHD) formerly hyperactivity Behavioral syndrome in children, whose major symptoms are inattention and distractibility, restlessness, inability to sit still, and difficulty concentrating on one thing for any Association (ADDA) is encouraging businesses to learn more about AD/HD on this, the second annual National Attention Deficit Awareness Day -- Wednesday September 14, 2005. In order to comply with federal law, employers may need to make reasonable accommodations for employees diagnosed with AD/HD. On National Attention Deficit Awareness Day, the ADDA is offering free teleseminars to help business owners and managers understand the affects of AD/HD on employees' work habits. They will also learn what they can do to make their workplace "AD/HD friendly." Workplace legal expert and ADDA Board of Directors member, Robin Bond, Esq., explains, "Employees with AD/HD can be valuable team members because of their high energy levels, creative problem solving Creative problem solving is the mental process of creating a solution to a problem. It is a special form of problem solving in which the solution is independently created rather than learned with assistance. Creative problem solving requires more than just knowledge and thinking. skills, and ability to hyper-focus on a task. However, short attention spans and forgetfulness are common among people with AD/HD and may lead to disorganization disorganization /dis·or·gan·iza·tion/ (-or?gan-i-za´shun) the process of destruction of any organic tissue; any profound change in the tissues of an organ or structure which causes the loss of most or all of its proper characters. , difficulty prioritizing goals, and chronic lateness." "Fortunately," notes Bond, "employers don't have to spend a lot of time or money to 'accommodate' AD/HD employees. Instead, very small adjustments can have a huge positive impact, resulting in a win-win for both employer and employee." Bond suggests these tactics to help employers work effectively with AD/HD employees:
1. Give instructions clearly - preferably in writing.
2. Provide structure in long-term tasks, such as checklists and
deadlines for each stage.
3. Offer frequent and specific feedback on performance.
4. Provide extra clerical support.
5. Reduce distractions by placing the employee in a cubicle or
office away from high-noise areas.
To learn more about AD/HD and National Attention Deficit Awareness Day, visit www.add.org Robin Bond's unique perspective and extensive knowledge of employment has been featured by leading television, radio, print, and online outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, The Boston Globe, Salon.com, NBC-10 Philadelphia, and Comcast Newsmakers. Bond, a practicing employment attorney, is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources Professional in Human Resources (PHR) is an industry certification for people working in the human resources profession. The certification, awarded by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), signifies that individuals possess the theoretical knowledge and practical (SPHR SPHR Senior Professional in Human Resources SPHR Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights SPHR Sphere ). More of Robin's advice can be found online at www.RobinBond.com. |
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