Hello,
I just recently began to do research on ADD/ADHD because my husband was diagnosed with it as a child, and I wanted to learn more about the disability itself, and how to better communicate with him.
He has also been in trouble repeatedly with the law since we met, but I did not associate it with his disability until recently. After doing indepth research on the disability itself, and the legal trouble that he has been in, I have found out through the ADA and SECTION 504, that he has rights, and that much of the legal trouble that he has gotten himself into is due to the disorder.
His rights have been denied him by the system due to their lack of knowledge on ADD/ADHDand their discrimination and labeling of him, and there is so much documentation out there about the disorder and his rights that I don’t know where to start.
We are currently battling the system, and his ex-wife for visitation of his children, and just don’t have the funds available to seek legal representation for the obvious discrimination that he has had to endure for the past 3 years. Are there resources available to people like us?
Please help.
Sincerely, Kelly
Re: Adults with ADHD
I to have add and ld and have broken the law more times that i can remember. The people in jail have nothing else to do so they get bord easy. When seeking leagal help they wont tail you much unless you be a bit** and push an agency how will help. if you call the D.H.S. they have people who can help. I started a school bus on fire and got out of it so their are ways to fight with the law. (noone got heart) They will help with the money too, i spent most of mine on beer until last year and started to sober up. Just stand behind him all you can and that will be wirth more to him as he goes though this.
Kelly, a special ed teacher, I take my hate off to you. Thats who gave me the chance to turn my life around 12 years ago and go me on the right path after many years.
the one thing i can say to the both of you is, some people with this live day by day and don’t care about the law. I still don’t but i care about people and if i can help them i will. the drugs and beer help me relaz. they say that more then half the people in the U.S. and on some kind of anti depressent.
Kelly,
I am NOT a lawyer-I am a special ed teacher who also has AD/HD. I do not know about any legal strategies/agencies that may asist but I do know that just becasue he was diagnosed with it is not an excuse. I don’t believe there are 504 accomodations for breaking the law. There is a very high rate of AD/HD ers in prisons and jails because we don’t always think through the consequences of our actions. AD/HDers also have a higher rate of alcohol/substance abuse which further exacerbates our AD/HDness. Perhaps you can dig through his history and find someone/agency to blame but schools and parents did little years ago to prepare “us” kids for life as adults with ADD-they thought we outgrew it. Your situation only reinforces the need to prepare those of us with ADD with lifeskills and coaches to train us to monitor our own behaviors. Good Luck!
nancy