Reasonable Adjustments for Daily Life

In the UK, some NHS Health Trusts, or Integrated Care Boards (ICB) and other organisations; sometimes have a template called something like:

- "Neurodivergent Passport", or

- "Neuro-Inclusion Passport", or

- "Neurodiversity Passport".

(I don't mean a medical information content longer document such as a full "Hospital Passport", or the National Autistic Society "My Health Passport").

Really, they could just have easily been called something more like "My Reasonable Adjustments Passport" - however, those types of phrases seem to be more of a workplace-related assumption.

In reality, the need for Autism trained staff and facilitation of reasonable adjustments - should not be limited to just education, workplaces, healthcare / social care settings. 

As Autistic people; it is likely the same things which can cause us confusion / frustration / stress / anxiety / exhaustion / pain / exclusion / missed appointments, or internal upset not always obvious to other people (in education, the workplace, healthcare, or social care) ...are also our potential encounters and of detrimental impact to us as we navigate most aspects of our lives (and applicable across all age groups - sometimes becoming less well tolerated as older adults).

A Neurodivergent Passport does not list your medical details; as it usually concentrates instead on things to help you access services in the best way to support you such as:

- your personal preferences around personal pronouns / neuro-inclusive language (identify-first "Autistic person" etc.).

- communication method needs / preferences / support requirements such as an interpreter.

- cognitive style e.g. if you might prefer new information in writing and some extra time to process the details, options and required decision-making, plus a longer appointment duration than the default time usually offered.

- sensory issues e.g. experienced in reception areas and waiting rooms.

- descriptions more personal to you - of those potentially less obvious stress triggers - which could benefit you by being avoided e.g. too many people in a small room / not knowing what a new person looks like before first meeting them.

- how people can best support you if something has caused you to become: stressed / overwhelmed / shutdown / temporarily non-speaking in meltdown.

- whether there might be some situations in which you choose to be accompanied by another trusted adult already known to you / an officially appointed advocate / a volunteer appropriate adult.

Usually, a Neurodivergent Passport is a 1 side of paper / PDF / MS Word document.

Here are a couple of examples from around the UK (they vary, however, I hope they may offer you some inspiration for your own version):

Berkshire:

https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/about-us/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/neuro-inclusion-passport/

There is also a document known a DAWN Autism Passport (Disability Advice & Welfare Network):

"The Autism Passport is a useful resource when visiting Court Rooms, Police Stations, GPs, Hospital and more. It supports the autistic individual by informing what reasonable adjustments are required in order to help with communication."

Available in both download and hard copy.

Order the DAWN My Autism : All About Me Passport:

https://dawnsupport.co.uk/autism-passport

Some of the DAWN prompts are quite helpful for thinking a bit more about things which you might not regularly encounter - which could trigger anxiety e.g. disorientation due to an uneven floor / busy designs at a threshold / change of levels / an optical illusion-inducing floor covering pattern.

I add some suggestions of my own for consideration (which I find are seldom found on templates / forms):

- too hot / too cold / too humid an environment,

- access needed to breeze from an open window / electric fan,

- not claustrophobic by the physical environment space available - but more so; experiencing the potentially oppressive nature of spaces busy with other people,

- happy walking up a staircase - less happy walking downstairs,

- prefer a lift (elevator) to an escalator,

- prefer to walk rather than use a moving walkway (travelator),

- motorised transportation needs to be in a forward facing seat (to avoid feeling travel sick).

(I hope there are some of those ideas which you might find helpful when you compose your personalised version).

In the UK, some NHS Health Trusts, or Integrated Care Boards (ICB) and other organisations; sometimes have a template called something like:

- "Neurodivergent Passport", or

- "Neuro-Inclusion Passport", or

- "Neurodiversity Passport".

(I don't mean a medical information content longer document such as a full "Hospital Passport", or the National Autistic Society "My Health Passport").

Really, they could just have easily been called something more like "My Reasonable Adjustments Passport" - however, those types of phrases seem to be more of a workplace-related assumption.

In reality, the need for Autism trained staff and facilitation of reasonable adjustments - should not be limited to just education, workplaces, healthcare / social care settings. 

As Autistic people; it is likely the same things which can cause us confusion / frustration / stress / anxiety / exhaustion / pain / exclusion / missed appointments, or internal upset not always obvious to other people (in education, the workplace, healthcare, or social care) ...are also our potential encounters and of detrimental impact to us as we navigate most aspects of our lives (and applicable across all age groups - sometimes becoming less well tolerated as older adults).

A Neurodivergent Passport does not list your medical details; as it usually concentrates instead on things to help you access services in the best way to support you such as:

- your personal preferences around personal pronouns / neuro-inclusive language (identify-first "Autistic person" etc.).

- communication method needs / preferences / support requirements such as an interpreter.

- cognitive style e.g. if you might prefer new information in writing and some extra time to process the details, options and required decision-making, plus a longer appointment duration than the default time usually offered.

- sensory issues e.g. experienced in reception areas and waiting rooms.

- descriptions more personal to you - of those potentially less obvious stress triggers - which could benefit you by being avoided e.g. too many people in a small room / not knowing what a new person looks like before first meeting them.

- how people can best support you if something has caused you to become: stressed / overwhelmed / shutdown / temporarily non-speaking in meltdown.

- whether there might be some situations in which you choose to be accompanied by another trusted adult already known to you / an officially appointed advocate / a volunteer appropriate adult.

Usually, a Neurodivergent Passport is a 1 side of paper / PDF / MS Word document.

Here are a couple of examples from around the UK (they vary, however, I hope they may offer you some inspiration for your own version):

Berkshire:

https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/about-us/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/neuro-inclusion-passport/

There is also a document known a DAWN Autism Passport (Disability Advice & Welfare Network):

"The Autism Passport is a useful resource when visiting Court Rooms, Police Stations, GPs, Hospital and more. It supports the autistic individual by informing what reasonable adjustments are required in order to help with communication."

Available in both download and hard copy.

Order the DAWN My Autism : All About Me Passport:

https://dawnsupport.co.uk/autism-passport

Some of the DAWN prompts are quite helpful for thinking a bit more about things which you might not regularly encounter - which could trigger anxiety e.g. disorientation due to an uneven floor / busy designs at a threshold / change of levels / an optical illusion-inducing floor covering pattern.

I add some suggestions of my own for consideration (which I find are seldom found on templates / forms):

- too hot / too cold / too humid an environment,

- access needed to breeze from an open window / electric fan,

- not claustrophobic by the physical environment space available - but more so; experiencing the potentially oppressive nature of spaces busy with other people,

- happy walking up a staircase - less happy walking downstairs,

- prefer a lift (elevator) to an escalator,

- prefer to walk rather than use a moving walkway (travelator),

- motorised transportation needs to be in a forward facing seat (to avoid feeling travel sick).

(I hope there are some of those ideas which you might find helpful when you compose your personalised version).

Thanks - I live in Berkshire - and didn;t know anything about this passport or the local NHS podcast on Neurodiversity too.  Although my GP hasnt contacted my following my diagnosis, 8 months ago.  Have talking therapies appointment this week, so will ask if they are aware

Oh my goodness this is exactly what I was looking for. So many of the things you’ve listed are all the things I waned to try and find a way of expressing. I definitely need questions written rather than spoken and need a lot more time to answer, also the smaller things like not having people behind me, not touching me, not breathing on me, not clicking and the list goes on! I find daily a new thing I hadn’t realised was a sensory or cognitive issue before. 
This is a massive help though and I really appreciate your time and support