Know Your Rights

A lot of neurodivergent people never ask for help they're allowed to have, because it feels like begging for special treatment. It isn't. Reasonable adjustments and accommodations exist in many workplaces, schools, and services precisely so people can do what they're there to do. Knowing that changes how it feels to ask.

What I might be entitled to

You often don't have to share a diagnosis to request some changes — you can ask in terms of what you need. Exact rights vary by country and setting, so it's worth checking your local rules or asking HR/the institution.

Common adjustments

• Instructions in writing
• Flexible hours or deadlines
• A quieter space or noise-canceling
• Regular breaks
• Remote or hybrid options
• Extra time or a different format

Where I could use them

My settings (work, study, services) and what would actually help in each

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Asking isn't asking for a favor

The belief I've carried about asking — and a truer version

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How to put it

Example: 'I work best with instructions in writing — could we do that going forward?' • 'I need a few short breaks to do my best work.'

My ask, in my words

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Adjustments let you do your job: Needing different conditions to do good work isn't weakness — it's information. Check what you're entitled to where you are; you may be owed more support than you've been taking.

Go deeper

Ready for more? These lessons pick up where this worksheet leaves off.

• What a Diagnosis Does and Does Not Change, from The Assessment. Accommodations, the paperwork that gets them, and what does and does not change after a late diagnosis.
• Self-Identification and Assessment, from The Neurodivergent Brain. The two valid paths to knowing you're neurodivergent: self-ID and professional assessment, what an adult assessment involves, and the emotional arc.
• ADHD at Work, from The Adult ADHD Course. Why ADHD work struggles are about fit, not ability, and how accommodations unblock your strengths.