AUTISM & TITLE IX. College Courts Do Not Accommodate Autistic Males. They Expel Them.
Male students with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism are especially disadvantaged by the campus Title IX system, argues disability rights lawyer, and proud mother of an autistic son, Lori Tucker. “Simply put, they often do not possess the needed skill set to realize how their behavior may be perceived by other people.” In fact, most of Title IX training involves attributing “negative connotations to behaviors which are quite common to autistic people,” explains Tucker. Examples of this include “failure to make eye contact, delay in providing answers during questioning, lack of emotion, and defensiveness or anger if the student feels they are being challenged.” The training of campus Title IX administrators often makes no concession for the possibility that an accused student may be on the autism spectrum. While Tucker launched her career as an attorney for K-12 students with disabilities, her attention shifted several years ago to campus Title IX trials. Lori Tucker can be reached here. (SOS knows of 5 autistic males denied disability accommodation by Title IX and swiftly expelled.)
pjmedia.com Scott Greenfiled
