The email sits in your inbox, forwarded from your academic advisor. "Contact the Disability Resource Center." Your stomach plummets. It feels like being called to the principal's office. You have a brand-new diagnosis, and now you're supposed to walk into an official-looking office and… what? Confess your "brokenness"? Beg for help?

"What do I even say? What if they don't believe me? What if I ask for the 'wrong' thing? Everyone else can handle this, why can't I? Maybe I should just try to get by without it."

The Support Cliff You're Standing On

Here's the research on exactly what's happening to you right now: post-diagnosis, individuals are often abandoned at a "support cliff," given a label with no guidance, and handed a "useless," pathologizing report, leading to a period of intense burnout.

The system gave you a diagnosis. Then it handed you a report written in clinical jargon designed for other clinicians, not for you. Then it pointed you to a bureaucratic office and said "good luck." That's the support cliff. And you're standing on the edge of it right now, terrified.

This guide is the bridge.

You Are the Lead Consultant on the Project of Your Own Success

Let's be clear: You are not going in there to ask for a favor. You are a highly skilled expert on your own neurology, armed with a data-rich, professionally prepared report. You are walking into a strategic consultation to co-design your educational environment.

A good neuro-affirming assessment doesn't just give you a label; it gives you a "User Manual for Your Brain." This is your weapon, your map, and your script:

  • The "Why" (The Science): A clear, jargon-free explanation of your brain's unique wiring, providing the scientific rationale for your needs.

  • The "What" (The Data): Specific, documented examples of your strengths (e.g., hyperfocus, pattern recognition) and challenges (e.g., auditory processing, task initiation).

  • The "How" (The Accommodations Menu): A concrete, pre-written list of recommended accommodations tied directly to the data.

The "What to Say" Script

THE "WHAT TO SAY" SCRIPT (Your Opening Email)

Subject: Newly Diagnosed Student – Request for Accommodation Meeting

Body: "Dear [Name of DRC Coordinator],

My name is [Your Name], and I am a [Your Year] student. I have recently been diagnosed with [e.g., ADHD, Autism Spectrum], and my assessment report outlines several recommended academic accommodations.

Could you please let me know the process for scheduling a meeting to establish a formal accommodation plan? I have attached a copy of my diagnostic report for your review.

Thank you, [Your Name] [Student ID Number]"

You Are the Expert, Providing Instructions

You feel like a scared kid being sent to the principal's office. This is a lie your anxiety is telling you. You are a well-prepared expert with a detailed technical manual, arriving to instruct the support staff on how to best interface with your specific operating system.

And the research backs you up: epistemic injustice — dismissing your expertise on your own experience — is a significant and direct cause of mental health inequities. If the DRC coordinator dismisses your report or your needs, that's epistemic injustice. You are not the one who is wrong. The system is.

You have permission to need help.

You have permission to ask for it.

You have permission to use tools that make your life more accessible. Your intelligence is not measured by how much you can suffer.

Stop seeing this as a terrifying performance. See it as a quest you are uniquely prepared for. When you're ready to get your "User Manual": Start your quest →

Part of: Assessments → | Related: A Lever, Not a Label · Executive Function