When it comes to college living, having the ability to not only initiate a task but actually completing them, is essential. Being in a place that requires you to do many things in a timely manner can become stressful very quickly. Stress which can deter some young adults from initiating not only essential tasks, but, socialization as well. They could feel as if they have too much to do and not enough time to do it, but if young adults are able to learn how to motivate themselves to get up and complete the goals they have set for themselves that day, it can ease some of the anxiety and stress they may be feeling. However, for those with life challenges such as ADHD, autism, “Asperger’s,” anxiety, etc., it can be more difficult to do so since initiation is an executive functioning skill, and a source states, “…up to 80% of those with (life challenges) suffer from executive function disorder, leading to difficulties managing time, completing tasks, and [completing] what for many of us would be simple tasks.” (Bennie, 2020).

Not every task we initiate needs to be a huge one. Something as simple as getting out of bed and brushing your teeth is a goal young adults can complete to get their day started and can be a good way to lead up to the bigger goals they have set for themselves. Although even doing something comparatively small like that can be difficult at times, practicing pushing through and initiating a start to a goal can be a good way to encourage oneself to complete another task they have that day. Being able to do this is important in a place like college and later at work. Although not every job needs to be started and finished on the same day, being able to plan then initiate something like homework can take the workload off later, and can even relieve some stress as well since you are not procrastinating. Despite initiating being a key element of task starting and completion, it also pertains to socializing activities. Being able to speak to others first is a good way to make friends, especially since in college a lot of people are also nervous about speaking to new people. It can also allow young adults to make more time for going out with friends since if they are actively completing what they need to do, they are not plagued with worry that can put a strain on their friendships since they may be irritable due to the self-imposed stress. Rather if they are taking action themselves to get up and consistently getting certain things done and reaching the goal for their day, they can have at least some free time each day to spend doing what they would like to. This can make independent life in college more enjoyable as well since if young adults are consistently able to initiate and complete tasks or goals, they can feel as if they are more well-balanced and able to manage themselves on their own. However, those with life challenges may struggle with this since “There are many factors that play into the issue with initiation. It could be anxiety, perfectionism, or not knowing where or how to start. There’s also the distractions of a million other things that could paralyze someone from acting on any of them.” (Bethel, 2021).

When speaking to a client they would tell me how if something didn’t work out exactly as they would plan it to, they would give up completely. They would be so frustrated that they would just stop doing the task before forgetting about it, but the rest of the tasks they set for themselves that day would be neglected as well. The discouragement the client felt was too great, so they would then fall behind in school because failing at one task would ruin their mood for the whole day, triggering a non-productive and discouraging day ahead. Yet, after learning about the importance of planning and initiating and how to actually do so, they would use taught interventions to support their ability to come up with ideas to help get started on the task allowing them to either complete it in the way they wanted or find a way they created or thought up, that would work better. This would then put them on the right track and allow them to feel encouraged to complete their other goals and tasks for that day as well.

At CollegeLSP, we professionally coach those who are college bound, in college, and after college develop the skills needed to successfully function in independent life. Our team of Doctoral and Master level professionals uses our individualized, proprietary, evidence-based approaches developed with the real-life experience of thousands of students over three decades to aid young adults in their journey to independence. So, if your young adult is having trouble achieving adult-level planning and initiation skills, CollegeLSP is more than qualified to help.

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.

Bethel, S. (2021, June 15). Initiation: Executive functions – stephanie bethany: Autistic adult. Stephanie Bethany | Autistic Adult. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.stephaniebethany.com/blog/initiation-executive-functions

Bennie, M., About the author: Maureen Bennie Maureen Bennie created the Autism Awareness Centre in 2003 to address what she saw as a gap in support and advocacy for those struggling with autism and autism spectrum disorders. For Maureen, Maureen Bennie created the Autism Awareness Centre in 2003 to address what she saw as a gap in support and advocacy for those struggling with autism and autism spectrum disorders. For Maureen, says:, M. S., 2, M. B. says: A., says:, M. B., says:, T. H., says:, C. M., 16, M. B. says: A., says:, K., 14, M. B. says: A., says:, A., says:, R., 30, M. B. says: J., says:, C., 28, M. B. says: D., says:, P. S., & *, N. (2020, April 21). Executive function: What is it, and how do we support it in those with autism? part I. Autism Awareness. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://autismawarenesscentre.com/executive-function-what-is-it-and-how-do-we-support-it-in-those-with-autism-part-i/