Planning and staying organized are two fundamental skills young adults require to be confident in maintaining an independent life. When attending college or working in the real world, bosses and professors expect young adults to be able to do these two things effectively on their own. You are required to manage your schedule, workload, and being on your own, since your parents may not be there to micromanage you anymore. Being able to plan effectively, and keep your room and living environment, schoolwork, and schedule organized can help young adults flourish in independent life, yet those with life challenges such as Autism, ADHD, “Asperger’s,” anxiety disorders, etc., may find that consistently doing so can be difficult. For those with assorted challenges, it is said that many “have difficulty with executive functioning. They may have trouble with certain skills like planning and staying organized…” (autismspeaks, n.d.). However, with the proper aid, young adults can learn how to properly intergrade these skills into their life.
Without proper planning and organizational skills, college can become overwhelming very fast, leading to a greater chance of dropping out. If your child is unable to properly plan out when to do and start their work, they will likely procrastinate, causing the workload to grow and grow before eventually becoming too big to finish on time. They will then start turning in work late, and in college professors tend to give points off, and if the class is serious enough, not take late work at all, even if they have “accommodations”. This can then cause the young adults’ grades and peace of mind to suffer. Doing badly in school can also take a toll on their confidence and mental health as well, since if they are consistently doing poorly in a topic they are supposed to be interested in and good at, they may feel as if they do not want to do anything at all, which eventually causes them to drop out, no matter how intelligent they may be. A source states, “People with [life challenges] have trouble with organizational skills, regardless of their intelligence and/or age.” (Moreno and O’Neal, n.d.). Not having adult-level planning and organizational skills can make even the most intelligent people fall behind in not only school but life, which is why it is so essential to ensure your child has them.
When speaking to a client, they would tell me how not being organized and planning ahead took a toll on their schoolwork, grades and happiness. They wouldn’t write down an assignment’s due date when in class, swearing that they would remember it when they left, but when they did, they would get distracted by their friends before completely forgetting about the assignment. Then, when the due date would come around, they would have nothing done, causing them to stay up late or turn in the assignment a few days after it was due, causing their grades to drop. To fix this, the client got a physical planner (and were taught how to use it effectively) so they could organize their week and plan when they would do what, ensuring they wouldn’t forget as well as have enough time to do so. This helped them regain their confidence and manage an independent life efficiently on their own, showcasing the importance of these two skills.
At the College Life Skills Program, we professionally coach those who are college bound, in college, and after college develop the skills needed to excel 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 organizational skills ,the 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.
Executive functioning. Autism Speaks. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/executive-functioning
O’Neal, S. M. and C. (n.d.). Tips for teaching high-functioning people with autism. Indiana Resource Center for Autism. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/tips-for-teaching-high-functioning-people-with-autism.html
