Wait, where was that paper again?
For one neurodivergent young man, planning and organizing was one of his weakest executive functioning skills. Whether he was unable to find the homework that he had tossed on his desk or stressed because he left everything until the last minute, college felt like a nightmare. The young man’s executive dysfunction made it difficult for him to not only make and plan out time for school, but leisure as well. His poor planning and organizational skills kept the young man from being social because even if he did have time for fun, his unorganized room made him not want to invite people over. Between falling behind in school and becoming isolated because of his executive dysfunction, the young man expressed wanting to drop out to his parents. This worried them, but before allowing their son to come home they reached out to see if The College Life Skills Program could help.
There, the young man met online weekly with a coach to help him learn strategies that would help him actively use adult level planning and organizational skills in his daily life. By being held accountable to utilize a folder system to keep organized as well as a weekly planner app alongside his coaching, the young man was able to get his independent life back on track both socially and academically.
Planning and staying organized are two fundamental executive skills young adults need so they can maintain a successful independent life. While in college or working in the real world, bosses and professors expect them to be able to keep things organized and plan ahead. Whether it be making sure you planned out enough time for a task or organize your desk and schedule, planning and organizing can make adult life feel less stressful. Yet, for those with neurodivergent traits, executive dysfunction can make this skill difficult to maintain in independent life. For those with neurodiversity’s, a recent well known source discusses how they “have difficulty with executive functioning. They may have trouble with certain skills like planning and staying organized…” (autismspeaks, n.d.).
Not being able to maintain adult level planning and organization skills can also make college so hard for young adults that they become at risk for dropping out. Although they may be able to understand the content they are learning, making sure that their homework is done on time, and they are actively planning their schedule out to make time for both class and work can be difficult. In addition to that, ensuring that they are actively keeping their living and workspace organized can also make a difference in their ability to be successful independently. If young adults are constantly living in an environment that feels chaotic, they can become stressed, anxious, and depressed from the clutter and disorganization, causing further issues that can hinder their transition into independent life. Instead, they may start turning in work late, fall behind in both chores and schooland eventually drop out and/or be unable to maintain a job because they cannot plan and organize properly. However, with the proper help, learning and applying this executive functioning skill can be made easier.
At the College Life Skills Program, our team of Doctoral and Master level professionals utilizes a series of highly individualized strategies, services, and techniques to help neurodivergent young adults who are college bound, in college, and even after college succeed in and after their transition into independent life. We help teach them life skills such as planning and organizing so they can be successful in the work world and in life as well as help them learn how to balance independent life on their own, and other executive functioning skills, social skills, and emotional maturity. If your young adult is struggling with life skills, such as maintaining planning and organizing on their own or the transition into college and adulthood, CollegeLSP has the tools to aid them in achieving and generalizing such skills.
Click here and call now to schedule your FREE 20-minute individualized screening- $150 value.
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 October 3, 2023, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/executive-functioning
