ASD and organising, sequencing and prioritising

The ability to organise, sequence and prioritise helps us to plan daily activities and manage our time effectively. However, some people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may find organising, sequencing and prioritising difficult. Here, we explain why this can be the case, and list some ways to help.

People with an ASD may have deficits in what we call 'cognitive function', that is, the intellectual process by which we think, reason, understand ideas and remember things. So a person with an ASD may have difficulties with:

  • processing information
  • predicting the consequences of an action (if I do this, what will happen next?)
  • understanding the concept of time
  • 'executive function' (ie, a person may be detail-focused and less able to see the whole picture).

One or all of these four examples can affect a person's ability to organise, prioritise and sequence. For example, if you struggle to understand the concept of time, how do you plan what you will do over the course of a week?

Here are some ways in which people with an ASD can organise and prioritise daily activities and tasks (well call them 'strategies'. At first, other people may need to have a lot of involvement introducing the strategies and helping a person with an ASD to get used to using them. You may use the strategies in more than one place, for example at home and at school. Therefore, it is important that everyone who is using them - be it family members; employers; teachers; or friends - uses them consistently.

Over time, some people with an ASD will be able to use the strategies independently - although others may always need support.

Suggested strategies

Many of us use certain strategies to help us organise our day and prioritise tasks. For example, we might make a list or write things on a calendar. These strategies can also be effective for people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially if they're used consistently by everyone who may support a person.

Visual supports

Using pictures, written lists, calendars and real objects can all be good ways of helping people with an ASD to understand what is going to happen, when.

For example, a person might have a daily timetable with pictures of a shower, clothes, breakfast, their school, dinner, a toothbrush, pyjamas, and a bed to indicate what they will be doing, and in what order, that day. This can help people to plan their day and organise themselves.

Our information sheet Visual supports will tell you more.

Colour coding

Colours can be used to indicate the importance or significance of tasks (and therefore help to prioritise tasks and work through them in a logical sequence).

For example, work in a red tray or file could be urgent. Work in a green tray or file could be pending; while work in a blue tray or file is not important or has no timescale attached to it.

Colours can also help people to distinguish between paperwork, for example different household bills.

Dictaphones

Dictaphones can be a useful auditory reminder of tasks, work, events or deadlines.

Lists

Many of us use lists to remind ourselves of the tasks we need to do, and to help us prioritise. Lists (whether written or visual) can help people with an ASD in just the same way.

Lists can also be a good way of registering achievements (by crossing something off when you've done it), and of reassuring yourself that you're getting things done.

Electrical equipment

Mobile phones, computers, radios and televisions can be used to store important information, or to act as a reminder.

Computer calendars can have important dates stored on them, or reminders about when to pay bills. Radios and televisions can be set to come on at a particular time as a reminder to do something, eg to go out to a social event. Instructions can be sent by text - text messages lend themselves to this especially well as you are forced to keep instructions brief and simple. A text message is also an unobtrusive way of contacting or supporting a person with an ASD - they won't stand out from the crowd.

Task boxes, envelopes and files

Store work or belongings in set places, so that they aren't misplaced or forgotten.

Times of day, days of the week

It may be easiest to use times of day (morning, afternoon or evening) or days of the week to help plan and organise tasks, social activities and other events. For example, Saturday is shopping day; Wednesday is bills day; Thursday night is homework night.

Social stories and comic strip conversations

Social stories and comic strip conversations can be a really good way of illustrating the consequences of an action. As such, they can help people with an ASD to understand why it's good to be organised: what might happen if we don't meet deadlines or attend an activity at a particular time?

Our information sheet Social stories and comic strip conversations will tell you more.

Teaching materials: time and sequence

You may find that teaching materials such as sequence cards, games, timers and clocks help some people with an ASD to understand the concept of time and sequences. Materials like this can be adapted and used in different places, for example at home and at work.

See the 'Further reading and supploers' section for details of companies who sell these products.

Practical application of strategies

Here are some examples of how the strategies weve talked about in this information sheet can be used in different places.

At home

Household jobs can be allocated days, for example:

  • Monday - wash clothes
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday - food shopping in the evening
  • Thursday
  • Friday - sort and pay bills
  • Saturday  
  • Sunday - sort recycling and put out for collection
  • Every day - wash the dishes, dry them and put them away

These daily tasks could be a written list, or illustrated on a visual calendar. If there are several tasks to be done every day, they could be allocated to different family members and colour coded to indicate which ones should be prioritised.

Managing money

We all need to learn how to manage our money, to budget, control spending and pay bills. Many adults with an ASD will manage their own money or bills, to varying extents, while children may have pocket money. It can help to set out very specific guidelines about money and the consequences of spending.

Our information sheets Introduction to managing money and Money: borrowing money and managing debt may be of interest.

Further reading and suppliers

Useful books and information, and suppliers of products that may help people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with organising, sequencing and prioritising.

Further reading

Attwood, T. (2000). Should children with an autism spectrum disorder be exempted form doing homework? www.tonyattwood.com.au
 
Holliday Willey, L. (1999). 'Organising your home life' in Pretending to be normal - living with Asperger's syndrome. London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Coyne, P., (1996) 'Organization and time management strategies' in Fullerton et al (1996) Higher functioning adolescents and young adults with autism: a teacher's guide. Austin, Texas, ProEd

Suppliers

Winslow
Goyt Side Road
Chesterfield
Derbyshire S40 2PH

Tel: 0845 2302777
Website: www.winslow-cat.com

LDA
Duke Street
Wisbecch
Cambridge PE13 2AE
Tel: 01945 463441
Email: ldaorders@compuserve.com
Website: www.instructionalfair.co.uk