His inability to manage time is excruciating.
Answer Summary
Members shared many helpful ideas for managing time blindness in teens with ADHD or autism, a challenge many families clearly relate to.... Read more
I frequently use recorded music as a timer.
We have used kitchen timers and kept giving time warnings 10, 5, 1 min before moving on to the next task. Our son would be in the shower for an hour until we started giving timed warnings. Now, he takes a 10 min shower and we have an alarm clock in the bathroom for him to watch the time. He also likes to have a race with me to see who finishes first in the morning so it moves both of us along getting ready in the mornings! Often there is a lot of reminders, redirecting and direct intervention with schoolwork and chores, and getting him focused on the task at hand. I will ask a question, like what page are you on, or how many problems have you done so far, do you need help? My son prefers I ask a question rather than tell him what to do. I remind him or ask him what is he working for, and he will tell me the reward or goal he wants, and that motivates him to get “it”done. My son was an extreme procrastinator, but is doing much better as he is maturing. Another thing that has helped the last 3 years, he had weekly piano lessons, snd this helps the brain become more efficient and organized. Lots of good supplements, i.e., methyl folate, methyl b12, omegas 3-6-9, DHA and EPA, vit C, multivitamin, saffron gummies. Bedtime: melatonin 5 mg, coconut charcoal capsule, ginko biloba 60 mg, magnesium.
Does he do this because of anxiety or he's just not motivated? I've tried rewards with my son because he's the same way. If you go to this place or do such and such we'll go for a treat, somewhere he likes, etc
Time management can be a real challenge with autism — and yes, "5 minutes" can somehow stretch into a small eternity! The good news is there are some practical strategies that can genuinely help.
Many families find that visual and direct communication works far better than verbal reminders alone. Here are some ideas to Show Full Answer
Reframe: 5 minutes is 300 seconds. Start the process earlier. Ask what you can help with, then go to the car. When they know you are there pushing they do not learn. Let them get curiosity about what happens when they are late. Mine has to take the bedreaded bus if her planning is faulty. We sat down and talked about solutions and put them in a board. I no longer say anything but I’m out the door in 10 minutes. Now she is out in 5 giving me a ration on why she had to wait on me 5 minutes. They need the natural consequences.