Tip of the Week: Understanding and Managing Time Blindness

Time blindness is a common challenge for girls and young women with ADHD and autism. It’s the difficulty in sensing how much time has passed or estimating how long tasks will take. This can lead to procrastination, missed deadlines, or feelings of overwhelm. Here are three strategies to help your daughter manage time more effectively:

1. External Time Cues: Use visual or auditory cues to help her track time. Timers, clocks with alarms, or time-blocking apps can provide reminders and a sense of structure. Try tools like the “Pomodoro Technique,” where tasks are broken into short, timed intervals with breaks.

2. Chunking Tasks: Large tasks can be overwhelming when time perception is difficult. Help her break them down into smaller, manageable steps with estimated times. For example, instead of “do homework,” break it into “review notes for 15 minutes” or “write one paragraph.”

3. Create Time Anchors: Connect tasks to routines or events that act as “anchors” in the day. For instance, encourage her to start homework after lunch or take breaks at specific times. This builds predictability and reduces the reliance on her internal sense of time.

Remember: Time blindness is not about being lazy or unmotivated. With supportive strategies and consistent practice, your daughter can learn to manage time in a way that works best for her, building her confidence and reducing frustration.