Give Me More Time
Give me more time is a constant refrain as people struggle with accomplishing all the things they want to do. Throughout history, humans have longed for more time to accomplish the great things they never achieved. From kings to the common man, wanting more time seems to be a heartfelt desire. Some people have even looked back at the end of a long life with regret, as time ran out, only to lament, give me more time! Time, or the lack thereof, not only applies to our journey over the lifespan, but has important applications to our daily lives also. Autistic adults have been known to struggle with time management issues in their daily lives. Even though autistics tend to be creatures of habit, many have difficulty with organization and prioritizing.
.
We often hear the term executive function when referring to people with autism. What does that really mean and why is it so important while attempting to understand autism? Executive function can be defined as the important set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help people to focus, analyze loads of information, plan, and exercise self-control. Time management is only one of many sub-groups that comprise the broader category of executive function. Most of the time, time management is first recognized as being a challenge during childhood. Specifically, teachers are often the first to observe an autistic student’s lack of organizational ability. Additionally, being unorganized is frequently coupled with impulse control issues which are only magnified as the child becomes older.
The habits learned during childhood tend to follow us as adults and become a part of daily routines. While habits can be changed as adults, it is more difficult to achieve new results because of muscle memory and time-lapse. When referring to time management involving autistic adults, we are usually focusing on behaviors displayed within educational, employment, and residential settings.