What does time management difficulty look like in autism?

PostedDecember 29, 2025

UpdatedDecember 29, 2025

ByMy Patient Advice

Author: Lucia Alvarez, MSc | Reviewed by: Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Time management difficulties are common in autism, and according to NHS guidance, including resources from Leicestershire NHS and Sheffield Children’s NHS, they’re closely linked to differences in executive functioning. These are the mental skills that help with planning, organisation, memory and task management. Many autistic children and adults describe this as knowing what needs to be done but finding it harder to sequence steps or keep track of time.

Everyday signs of time management challenges

NHS information, such as that from NELFT, explains that differences in planning, flexible thinking, working memory and attention can appear as:

Struggling to start tasks without clear steps

Losing track of time or underestimating how long things will take

Missing deadlines, appointments or transitions

Feeling overwhelmed when routines change

Depending heavily on reminders, alarms or rigid routines

Difficulty shifting attention, especially during deep focus (linked to concepts like monotropism)

Research, including NIH-supported studies such as this review on executive functioning and work on processing speed and adaptive behaviour (Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2025), suggests that sensory load, working memory demands and processing differences can all contribute to practical time-management difficulties.

Why these challenges happen

Executive functioning differences often underpin time management difficulties. These include working memory, processing speed, focus patterns and flexible thinking. NICE guidance for autistic adults (CG142) and for children and young people (CG170) notes that these differences can affect daily life, including planning schoolwork, managing schedules and adapting routines.

Recent research, such as the Autism Research study on overlapping mechanisms and broader executive functioning analyses (PubMed), reinforces the strong link between autistic cognition and planning or time-perception challenges.

Practical signs at school, work and home

These differences often appear as:

At school: organising materials, planning homework or following multi-step instructions

At work: prioritising tasks, meeting deadlines or switching projects

At home: managing appointments, maintaining routines or planning tasks across the week

NHS England guidance on supporting autistic adults highlights practical strategies such as visual schedules, breaking tasks into steps and using timers or reminders, as outlined in its national support framework for autistic adults (NHS England). NICE also emphasises reasonable adjustments like written instructions and extra processing time.

The takeaway

Time management difficulties in autism are real, common and linked to well-evidenced differences in executive functioning, time perception and information processing. With clear steps, visual tools, reminders and structured routines, many autistic people find they can manage tasks more confidently and in ways that genuinely work for them.

Lucia Alvarez, MSc

Author

Lucia Alvarez is a clinical psychologist with a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and extensive experience providing evidence-based therapy and psychological assessment to children, adolescents, and adults. Skilled in CBT, DBT, and other therapeutic interventions, she has worked in hospital, community, and residential care settings. Her expertise includes grief counseling, anxiety management, and resilience-building, with a strong focus on creating safe, supportive environments to improve mental well-being.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the author's privacy.

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Reviewer

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez is a UK-trained physician with an MBBS and experience in general surgery, cardiology, internal medicine, gynecology, intensive care, and emergency medicine. She has managed critically ill patients, stabilised acute trauma cases, and provided comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. In psychiatry, Dr. Fernandez has worked with psychotic, mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, applying evidence-based approaches such as CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based therapies. Her skills span patient assessment, treatment planning, and the integration of digital health solutions to support mental well-being.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the reviewer's privacy.