Nearly 70% Struggle: New Survey Reveals Widespread Challenges Managing Daily Tasks
New research by Connections in Mind, a nonprofit dedicated to neurodiversity inclusion, highlights the prevalence of difficulties with daily organizational skills. Their survey found that over 69% of respondents find essential mental skills for planning, organization, and time management challenging. Connections in Mind aims to foster personal, school, and work environments that celebrate strengths and minimize shame around these difficulties.
While all individuals are on their own unique journey with their organizational skills, this is especially true for those diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. This is reinforced by a preliminary analysis by Connections in Mind. 69% of over thirty thousand respondents regularly struggle to prioritize tasks, indicating difficulty with planning. Additionally, 58% report ongoing trouble keeping their belongings organized, 67% faced issues achieving long-term goals and 67% find it hard to initiate tasks, instead engaging in fun activities first.
Further research revealed that individuals on the autistic spectrum tend to struggle more with flexibility and metacognition (thinking about thinking). Conversely, those with ADHD reported greater challenges in inhibitory control (resisting urges) and sustained attention. For people with dyslexia, working memory appeared to be a particular area of concern.
These findings stem from Connections in Mind’s ongoing "Executive Function QR" project, a self-report questionnaire developed in collaboration with Pointerpro, which provided an accessible software solution for data collection and analysis. The project has yielded a wealth of data that sheds light on the specific challenges faced by the different neurotypes and the population at large.
According to Connections in Mind, Pointerpro’s interface and data analysis capabilities enabled them to efficiently collect and analyze the responses, providing them with the insights needed to understand these important trends. “This collaboration underscores the power of technology in helping organizations gather valuable data to positively impact society,” says Pointerpro CEO Stefan Debois.
However, the impact goes beyond data collection. “Pointerpro's software also crucially played a role in offering personalized support to participants and their friends, family, colleagues, etc.,” states Victoria Bagnall, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Connections in Mind. “The platform's functionality allowed us to automatically generate suggestions and resources tailored to each respondent's specific needs. This immediate feedback empowered participants to take action.”
Building on the importance of diversity and creating neuro-inclusive environments, Connections in Mind emphasizes collaboration is key. Recognizing that everyone manages tasks differently, creating a supportive environment benefits all.This project allows people to interact with others more efficiently and vice versa, making life less of a struggle.
kevin major
saar dietvorst