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Oganising advice with autism?

I feel like Im always forgetting something lol and I usually am
I had a planner in the start of the year that helped but for some reason I just don’t write in it anymore
I’ve started doing it on my phone which has helped but does anyone else forget to put it in their phone lol

Does anyone have tips for remembering stuff and staying on top of everything and being organised when having autism

Reply 1

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by Caspcasp33

I feel like Im always forgetting something lol and I usually am
I had a planner in the start of the year that helped but for some reason I just don’t write in it anymore
I’ve started doing it on my phone which has helped but does anyone else forget to put it in their phone lol
Does anyone have tips for remembering stuff and staying on top of everything and being organised when having autism

Hi,

I have found some ways that will hopefully help you to stay organised. According to the national autistic society these methods may work but of course different methods work for different people. Remember to try and be consistent with these methods.

Visual supports:

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Pictures, written lists, and real objects can help to understand what is going on and when. E.G a timetable that states what you are doing alongside a little picture to demonstrate.

Colour coding:

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Use different colours for different things you need to do throughout the day as well as using colours to prioritise certain things. For example, Pink could be most important things and highlight them and blue could be least important things, Red could be urgent and so on.

Voice recordings:

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Recording messages on your phone and listening back to them or doing a voice note of what needs to be done so you can listen to it throughout the day could also be helpful

Alarms or alerts

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Having alarms that make noises when it's time to do something or alerts that pop up on your phone can also help

At school

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have regular meetings with teachers to make sure your on the right track

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Colour code your revision files

You can read more through this link:

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Organising and prioritising - a guide for all audiences

Hope this helps,
Katy,
LJMUStudentRep

Reply 2

DerDracologe

Study Forum Helper

Original post

by Caspcasp33

I feel like Im always forgetting something lol and I usually am
I had a planner in the start of the year that helped but for some reason I just don’t write in it anymore
I’ve started doing it on my phone which has helped but does anyone else forget to put it in their phone lol
Does anyone have tips for remembering stuff and staying on top of everything and being organised when having autism

The only thing that i reliably will come back to is a big whiteboard next to my desk :giggle:

Reply 3

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post

by Caspcasp33

I feel like Im always forgetting something lol and I usually am
I had a planner in the start of the year that helped but for some reason I just don’t write in it anymore
I’ve started doing it on my phone which has helped but does anyone else forget to put it in their phone lol
Does anyone have tips for remembering stuff and staying on top of everything and being organised when having autism

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing your experience — you’re definitely not alone in this, and it’s very normal to feel like you’re forgetting things or losing track, especially when juggling academic work, life responsibilities, and personal challenges such as autism. Everyone has different executive function strengths, and many students find they need to adapt and experiment with different organisation methods.

One tip that might be helpful is to stick with just one system rather than switching between multiple tools. If the phone is working best for you, try to make it your central organiser. Some students also set daily reminder alarms not just for tasks, but for checking and updating the planner itself. Even something like:

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“Check schedule” at the same time each morning

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“Add tasks” reminder later in the daY can provide that consistent external cue.

From my own experience at university — now in my third year — I’ve found that staying consistent with smaller tasks (for example, washing the dishes or doing a short reading) can help maintain momentum for bigger tasks that require more focus. You could try this method and see if it supports your organisation.

Breaking tasks down into smaller, clearer actions is also useful — for example, instead of “do coursework,” using “open document + write a paragraph” can feel much more achievable and help with motivation.

It might also be reassuring to know that at DMU we support students with autism and other neurodiverse profiles through services such as:
https://www.dmu.ac.uk/current-students/student-support/wellbeing-disability/disability-advice-support/index.aspx

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the Disability Advice and Support team

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1-to-1 study skills support and mentoring

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personalised organisation strategies

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reasonable adjustments and learning support tools

If you were at DMU, we would always encourage you to reach out to us so we can work with you to identify techniques that fit your way of working, rather than trying to fit into a system that doesn’t suit you.
And please don’t be hard on yourself — forgetting things doesn’t mean you’re not capable; it simply means that your brain may process and store information differently, and that is completely okay. Finding the right tools and routines is a personal journey, and you’re doing the right thing by asking and exploring strategies.

Best wishes,
Elmehdi — De Montfort University Student Rep