Staying on Track When You’re Autistic and Learning Something New
Struggling to stay on track isn’t a sign something is wrong with the autistic person, or with the people supporting them. It’s usually a sign that the conditions just aren’t matching the way they learn best yet.
When something is new, there’s a lot happening at once:
- unfamiliar steps
- unclear expectations
- social pressure
- new sensory environments
- switching between tasks
- trying to hold too much in working memory
It’s not the learning itself that’s hard. It’s the load.
From our persepctive, there are a few things that make the biggest difference:
1. A single, clear starting point
It's not a plan or a schedule - it's just the very first step, plainly written out.
Autistic brains do well with certainty, so a single anchor point calms the whole system.
2. Breaking the task into small pieces
This isn't “chunking”, it's more about breaking something down to the level where the mind stops resisting. Think logical, small steps.
If the step still feels too big, it is too big!
3. Reducing the number of moving parts
New tasks can fall apart when too many variables compete for attention.
Removing even one source of friction, such as a noisy environment, unclear instructions, an unpredictable person, vague timing, etc. changes everything.
4. Externalizing the process
Autistic adults do well when the steps live outside their head:
- written lists
- visual maps
- timelines
- scripts
- checklists
- whiteboards
It saves bandwidth and reduces pressure to “keep track.”
Note: sometimes when we reveal our own issues and struggles in a lighthearted way it can be a release for the neurodivergent person. It takes them out of their head to hear how we deal with new challenges and life changes with varying degrees of success.
5. Predictability
- Not rigidity; predictability.
- Knowing when something starts and when it stops.
- Knowing how long it will take.
- Knowing what will happen first, second, third.
Predictability is energizing and can be fuel to overcome work and life challenges and changes.
6. Zero shame when something stalls
A lot of autistic adults have been blamed for “checking out” or “getting stuck,” when really their cognitive load hit capacity.
There’s nothing moral about it - it’s just how the brain works.
When the load is lowered, the task moves again. Again, empathy is very important when holding back and checking how well we are doing, in our own communication, boundaries and advice.
Working with autism
Usually the autistic people we work with aren’t struggling with the material. They’re struggling with the conditions around the material - the transitions, the uncertainty, the pace, the sensory load, the unspoken rules.
Once those are adjusted, their ability becomes obvious.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. This is simply the kind of support we try to offer at INCLX: practical, steady, and built around the person in front of us. Reach out to learn about the ways we can help autistic individuals thrive in school, work and life.