I will never pretend I know everything there is to know about organizing for every person under the sun, but quickly identifying and understanding what you’re working with is an important skill to have when someone is paying you by the hour.
About 75% of my clients are neuro-spicy. My estimations below are anecdotal (as they are from personal experience), and NOT actual scientific, peer-reviewed research.
If you don’t know that that means, it means it’s been accurate for me, but may not reflect humans (or neuro-categories) as a whole–and I’m not going to pretend that it does.
Figuring it Out Quickly
In case you’re new here, I write these as training for other professional and aspiring organizers. THIS DOES NOT GIVE LICENSE TO DIAGNOSE SOMEONE.
That said, most of my clients are ADHD, AuDHD, or Autistic. 80% are diagnosed, 19% are self-diagnosed, and the last 1% are a third, secret thing: peer-reviewed.
Understanding why someone does what they do (or doesn’t keep a system), can help tremendously with building a system that works.
I can usually tell what I’m working with when I walk into space. I can learn even more if I open a few drawers or cabinets, or look into some boxes or bags. But the best results come from asking the right questions.
What Not to Ask
Maybe it’s a habit from working in other industries, but I do not ask what medical condition a person has, including ADHD, Autism, OCD, mobility issues, etc. If you are my employee and you ask about someone’s medical conditions, you’re gonna be in trouble. I never want a client to feel like they are defined by, limited by, or discriminated against because of a diagnosis, or even a self-diagnosis. Here are some acceptable questions to ask instead:
- Are there any things you want me to be aware of as I start this project?
- Are there any particular (users of this space) who need anything specific?
- Are there any particular (users of this space) who need special consideration?
These questions are SO. MUCH. BETTER. than just asking: “you austistic?” “You ADHD?” because you get such rich answers! Some really good ones that surprised me are:
- My mom watches the kids three days a week, and she’s only 4’11”, so all the important kitchen stuff needs to be reachable for her
- I have really bad arthritis (it was a young person) so I can’t use containers that require any kind of grip-strength
- I hate cleaning, so anything that helps me avoid cleaning is ideal
These open-ended questions will give you so much more information, and not put you in a position where you accidentally make your client feel judged.
And honestly, clients usually tell me upfront, without any prompting, if neurodivergence is a big part of their lives in some way that relates to my project.
NeuroTypical Messes
Neurotypical messes tend to have these patterns:
- Life has happened, and things got out of hand. Examples:
- Family or household change: births, deaths, marriages, divorces, roommates, etc.
- Moving, down-sizing
- Big change: demanding job, illness, disability, retirement, renovation, etc.
- Somewhat sorted, but in a pile or box, half-baked attempts to hide or organize the mess
- Too much, and overwhelmed
- They really like a bespoke product or aesthetic that we can provide
- There’s usually at least one fully-functional room that gets priority during cleaning time: usually a kitchen, workspace, or guest space.
Neurotypical folks usually fall into two categories:
1) I know how to be organized, but need help because this has gotten out of hand. (Normal, happens to everyone, not just NTs.)
2) I have no idea where to start and how to get organized.
Sadly, I’ve had many clients (neurotypical and neurospicy) who were failed by their parents or the adults who raised them. These kids grew into adults without knowing how to declutter, organize, clean, or make and maintain systems.
It’s horrifyingly common.
Teach them. Praise them. Be the warm shining light who changes their life.
Autism-esque Messes
The patterns seen with autism tend to have one of these patterns, but rarely multiple:
- There is a pattern to the logic of the ‘organizing’ but not the organizing itself.
- Real Life Example: “Why did you choose to put this here?” “Because it fit perfectly.” (The client was storing beautiful books inside an ottoman, when there were empty bookcase shelves.) On the third “Because it fit perfectly,” I realized ’twas the ’tism. Which she later confirmed.
- Real Life Example: “Why did you choose to put this here?” “Because clothes go in the closet.” “Because toilet paper goes in the bathroom.” When I explained to him that aprons were actually a kitchen linen, not clothing, and that bulk toilet paper is best stored in his empty linen-closet, with only a few rolls in each bathroom, his home cleared up rather quickly.
- Rigid rules are a hallmark of autism: sometimes about where things ought to be stored, or sometimes about what to keep and what to get rid of (be aware, the rigid rules are also common amongst individuals that have experienced scarcity, or were raised by folks who did, not just austic or neuro-spicy folks):
- We cannot get rid of things that can be repaired.
- We cannot get rid of things that are still good.
- We cannot throw away things that are not completely worn out.
- Many autistics will have elaborate or rigid systems that have been disrupted by life, whereas neurotypicals tend to have less-intensive systems disrupted by life.
ADHD Messes
ADHD is honestly the most wild of the three main categories that I work with–just because the ADHD spectrum manifests so differently for everyone. But here are some patterns:
- About half of ADHDers are very creative: art, sewing, crafting, any sort of making, really.
- About 30% of ADHDers love bright colors
- 70% of ADHDers take aesthetic seriously: whether that is a flamboyant wardrobe, well-decorated home, or just getting really into a vibe (industrial furniture, I’m looking at you)
- Many tasks are partially done, stuff was partially or completely sorted at one time
- Lots of things out on surfaces as ‘visual reminders’
- OR, everything is shoved away (usually in chaos, if they’ve hired me) but out of sight, because too much is over-stimulating
Fun fact: about 30% of minimalists (that I know) are ADHDers, and use minimalism to help manage their homes and schedules.
Important note: ADHD-adjacent symptoms can be caused by brain injuries, medications, burnout, and other brain-fog-inducing situations (such as pregnancy, childbirth, grief, mental health, etc.). So a space that ‘appears’ to be ADHD may actually be neuro-typical.
What (Usually) Works for Whom
Neurotypicals:
- Do well with Konmari 90% of the time
- Dana K White can *usually* fill that 10% gap
Austism-havers:
- 70% of them just need someone to ask them what their invisible organizing or decluttering ‘rules’ are, and then be taught (or given the opportunity) to create new ‘rules’ that are more flexible, or serve them better.
- Dana K White is a great resource about 60% of the time.
ADHDers:
- 50/50 on Konmari (some intensities of ADHD can cause everything to spark joy)
- 60% of the time Dana K White is great resource, especially the no-mess decluttering method
- 70% of the time teaching Clutterbug’s Butterfly-Style or Bee-Style organization is the best resource for them
All of them benefit from simplifying systems. All of them benefit from labels. All of them need to simplify or unify or communication systems in a household.
Again, Every Client Needs Something Slightly Different
No one group is 100% anything.
At risk of being accused of pseudo-science, I expressed these tendencies as percentages.
My main goal in doing so, was to avoid broad generalizations. Phrases like “Konmari decluttering works for neurotypicals” or “Dana K White works for ADHD” can be toxic if folks take them literally.
The whole point of this document (just to be extra clear) is to:
- Help you make the most of your client’s time
- Help avoid the pitfalls of putting a client into a box based on their neuro-category
- Help you ask the right questions, and give your client the best service possible
Ultimately, the right method–whether it is in a book, this blog, or invented on the spot–is the method that works.
OooOoOOO. That’s nice. Put a quote graphic here:
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