Time blindness is a condition where the individual does not have an internal clock or is unaware of the passage of time. This can lead to individuals being late as they don’t realize how much time has passed. A client of mine who had autism and ADHD suffered from severe time blindness. My role was to help this client I will call Jay (using a pseudonym to protect their identity) stop being late to work and late from break. They worked at a retail store that tracked reliability. Jay had a score of 92% reliability when we started meeting. Their boss had already pulled them aside to let them know if they were late again they would be fired.
My first step with Jay was to assess how they managed their time, what routines they followed, and if they had any assistive devices in use. Jay told me that their mother or a family member would wake them up for work. They did not wear a watch. They also said they tend to lay in bed for a while before getting up.
I also spoke to Jay’s mother who said that Jay had a tendency to do morning activities slowly, not noticing how much time passes when they eat breakfast, take a shower, or slowly get up. She said she had to keep intervening to get Jay to speed up.
To make matters worse Jay did not tell their employer they had a job coach and had lied about having a disability by saying they didn’t have one. Therefore I was not able to go to their job in person to assist them.
Therefore my main approach was coaching. I gave Jay some strategies for being more timely. First I told Jay if they were going to lay in bed for an hour then they had to set their alarm earlier to help them be on time. I also told Jay that maybe it would be better to shower at night so they did not have to worry about showering before work which could save them time.
I told Jay to set multiple alarms, one to wake up and one to get out of bed. With this advice Jay improved a little. They were able to get to work within the grace period. However, one day they went to the bathroom and were away from their register for over 20 minutes. Jay had OCD as well and had a compulsion to search for something on their phone.
Jay was reprimanded and the incident was brought to my attention by Jay’s mother who had begun actively collaborating with me on the interventions I devised for Jay. During our next coaching session I told Jay that they should either use a watch or phone to set alarms when they go on break so they do not lose track of time.
Eventually I was able to help them decide to ask for accommodations from their employer. I explained that accommodating time blindness is not a reasonable accommodation as stores need dependable employees. According to the ADA employers must make an effort to make reasonable accommodations that won’t hurt the business so putting up with someone who is time blind by letting them be late to work is not a reasonable accommodation as it hurts the business. However, we could request for clocks to be placed in all break spaces, for the manager to remind Jay of breaks, and for their schedule to be more consistent so they develop a habit of being ready on time. With Jay and their mother’s approval I drafted an accommodation request. I explained that a doctor’s note would also need to be obtained.
It turned out that installing a clock in the bathroom was not something the employer wanted to do. However, they did accept the accommodation request and the supervisor did help Jay with timing for breaks and reminding them to keep track of time. With the request in place the employer was aware of Jay’s difficulty and made efforts to accommodate them.
I made sure to tell Jay that they had to be on time as they could still get fired. I told Jay to think of their phone as an assistive device. Set alarms and timers any time they need a break or when they need to get ready in the morning. Jay had not thought of using their phone alarms and timers to track time before that. I also said that they can make a song in their head about keeping track of time that they can think of every time they go on break. I told them they could change the words to a Lady Gaga song to have a catchy tune to remind them. Using music as a memory cue is a great way to work through remembering important details. The idea was to have a reminder of the need to set timers in order not to be late.
Jay took my advice. They also made changes one step at a time. The first change was to set alarms and get up earlier. I told them to focus on one improvement at a time and develop a habit. Jay did this and eventually saw a steady increase in their reliability score. All my advice and interventions worked out over time. Jay’s reliability score went from 92% to 99% under my guidance. Jay ultimately kept their job. Furthermore, Jay developed lifelong time management skills that will aid them wherever they end up working and in their personal life as well.
Have you struggled with time blindness or had a client who did? If so, how did you combat it?
If you’re an employment specialist or job coach, what accommodations have worked for your clients?