How ADHD and ASD coaching can help your daily life

If you live with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — or suspect you do — you probably already know one thing: understanding why something is hard doesn’t automatically make daily life easier. Maybe you have a diagnosis, maybe you’re waiting, or maybe you just relate to ADHD or autism descriptions. Yet you might still find that you:

• miss deadlines even though you care
• feel overwhelmed by everyday tasks that seem easy for others
• feel exhausted from masking or “holding it together” at work, in studies, or in relationships
• wonder what to actually do to make things easier
  This is where ADHD and ASD coaching can become a valuable complement. Coaching isn’t about “making you normal.” It’s about understanding how your brain works and building structures, habits, and environments that support you best.

What is ADHD/ASD coaching?

Coaching is a structured, goal-oriented process focused on the present and near future. In practice, you and your coach:

• map your daily patterns
• set clear, realistic goals
• test concrete strategies in your daily life
• adjust, scale, or swap strategies based on what works for you
  Coaching is:
• practical — every session ties to real situations in your life
• collaborative — you’re the expert on your life while the coach is the expert on structure and tools
• forward-looking — “How can next week be a bit easier?”
  Coaching is not:
• a neuropsychiatric assessment or diagnosis
• medical treatment or psychotherapy
• a generic productivity course

How ADHD coaching can help you

ADHD often affects executive functions — the brain’s “control system” for planning, initiation, focus, shifting, finishing tasks, and regulating emotions. An ADHD coach can help with:

• 1. From “I should” to clear, doable steps
     Many people with ADHD relate to: “I know exactly what I should do — I just don’t do it.” Coaching breaks vague goals into small, explicit actions. For example:
  • From “fix everything about my studies”
    → “On Wednesday at 18:00 I open the learning platform, download the assignment, and write down the first three steps.”
  • From “get more organised”
    → “Create a 10-minute evening routine where you list tomorrow’s three most important tasks or reminders.”
    You and your coach then review what actually gets done, why things sometimes jam, and adjust the plan.
• 2. Working with your attention
     With ADHD, attention often swings between hyperfocus and total “block.” Coaching can help you:
  • identify times of day when you usually have the best mental energy
  • schedule demanding tasks when your brain can cooperate
  • use aids (timers, body doubling, reminders, visual lists) to get started
  • distinguish “I don’t want to” from “I can’t get going”
• 3. Time perception, deadlines, and routines
     Many with ADHD:
  • underestimate how long things take
  • end up doing last-minute work
  • struggle to create routines that stick
    Coaching can support you to:
  • plan your week so you can see what fits and what doesn’t
  • build simple systems for bills, email, studies, or cleaning
  • add time buffers for tasks that tend to expand
• 4. Emotion regulation and self-image
     ADHD isn’t only about structure. It often involves:
  • fast mood swings
  • strong reactions to criticism or rejection
  • a long history of feeling “lazy,” “sloppy,” or “underperforming”
    Coaching can help you:
  • name your emotional patterns in daily life
  • see links between overload, stress, and total “shutdown”
  • develop concrete strategies for breaks, recovery, and boundaries
  • build a more realistic and self-compassionate view without denying challenges

How ASD coaching can help you

Autism often involves different perception and processing of information, social situations, and sensory input. Many people with ASD describe:

• sensory sensitivity (sounds, light, touch, smells)
• difficulty in ambiguous social situations
• a strong need for predictability and routines
• deep special interests that give meaning and energy
  ASD coaching focuses on making daily life more understandable, predictable, and sustainable.
• 1. Structure and predictability in daily life
     Together with your coach you can:
  • map situations that often lead to overload or shutdown/meltdown
  • create strategies before, during, and after those situations
  • build clear routines around sleep, food, recovery, and work/studies
  • use visual supports, checklists, or schedules to reduce decisions in the moment
• 2. Social situations on your terms
     Coaching can help you:
  • analyse recurring challenging social situations (e.g., meetings, group work, coffee breaks)
  • prepare for important conversations or meetings (what to say, what’s okay to ask, when to take a break)
  • set boundaries without over-explaining
  • shape an environment where others understand how you work, not just that you’re “different”
    The focus is on making it possible to be more yourself, with enough support and structure.
• 3. Sensory load and recovery
     Many with ASD live with constant sensory overload without fully tracking the energy cost. Coaching can help you:
  • identify your main sensory triggers (sound, light, smells, movement, touch)
  • plan so the most demanding environments are not back-to-back
  • create space for breaks and strategies to regulate your nervous system during the day
  • work with your surroundings (adjusting work or study setups to suit you better)

When you have both ADHD and ASD

Many people have traits of both. You might recognise:

• needing structure but struggling to create or follow it
• craving predictability yet acting impulsively when something feels “right now”
• deep interests but difficulty with long-term execution around them
  A coach who understands both ADHD and ASD will consider:
• how much structure is actually helpful
• how to protect your special interests as an energy source
• how to reduce clashes between spontaneity, rigidity, and external demands

How coaching works in practice

The setup varies, but often involves:

• Initial mapping: you share your daily life, background, and current challenges
• Goal-setting: you and your coach define 1–3 concrete areas to work on (e.g., studies, work, home, relationships)
• Regular sessions: often 45–60 minutes, online or in person
• Homework: small, realistic steps to test between sessions
• Review: what worked, what didn’t, and what needs adjusting right now

Is coaching for you?

Coaching can help if you:

• already have (or suspect) ADHD/ASD
• feel you “understand the problem” but still can’t make change happen
• want to work practically on daily life right now
• are willing to try new strategies even if they feel unfamiliar at first
  Coaching is not a substitute for assessment, medical treatment, or therapy, but for many it’s the missing piece that turns diagnosis and knowledge into lasting change. If this sounds familiar, the next step could be to book an intro session to see if coaching fits you. There you can describe your situation, ask questions, and decide together with your coach which setup would be most helpful.

Coaching and assessments across Sweden
Rikta Psychiatry offers digital coaching and assessments across Sweden plus in-person visits in Stockholm. Book a call so we can find the setup that suits you.