Autistic people can have difficulty following instructions to carry out a task correctly. This is often because they find the instructions confusing. They may be clever and competent, but struggle to understand ‘common sense’ and may not interpret communication in the same way as neurotypical people. They may also care greatly about and rely upon understanding details that many neurotypical people wouldn’t worry about!
When carrying out a task for the first time, these challenges may cause an autistic person to experience a high level of anxiety. This is because they are unsure about what they need to do. In addition, they may make mistakes because of a misunderstanding.
However, when instructions are clear and thorough, an autistic person can be exceptionally good at achieving a task! Here are some suggestions for first-time task success:
