Matthew works with Autistic and ADHD adults who need practical assistance with tasks that are difficult to initiate, organise or complete independently.
His work can include life administration, paperwork, phone calls, household tasks, planning and organisation, and virtual body doubling. The focus is on completing the task or establishing the practical support needed to make it more manageable.
How does Matthew work?
Matthew’s support begins with what needs to get done. Sometimes the difficulty is knowing where to begin. In other situations, the steps are already clear, but initiation, working memory, decision-making or maintaining attention make it difficult to carry them through.
Matthew works alongside the person to reduce those demands. He might break a larger task into workable steps or keep track of what has already been completed. He can also provide body doubling while the person works or help establish an external system for something that has been difficult to manage consistently.
The amount of support can change according to the task. Some things require active problem-solving together. Others mainly require another person to remain present while the client completes something they have been unable to start alone.
What are sessions with Matthew like?
Sessions are practical and usually involve working on something during the appointment. A client might use the time to deal with an accumulated inbox, complete paperwork, make phone calls or organise a task that has become overwhelming. Matthew can also remain online while the client cleans, prepares food or completes another activity.
There is no requirement to turn the session into a conversation when conversation is not what is needed. Body doubling can involve working quietly with another person present, while other appointments involve considerably more discussion and problem-solving.
Matthew can also help develop systems for recurring demands such as planning, budgeting or remembering important tasks. The aim is to reduce how much the person has to organise and remember internally, then adjust the system according to what happens when it is used in everyday life.
Qualifications and background
Matthew is a graduate psychology student and also works as a behaviour practitioner. This gives him additional experience in understanding the factors that affect day-to-day functioning and the kinds of supports that can make tasks more manageable.
Before moving into psychology and behaviour work, Matthew worked in senior management. That background included simplifying complex systems and processes, which now carries into the practical work he does with Mindkit clients.
