Occupations are the activities that people do every day to give their life
meaning and purpose. Occupations include the things people need to do, want to do and are expected to do. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are occupations or tasks that a person carries out on a daily basis that are essential to their overall health and well-being.

Activities of daily living can fall into three categories:

Self-care – which includes getting washed and dressed, sleeping, preparing meals and eating.
Leisure – which includes participating in hobbies and pursuing interests.
Productivity – which includes completing domestic tasks, attending work
meetings, and paying bills.

Occupational Therapists will help a person focus on tasks that they can do as well as those that they are struggling with. Using a strengths-based approach, the person and their therapist can identify strategies which can be used to maximise the individual’s independence.

Activities of Daily living are an essential part of our lives and include basic tasks such as personal hygiene, eating and drinking, dressing and more complex tasks such as managing finances and meal preparation.

Sometimes, these tasks can be complex for people who are neurodivergent as they may struggle with initiating, planning or sequencing tasks (executive functioning).

Being neurodivergent can affect how a person carries out their daily activities, for example, struggling with planning tasks and requiring reminders or visual cues. Some people may have sensory difficulties, making it harder to complete basic self-care tasks; for example, brushing their teeth or washing their hair.
Furthermore, problems with executive functioning can make performing these activities much harder.

Occupational Therapists can help by assessing a person’s skills and level of independence and making suggestions regarding strategies to put in place to help a person increase their independence in daily living activities.