Rescue Planner
Daily + Weekly + Protocols
For autism · ADHD · neurodivergent brains
Science-backed tools for the days your brain won't cooperate —
and a full 30-day planner for the days it will.
Full time-blocked daily pages
One for every stuck state
Evidence-based, neurodivergent-specific
For those supporting someone
Why This Works
of autistic individuals experience significant EF impairments
Advanced Therapy Clinic 2019
of autistic people also have ADHD symptoms, compounding EF deficits
Leitner 2014, PMC 8322145
EF domains most affected: initiation, working memory, inhibition, set-shifting
PMC 11485171, 2024
Why This Works — Continued
Task Initiation Tools
Based on behavioral activation, body doubling, and task decomposition — each targeting a different neurological mechanism for starting action.
Sensory Regulation
Sensory Integration Therapy protocols have Moderate GRADE evidence for self-regulation in autism (AJOT 2022).
Visual Support Framework
34+ peer-reviewed studies support visual schedules and checklists as clinically effective for autistic adults (PubMed 31451016).
Caregiver Co-Regulation
Family-implemented visual supports significantly improve quality of life and reduce autism-specific difficulties (PMC 10001844).
Start Here
mood · 3 tasks · start task
→ Daily Planner
One task per day only
→ Weekly Overview
Find your word. Pick Tool 1.
→ Go to Protocols
Read Step 1 only.
→ Emergency Reset
Immediate Relief
When you need relief immediately — start here. These tools require almost no thought. Pick the one that feels most doable right now.
Tool 1
Stand up. Move to a different physical location. Drink water. These three actions activate the body's arousal system and interrupt the freeze loop at a neurological level.
Physical state change is an effective pattern interrupt for task paralysis in ADHD/ASD (Sachs Center, 2025)
Tool 2
Write the task in exactly one sentence. Not the full project — just what you were trying to do next. Reduces cognitive load to a single manageable item.
Task simplification to single action reduces initiation barrier in EF research (Sachs Center, 2025)
Tool 3
Work in the same space as another person — physically or virtually. Their presence activates accountability without social demand.
Body doubling significantly increases task completion in ADHD (Sachs Center, 2025)
Tool 4
Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. Activates sensory present-moment focus and interrupts anxiety spiral.
Grounding techniques are first-line intervention for anxiety and freeze states (Baker Center, 2024)
Tool 5
Say or write: 'I am allowed to do only this one thing right now. Nothing else is required of me in this moment.' Removes the all-or-nothing demand that creates paralysis.
Self-compassion and permission-based approaches reduce EF demand in autism/ADHD (Advanced Therapy Clinic, 2025)
Tool 6
Move to a completely different environment. Different light, noise level, or physical space. The novel environment triggers orienting response and can break the stuck loop.
Environmental novelty activates dopaminergic orienting response (Sachs Center, 2025)
External Structure — Checklists
External structure replaces the internal executive function your brain struggles to provide. Zero mental effort required.
Tool 1
A word-for-word sentence to say every morning to orient your brain to the day.
Consistent verbal scripts reduce decision load and support routine initiation in autism (Advanced Therapy Clinic, 2025)
Tool 2
When frozen, answer only these three questions: What am I trying to do? What is stopping me? What is the one smallest action I could take?
Structured prompting reduces EF demand at stuck points — evidence-based for ADHD/ASD (Baker Center, 2024)
Tool 3
Break any task into exactly 3 micro-steps. Write them numbered. Do only Step 1. The rest can wait.
Task decomposition is one of the strongest EF interventions for autism and ADHD (PMC 6287280)
Tool 4
Set a visible timer for 10 minutes. Work only until it goes off. No expectations beyond the timer. This removes the open-ended demand that makes starting feel impossible.
Time-boxing is among the top evidence-based strategies for adult ADHD (Sachs Center, 2026)
Tool 5
Write today's sequence as a strip of boxes: one box = one task. Check each box as you finish. Visual progress replaces the internal tracking your working memory cannot sustain.
34+ studies support visual schedules as clinically effective for autistic adults (PubMed 31451016)
Tool 6
Every evening, write three things: what you did, what you didn't do (without judgment), and the single most important thing for tomorrow.
Bad Day Toolkit + Context-Specific Tools
Sometimes even the planner feels overwhelming. These tools require the absolute minimum to start.
Bad Day — Tool 1
On any bad day, only 3 things matter: water, food, and one tiny task. That is the entire day's goal. Not productivity — survival and one small win.
Bad Day — Tool 2
Commit only to 5 minutes. Not the task — just 5 minutes of attempting it. The brain can almost always commit to 5 minutes.
5-minute task commitment reduces the initiation-demand significantly (Sachs Center, 2025)
At Work — Tool 1
At the start of each work day, write only: one must-do, one should-do, and one nice-to-do. Three items max. No full task list.
At Work — Tool 2
After any meeting, take 5 minutes only: write one action, one deadline, one person to follow up with. Do this immediately after the meeting ends.
At Home — Tool 1
Attach new habits to existing anchors — things you already do automatically. After I make coffee, I will ___. The existing habit provides the initiation cue.
Habit stacking using implementation intentions — strongly evidence-based for ADHD/ASD routine building (Sachs Center, 2025)
While Caregiving — Tool 1
Write the absolute minimum caregiving tasks that must happen today — not all the things you do, just the non-negotiable floor.
Caregiver task prioritization reduces burnout (PMC 10001844)
Know Yourself First
Rate each area 1–5 on a typical week. 1 = very hard for me · 5 = mostly okay.
My lowest-rated areas (circle 1–2): These tell you which protocols to go to first when stuck.
Personalisation
Best Time for Hard Tasks
Most Common Stuck State
What Helps Me Most
What Makes It Worse
External Structure — Pre-Made
Morning Routine
Evening Routine
Leaving the House
Medication / Self-Care
Daily Planner
Time Blocks
3 Tasks (Max)
2-Min Start Task
Do this first — before anything else
My One Win Will Be
If Stuck — Protocol
Daily Planners
The full planner contains 30 daily planner pages — one for each day. Each page has the same structure: Mood · Energy · Sleep · Sensory trackers, time blocks 7am–6pm, 3-task panel, 2-min start task, one-win, and protocol selector with checkboxes.
Weekly Overview
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
This Week's Focus
Non-Negotiables
What to Drop
End of Week
The Reset Protocol System
Nine protocols. Each has 5–6 different tools. Find the word that matches how you feel right now — then go to that protocol.
Can't start · Paralysed
Scrolling · Can't make yourself
Too much · Can't prioritise
Slow · Fuzzy · Zombie mode
Too much input · Meltdown edge
Plans changed · Can't recover
Flooded · Can't think clearly
Forgot · Lost track
Can't switch · Stuck on last thing
Protocol 01
Tool 1
Stand up. Move to a new location. Drink water. Physical state change is the fastest neurological pattern interrupt available without medication.
Do This
Tool 2
Say the task out loud: I am going to ___. Hearing yourself say it engages auditory processing and external commitment simultaneously.
Verbal self-instruction is evidence-based for initiation in ADHD (Baker Center, 2024)
Tool 3
Tell yourself you will do only 2 minutes. Set a timer. You are allowed to stop after 2 minutes. Many people continue. Some do not. Both are fine.
Tool 4
Get a person nearby — in the room, on a call, or in a co-working video session. Their presence activates accountability without social demand.
Body doubling significantly increases task initiation and completion (Sachs Center, 2025)
Tool 5
Identify the single smallest physical action that would count as starting. Not write the report — open the document.
Protocols 02 – 09
Protocol 02 — Avoiding
Avoidance is not a character flaw — it is a neurological prediction. Say: "I am avoiding ___ because ___." Then ask: what is the absolute least I could do and call it started?
Protocol 03 — Overwhelmed
Write everything in your head onto one page — no sorting. Circle ONE item. Sort remainder into: Urgent today / Important not today / Can wait.
Protocol 04 — Brain Fog
Before anything cognitive: water, food, light, movement. Brain fog is physiological — not motivational. Pushing through worsens the state.
Protocol 05 — Sensory Overload
Leave the sensory environment immediately. Know your zone: Green (regulated) · Yellow (tiring, reduce input now) · Red (exit now). Have a pre-planned low-sensory space ready.
Protocol 06 — Routine Disruption
Identify 1–3 tasks still possible. Write the new plan physically. Name the feeling — disruption is genuinely distressing for autistic brains.
Protocol 07 — Emotional Dysregulation
Double inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth. Name the emotion once. Physiological regulation must come before cognitive strategies.
Protocol 08 — Working Memory Failure
The moment a thought enters your mind — capture it immediately. Everything goes in ONE place. After instructions: "So I need to ___." Then write it.
Protocol 09 — Transitions
Set 15-min, 10-min, and 5-min warnings before any transition. Create a consistent 2-minute closing ritual. Never schedule activities back-to-back.
For Caregivers
The person you care for did not choose executive dysfunction. Understanding the neuroscience changes how you respond.
| What you see | What's actually happening |
|---|---|
| Not starting | Not laziness — neurology |
| Scrolling instead | Seeking easier dopamine |
| Meltdown | Prefrontal cortex offline |
| Forgetting | Memory limit, not choice |
| Refusing to stop | Set-shifting is painful |
Caregiver Self-Care — Burnout Check
You are allowed to have limits. You are allowed to need support. You are not less of a caregiver for having needs.
Track Your 30 Days
Colour or tick each day you used the planner. At the end of 30 days, you will see what actually works for you.
Most Used Protocol
Tool That Helped Most
Pattern I Noticed
Emergency
You are completely shut down.
You only need to read Step 1. Step 1 is enough.
Step 1
You are safe right now.
This is temporary.
You have survived every hard day.
That is enough.
Step 2 — Only if you are ready
Drink water. Sit somewhere comfortable.
Take 3 slow breaths. That is Step 2 done.
Step 3 — Only if Step 2 is done
Name one thing you need. Not a task — a need.
Quiet. Food. Someone nearby. Nothing.