What is time blindness in ADHD? (And why your child is always late)
- Dr Harry Woodward
- Feb 16
- 4 min read
AI generated image
Many parents ask:
“Why does my child with ADHD have no sense of time?”
“Why are they always late?”
“Why don’t reminders work?”
One common reason is something called time blindness.
Let’s explain this in very simple terms.
What is time blindness?
Time blindness is a common ADHD trait.
It means a child struggles to:
Sense how much time has passed
Estimate how long something will take
Feel urgency before a deadline
Transition smoothly between activities
In simple terms:
They cannot feel time passing in the same way other people do.
For many children with ADHD, time feels like:
Now
Not now
There is very little in between.
So when you say:
“We’re leaving in ten minutes.”
They may genuinely not understand what ten minutes feels like.
This is not laziness.
It is not defiance.
It is not a lack of care.
It is how the ADHD brain processes time.
Why does ADHD affect time management?
ADHD affects something called executive function.
Executive function helps with:
Planning
Organisation
Task starting
Working memory
Time awareness
When executive function is weaker, children may:
Lose track of time
Start tasks too late
Rush at the last minute
Forget deadlines
Struggle with routines
Time management problems are a recognised feature of ADHD, highlighted in guidance from the NHS and NICE.
What does time blindness look like in children?
At home
Taking a long time to get ready
Forgetting steps in routines
Meltdowns when asked to stop something fun
Constantly running late
At school
Not finishing work on time
Forgetting homework deadlines
Starting tasks late
Rushing at the end
From the outside, this can look like poor organisation.
From the inside, it feels like:
“Wait… where did the time go?”
Why reminders don’t fix ADHD time problems
Many parents try:
“Hurry up!”
“You’ve got five minutes left!”
“Why are you always late?”
The difficulty is this:
Verbal reminders rely on an internal sense of time.
If a child cannot feel time passing, reminders create pressure — not awareness.
Over time, this can increase anxiety and reduce confidence.
How to help a child with time blindness
The goal is not to “teach urgency.”
The goal is to make time visible.
1. Use visual timers
Sand timers
Countdown clocks
Colour-changing timers
If time is invisible internally, make it visible externally.
2. Break tasks into small steps
Instead of:
“Get ready for school.”
Try:
Get dressed
Brush teeth
Shoes on
Clear start. Clear finish.
3. Build routines
Predictable routines reduce the need to judge time at all.
“This always happens next” is easier than “We’re running out of time.”
4. Use calm transition warnings
Instead of panic:
“Two minutes left — timer’s on.”
“When the timer ends, we switch.”
Regulated brains handle transitions better.
Does time blindness improve with age?
Often, yes.
Executive function skills continue developing into adolescence and early adulthood.
With the right support, many children improve their time management.
However, they may always benefit from:
Visual supports
Clear routines
External structure
And that is okay.
The bottom line
If your child with ADHD struggles with time, they are not careless.
They are not ignoring you.
They are not choosing to be slow.
They experience time differently.
When we understand that, mornings feel less like conflict and more like teamwork.
Even if you still occasionally leave without someone’s shoes.
Frequently Asked Questions: Time Blindness in ADHD
What is time blindness in ADHD?
Time blindness is when a child with ADHD struggles to sense time passing. They may not realise how long something takes, how long is left, or how close a deadline is.
Is time blindness a real ADHD symptom?
Time blindness is not a separate diagnosis, but it is a very common ADHD trait. It is linked to ADHD executive function difficulties, especially planning and time management.
Why do children with ADHD have no sense of time?
ADHD affects brain skills that help with planning, working memory, starting tasks, and switching tasks. If those skills are weaker, time feels less “real” and deadlines feel far away until they are suddenly here.
Why is my child with ADHD always late?
Many children with ADHD underestimate how long things take, get distracted, and struggle with transitions. They may genuinely not feel urgency until the last moment.
Why don’t reminders like “hurry up” work?
Because reminders rely on your child already being able to feel time passing. If time feels unclear, “hurry up” creates stress but doesn’t create time awareness.
What helps time blindness in ADHD?
Visual timers, clear routines, and breaking tasks into small steps help most. The goal is to make time visible and reduce overwhelm, not to punish lateness.
Do visual timers help children with ADHD?
Yes. Visual timers make time something a child can see, which is helpful when they can’t sense time internally. Many families find this reduces arguments and improves transitions.
Does time blindness improve with age?
Often, yes. Time skills can improve as executive function develops, especially with support. Many children still benefit from external tools like timers and routines.
Is time blindness the same as hyperfocus?
Not exactly, but they can link together. Hyperfocus can make a child lose track of time completely, which can make time blindness look worse.
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