Assessor's justification guide: Anxiety, Autism & ADHD (Workplace)
Writing justifications for the workplace
This page is designed to support you when writing needs assessments for Brain in Hand.
It lists common challenges and explains how Brain in Hand can help.
Each section includes a ready-to-use justification written in a neutral, assessor-friendly style. You can copy and paste these justifications directly into your report and adapt the wording to suit the individual’s circumstances if needed.
These justifications were developed in collaboration with an experienced former needs assessor to ensure they align with the language and structure typically required
| Need or barrier | Impact on studies | Justification for how Brain in Hand assists with the need or barrier |
Anxiety |
Difficulty concentrating or staying focused on tasks. Overthinking decisions, leading to delays or avoidance. Feeling overwhelmed by changes in routine or workload. Physical symptoms (e.g., tension, nausea) that interfere with productivity. Trouble prioritising tasks or managing time effectively. Avoiding new responsibilities due to fear of making mistakes. |
Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational tool that helps users plan their day, stay organised and manage workplace anxiety. Should NAME experience difficulty concentrating, feel overwhelmed by changes, or overthink decisions, Brain in Hand’s combination of 1:1 coaching and digital tools can offer structured support. In coaching sessions, a specialist coach will work with NAME to break down obstacles, set personalised goals, and build coping strategies tailored to their needs. These strategies including task breakdowns, prompts, and routines can then be implemented via the app, helping reduce cognitive load and increase day-to-day stability. On-demand support is available 24/7, meaning NAME can reach out anytime for guidance or a reset during moments of heightened anxiety. |
Anxiety and overwhelm |
Increased anxiety in response to changes in routine. Difficulty managing multiple tasks. Reduced ability to recall and apply coping strategies in the moment. Experiences periods of stress and panic. |
NAME experiences increased anxiety in response to changes in routine and difficulty managing multiple tasks. They can become overwhelmed by unexpected demands, social interactions, sensory overload or workload pressure, which reduces their ability to recall and apply coping strategies in the moment and may lead to periods of stress or panic.
Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It provides a personalised space to plan and practise coping strategies, receive prompts and reminders to use these techniques, and maintain structured routines that reduce anxiety and stress. The check-in feature allows NAME to monitor mood, notice when anxiety is rising and access pre-planned strategies quickly. If NAME becomes overwhelmed, they can discreetly request immediate help through the life-ring function for rapid support. Regular coaching sessions help NAME understand triggers, build personalised strategies and keep these tools up to date for use during challenging work situations.
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Burnout |
Persistent fatigue that makes sustaining focus difficult. Reduced motivation or engagement with work tasks. Difficulty keeping up with workload due to exhaustion. Emotional detachment or irritability with colleagues. Cognitive fatigue, making problem-solving or memory tasks harder. Increased absenteeism or difficulty maintaining consistent routines. |
Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational tool that helps users recognise, manage and prevent burnout through coaching, structured routines, and on-demand support. Should NAME experience fatigue, loss of motivation, or difficulty sustaining work demands, Brain in Hand can help by working with a coach to build balanced, sustainable routines. In coaching sessions, NAME and their coach define manageable workloads, set realistic goals, and integrate regular rest or recovery periods into their schedule. The app supports these routines with reminders, to-do lists, and mood tracking, helping NAME monitor wellbeing and workload. On-demand support (available 24/7) offers timely encouragement or guidance if stress or overwhelm reappears. Over time, this support helps NAME maintain healthier habits and avoid relapse into burnout.
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Decision making and planning |
Difficulty planning and executing tasks. Difficulty prioritising tasks and staying focused on goals. |
NAME experiences difficulty planning and executing work tasks. They may find it hard to decide what to focus on, prioritise activities and stay on track toward goals, which can lead to delays and increased stress. |
Difficulties with social interaction and communication |
Colleague struggles with reading nonverbal cues, interpreting indirect language, or understanding small talk. Misunderstandings arise in meetings or during casual interactions. Colleague finds it hard to express their needs or ask for help. |
Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees develop strategies for communication, build confidence in social situations, and manage anxiety around workplace interactions. Within the app, NAME can prepare for upcoming meetings or conversations using custom solution packs that include step-by-step guidance, reminders, and example phrases to support effective communication. These prompts can help NAME anticipate common scenarios, such as team discussions or feedback sessions, and reduce uncertainty about social expectations. Coaching sessions provide a safe space to explore specific challenges, practice communication techniques, and create personalised strategies to manage anxiety or misunderstandings. Over time, this support helps NAME build stronger working relationships, express needs clearly, and participate more confidently in team environments. |
Emotional dysregulation |
Struggles to maintain emotional regulation. Struggles with relationship management and social interaction. Reduced attendance at work. |
NAME experiences difficulty maintaining emotional regulation at work. They may struggle with relationship management or social interaction and can feel overwhelmed or anxious when situations become challenging. At times this has affected their ability to remain engaged and attend work consistently. Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees recognise and respond to changes in mood before they escalate. Using the check-in feature, NAME can record how they are feeling throughout the day and flag when anxiety or overwhelm is rising. When early signs appear, the app provides immediate access to pre-planned coping strategies and practical actions to help regain control. If NAME indicates high distress, they can discreetly request in-the-moment human support for guidance in managing the situation. Regular coaching sessions help NAME understand emotional triggers, refine coping strategies and build confidence in applying them during challenging workplace interactions, supporting consistent attendance and wellbeing. |
Establishing and maintaining routines |
Colleague struggles with disruptions to established schedules, such as sudden changes in workload, meeting times or location. Struggles with a lack of structure in fast-moving situations. |
Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees create and sustain structure, manage changes, and stay focused throughout the working day. Within the app, NAME can plan daily tasks in smaller, manageable steps with reminders and checklists to support task completion. Customisable schedules and prompts help maintain focus and reduce overwhelm when routines are disrupted. Coaching sessions guide NAME to establish effective routines, identify triggers for stress when plans change, and develop strategies to adapt to unexpected demands. Over time, this combined support helps NAME maintain consistency, respond flexibly to change, and build confidence in managing workload independently. |
Executive function |
Reduced independence. Lack of self-management. |
NAME finds it challenging to self-manage workload and maintain consistency without additional support. They may struggle to plan and organise tasks, remember strategies when pressure increases and stay on top of competing priorities, which can affect productivity, confidence and the ability to work autonomously. Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees develop self-management skills while keeping a safety net of support when challenges arise. Within the app, NAME can break work into clear, manageable steps, plan tasks across the day and set reminders and prompts to stay on track. Personalised solution packs store strategies for common workplace difficulties so they are available at the point of need. Regular coaching sessions help NAME reflect on what is working, build confidence in applying strategies consistently and gradually increase autonomy while knowing support is available if required. |
Fear of new or unfamiliar situations and environments |
Colleague struggles with changes such as moving desks, adjusting to new software, or starting a new project. Fear of change leads to avoidance, hesitation, or decreased engagement in work tasks. Sensory sensitivities, like unexpected noises or crowded spaces, exacerbate fear and disruption. |
Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees prepare for and manage anxiety linked to new or unfamiliar work situations. Within the app, NAME can create step-by-step plans for upcoming changes, such as setting up a new workspace or preparing for new tasks. Visual checklists, reminders, and coping strategies can be added to help NAME anticipate what will happen and reduce uncertainty. If NAME feels anxious or overwhelmed during an unexpected change, they can use Brain in Hand’s on-demand support feature to receive timely reassurance and guidance to help them regulate emotions and return to focus. Coaching sessions support NAME to explore specific triggers around change, develop personalised coping techniques, and build confidence in managing new experiences. Over time, this combined support helps NAME approach workplace change more calmly, sustain engagement, and adapt successfully to new environments and demands. |
Memory |
Difficulty remembering things. Difficulty planning and with time management. |
NAME experiences difficulty remembering tasks, deadlines and key work commitments. They may lose track of meetings, project milestones or the steps needed to complete work, which can affect organisation, time management and overall productivity. Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees plan, remember and act on important tasks throughout the working day. The app includes a built-in diary and calendar where NAME can schedule meetings, deadlines and independent work time, supported by prompts and reminders to stay on track. To-do lists and task breakdowns make larger projects more manageable and reduce the risk of forgetting key steps. Personalised strategies and notes can be added to tasks or events so practical support is available exactly when it’s needed. Coaching sessions help NAME set up and maintain these tools effectively, review what is working and build reliable planning and memory strategies for work. |
Motivation |
Struggles with task initiation or task completion. Workload overwhelm. Perfectionism. |
NAME struggles with task initiation and completion at work. They may feel overwhelmed by workload, delay starting tasks, or avoid work when motivation is low. |
Organisation |
Difficulty prioritising workload. Issues with planning and organising their day, especially when feeling fatigued or struggling with focus. Planning. Time management. Breaking down tasks. |
NAME experiences difficulty prioritising workload and planning the day, particularly when fatigued or struggling to maintain focus. They may find it hard to break work into manageable steps, use time efficiently and keep track of competing tasks, which can lead to missed deadlines and increased stress. Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees plan, organise and maintain effective work routines. The app’s diary and task-planning tools allow NAME to break complex work into clear, actionable steps and schedule these across the day. Custom prompts and reminders support time management by signalling when to start or move on to the next task, helping maintain structure even during low focus or fatigue. NAME can also pre-plan solutions for common organisational challenges so strategies are ready when difficulties arise. Interactions with the app are logged and can be reviewed independently or during coaching sessions to reflect on progress and adjust routines for better productivity. |
Performance anxiety |
Procrastinating on tasks due to fear they won’t meet expectations. Over checking or redoing work, leading to inefficiency. Difficulty performing under pressure, such as in deadlines or evaluations. Avoiding tasks that require presenting or public speaking. Intense worry about feedback or performance reviews. Physical symptoms (e.g., shaking, sweating) during high-stakes tasks. | Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational tool that helps users manage performance anxiety at work by combining structured coaching with adaptive digital supports. If NAME tends to procrastinate, overthink tasks or struggle under pressure (e.g., deadlines or high-stakes tasks), Brain in Hand enables them to break assignments into smaller, manageable steps with guidance from their personal coach. During 1:1 sessions, the coach helps NAME build coping strategies for stress, create realistic work plans, and develop preparation routines for tasks or evaluations. The app then delivers reminders, prompts, and step-by-step plans to help NAME stay on track and manage workload without becoming overwhelmed. This structure and ongoing support can improve productivity, reduce anxiety around performance and increase confidence over time. |
Poor memory retention / working memory |
Employee finds it challenging to keep track of multiple tasks, remember instructions, or recall details during fast-paced interactions. Colleague forgets deadlines, misplaces documents or struggles to follow complex multi-step instructions. Cognitive overload occurs when juggling too many responsibilities at once. |
Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational app that helps users plan their day, stay organised and manage challenges linked to memory and working memory. Within the app, NAME can break tasks into smaller, clear steps with notes or checklists to support task completion without relying solely on memory. Reminders and prompts can be scheduled to review meeting actions, follow up on tasks, or prepare for upcoming deadlines. Calendar events help keep track of key dates and responsibilities, reducing the risk of missed actions. Quick-reference solution packs can store key processes or procedures so NAME can easily revisit them when needed. Coaching sessions provide support in developing practical memory strategies, building routines for reviewing information, and reducing stress linked to cognitive overload. Over time, this combined support helps NAME work more efficiently, complete tasks accurately, and maintain confidence in managing multiple responsibilities. |
Procrastination / distraction |
Loss of time. Struggles to maintain concentration. Becomes distracted when not in the right environment. Can be linked to RSD and loss of focus and motivation. |
Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational tool that helps users stay on task and use study time effectively. When NAME loses time to procrastination or becomes distracted — especially in less structured or distracting environments — tasks may remain unfinished and deadlines can be missed. Brain in Hand enables NAME to break larger goals into smaller, manageable steps and schedule them into a clear daily timetable. Reminders and prompts keep work moving by signalling when to start or return to a task if focus drifts. Customisable solution packs can offer quick ideas for managing distractions, such as strategies to reduce environmental interruptions or regain concentration after a lapse. The Brain in Hand package includes coaching sessions to support with both setup and use of the application. |
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) |
Struggles receiving feedback, especially constructive feedback. Is sent off-centre by non-positive feedback. Feelings of self-doubt. Leads to withdrawal. Feels demotivated after receiving feedback. Leads to difficulties with task initiation and procrastination. Has difficulty working on group projects or in discussions if their ideas are debated, disagreed with or not taken forward. |
Brain in Hand is a digital coaching platform combining a personalised app with regular sessions from a specialist coach. It helps employees manage strong emotional reactions to feedback or perceived rejection. When NAME finds constructive feedback or disagreement difficult — leading to self-doubt, withdrawal, procrastination and loss of motivation — study progress can stall. Brain in Hand’s check-in feature allows NAME to record mood and tag trigger points when feedback feels challenging. Personalised solution packs can be created so that when NAME reports feeling rejected or low, immediate coping strategies and resources are available to rebuild confidence and re-engage with tasks. The app also prompts regular mood check-ins to support early self-awareness. If NAME becomes highly distressed, the life ring provides 24/7 on-demand human support. |
Social anxiety |
Anxiety when interacting with colleagues, managers, or clients. Avoiding meetings, group discussions, or collaborative tasks. Difficulty asking for help or clarification. Fear of being judged, leading to withdrawal or isolation. Avoiding social or networking events that could support career progress. Stress in unfamiliar workplace environments or crowded spaces. |
Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational tool that helps users manage social anxiety in the workplace through both coaching and practical digital support. Should NAME feel anxious about interacting with colleagues, avoid meetings, or struggle to ask for help, Brain in Hand’s custom solution packs and coaching sessions can help prepare them for social interactions. In 1:1 sessions, a trained coach helps NAME identify social challenges, set manageable goals, and build confidence perhaps using scripts, conversation prompts, or social-interaction strategies. These supports are stored in the app, so NAME has easy access to them before meetings or stressful social situations. The 24/7 on-demand support means help is available whenever unexpected social stress arises, reducing isolation and supporting sustained engagement at work. |
Task switching / hyperfocus |
Struggles to manage a busy workload. Has difficulty when there are conflicting priorities or deadlines close together. Throws themselves into one task and finds it hard to leave it or pick another task up. Feels exhausted. Once thrown out of their flow, finds it hard to get back into it. |
Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational tool that helps users balance competing priorities and move between tasks effectively. When NAME becomes absorbed in one piece of work and struggles to switch tasks — especially when deadlines are close together — other priorities can be missed and workload can feel overwhelming. Brain in Hand allows NAME to create a clear daily timetable with realistic time blocks for each task or subject. Prompts and reminders signal when it is time to pause or move on, helping prevent over-focusing on one activity and supporting balanced progress across tasks. Tasks can include notes about what to do when returning later, making it easier to re-enter work after an interruption or break. The Brain in Hand package includes coaching sessions to support with both setup and use of the application. |
Time blindness / time keeping |
Losing track of time. Missing lectures due to being focused on something else. Spending too much time on one task. Getting heavily involved in tasks without being conscious of the time they’re spending. Not leaving time for other tasks than the one they’re working on. Can lead to burnout as the student doesn’t realise how much time they’ve spent. |
Brain in Hand is a digital self-management and organisational tool that helps users stay aware of time and balance study sessions effectively. When NAME loses track of time — for example, spending too long on one task, missing lectures or failing to leave time for other priorities — important work can be delayed and stress or burnout may follow. Brain in Hand enables NAME to create a clear daily timetable with realistic time blocks for each activity, including travel time where needed. Reminders prompt NAME when to start, pause or move on, helping prevent over-focusing on a single task and keeping study time balanced. Tasks can include short notes on what to do next so NAME can quickly refocus after stopping. The Brain in Hand package includes coaching sessions to support with both setup and use of the application. |