The Getting Out
the Door Game
Real scenarios. Real strategies. Practice recognizing what's happening — and what to do next.
10 scenarios · 4 strategies each · select any order
Choose a Scenario
TeenScenario Title
All Done!
You've worked through all 10 scenarios. Nice work.
What Is Backward Planning — and Why Does It Work for ADHD?
Backward planning means starting with the time you need to leave — not the time you need to arrive — and working backwards from there. For ADHD brains, time blindness makes forward planning unreliable. You estimate how long things take and almost always get it wrong. Backward planning replaces estimation with anchored checkpoints: real times attached to real tasks, written down externally so your brain doesn't have to hold them.
The 4 Strategies This Game Teaches
-
1Notice the signs you're "doing it again" — the specific words (always, never, I'll just) and physical cues that show up right before you get derailed.
-
2Physically change your position or location — interrupting the habit loop before it has momentum by moving your body to a different space.
-
3Backward plan from your deadline — identify your absolute latest leave time, add a buffer, then map the big checkpoints backwards from there.
-
4Use externalized visuals — a sticky note, whiteboard, or timer placed where you'll actually see it during the routine. The system lives outside your head.
ADHD and Getting Out the Door: 10 Common Patterns
The game covers the most common exit-blocking patterns for ADHD brains — each with a teen version and an adult version, realistic times, thought patterns, and a backward plan built from scratch.
Who This Is For
Can be used independently as a self-guided practice tool, or alongside a provider as a session activity. Grounded in behavioral coaching practice and neurodiversity-affirming principles.