How Does Cozi Help Neurodiverse People and People With Disabilities?

Apr 12, 2023 | Blog, Tips & How Tos

Cozi helps families manage and remember calendar events and lists—and this can provide major benefits for those who are neurodivergent or who have disabilities.

We asked Cozi families with neurodivergence and/or disabilities a few questions:

How has Cozi helped you?
Can you describe how Cozi makes you feel?

They offered some tremendous insights into how the app is helpful for these situations, and we wanted to share their perspectives.

Remember what’s coming up—and what already happened

It can be unsettling and disorienting when you don’t know what’s coming up next, and it’s a relief when it’s easy to check.

This works both for looking backwards to remember past events and looking forward to future events:

I was a pedestrian hit by a car & have a traumatic brain injury. Cozi helps me know from day to day where my husband is going & what we have for the day. It also helps me remember what I did a few days ago.

One person suffering from long COVID-19 also found Cozi to be a useful memory aid:

Cozi is my new memory. I rely on it every day. It means my family don’t have to keep telling me what is happening each day with them or me. I just look at Cozi and I don’t struggle to think or plan for any Dr appointments. My Cozi friend keeps me right.

Feeling safe and secure

If you struggle to stay organized in traditional ways, this can cause stress or even a sense that you’ve lost control of the day. Cozi keeps everything in order for you, which can help you feel secure instead of stressed. Whatever you need to keep track of, it’s in one spot that you always carry with you.

My wife and I both have ADHD, and my son and wife have autism. We use Cozi for our grocery lists, to-do lists for task management, and all scheduling for appointments, work schedules, and special events, e.g. parties we’re hosting or trips we’re taking. We have also used it to remind us for medications because of the notifications the app can send.

For me, it helps me feel safe that I know what is happening and when and that it is in a central place where all members of the family can keep track.

No more missed appointments

The more appointments you have, the harder it is to keep your schedule straight. Cozi makes it simple and even sends you customizable reminders (see the last section of this article.)

We use Cozi to keep track of ALL of our appointments. I have a son with autism, a daughter with severe anxiety, and a husband on disability. Two months ago my daughter and husband FINALLY agreed to use Cozi for all of the doctor and counselor appointments. We now even use it for grocery and to-do lists.

Feeling confident

If you’re full of thoughts and ideas, it can be comforting to know you don’t have to reserve brain space for memorizing your schedule, tasks, or shopping list. With Cozi, you don’t have to wonder if something slipped through the cracks.

When my brain is thinking about dozens of different things concurrently or in rapid fire it’s easy to forget or misremember appointments. Cozi sharing the task of maintaining the entire family calendar reaffirms I haven’t forgotten something. [I feel] more confident that everything is showing on my calendar instead of worried I missed something.

Conserving energy

This works two ways. First, you don’t have to devote mental energy to keeping track of your schedule or remembering what you have to do today. Second, gaining control over your calendar can help you create a schedule that works for you. Here’s a creative idea for how to do this with Cozi:

I use Cozi just for myself, with different types of tasks as “family members”, e.g., “Errands”, “College”, “Social”. This allows me to plan ahead for what energy level I need to use for any one event, and helps me not over-book myself. For reference, I have Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Staying connected to your partner

There’s nothing like miscommunication or missed expectations to unsettle a relationship—but it can be complicated if your and your partner’s brains work in different ways. Keeping your calendars and lists in the same spot helps you and your partner stay on the same page as you move through life together.

It helps to add things to a list right away when I realize I need them because I can be forgetful due to ADHD. It is also nice to have my partner be able to see what we need without me having to remember to text him. He can open up the app on the way home & see everything right there.

We also work freelance so being able to have a shared calendar knowing who is working where on what day is very helpful!

[Cozi makes me feel] organized! It also makes me feel more connected with my partner.

Or, put another way:

Having it all in Cozi also helps prevent miscommunication – no more “I told you I was going out with the guys on Friday” and “no you didn’t”.

Cozi Feature: Customize your notifications

If phone notifications cause you anxiety, it might help to customize them. When you’re creating an event, you can choose to set a reminder at 0, 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes before the event. If you have Cozi Gold, you can set up to three reminders at any of those times.

Cozi also has a unique notification sound, so it will stand out instead of getting lost in an array of noises.

We know life can be complicated, but Cozi has your back.

If you’re a caregiver or parent of a neurodivergent family member or a family member with a disability, you might be interested in the ways that other Cozi families have found the app helpful in managing both of these. Read the article here: “How Cozi helps parents of neurodivergent kids and kids with disabilities.”

Cozi Family Organizer is the must-have app for busy families - easy to use and free in the app store. You'll wonder how you managed your busy life before Cozi. Get Cozi today!