Teaching Life as a System: The Structured Life Systems Method for Neurodivergent Learners

This methodological paper provides a shortened overview of the Structured Life Systems Method (SLSM), an educational framework for structured life-skills instruction and functional autonomy among neurodivergent learners. The Structured Life Systems Method (SLSM) is an educational framework developed to support structured functional autonomy in neurodivergent adolescents and adults who require low-to-moderate levels of cognitive and functional support. The method is based on the premise that everyday life systems can be taught through explicit structure, staged progression, guided practice, repetition with variation, and scenario-based learning. Drawing on principles associated with executive functioning, working memory, adult learning, and structured pedagogy, SLSM presents practical life domains, such as financial decision-making, transportation, safety, planning, and independent living, as teachable systems. The method is not designed as preparation for higher education or university-level academic study; rather, it supports functional learning, practical decision-making, and structured participation in everyday contexts. It does not function as a clinical intervention; rather, it offers an educational architecture for helping learners organize information, compare options, rehearse decisions, and transfer structured thinking into real-life situations.