I'm currently reading Succeeding Against the Odds by Sally L. Smith. While the following quote refers to the learning disabled, it's not just the learning disabled who have this issue.
There is an eternal and largely fruitless hassle between parents and young people with learning disabilities over the messiness of their clothing and their rooms. People who can't visualize letters and numbers often can't visualize what is in bureau drawers. They don't need lectures. They need coping strategies. Shelves work better than drawers. They need to see where to put things, where to stack things, where to put things back. Their spaces need to be set up so that there is a visible place for everything.It always helps to realize that the person who can't keep things organized your way may simply need a different way, one that fits his or her personality and skills and limitations.