Helping ADHD Kids Organize for School

By Kerrie McLoughlin

If you have a child with ADHD, you witness their normal daily struggles. School poses even more challenges when a child is trying to juggle staying organized, getting homework done, keeping track of permission slips, keeping up with hygiene, activities, etc. PsychCentral.com says, “… ADHD affects the very skills that are required for success in school. Kids with ADHD have difficulty getting started, prioritizing, planning, managing their time and emotions, staying on task and focusing... It’s the nature of the disorder, which impairs the executive functions of the brain.” So where do you start when it’s time to head back to school?

Start with a massive cleaning session to clear out the clutter from last school year. Clear out the backpack, the closet, the bookshelves. Put regular (monthly) cleaning sessions on the calendar to keep up with the paper monster.

Your child won’t keep up with any system they didn’t help to create themselves. One mom of three shared, “… your kid needs to do what works for them--they should be the one to come up with an organizational method.”

“One helpful tip a teacher told me (and has worked) is less is more. I got my son all these binders with tabs, but she said one simple folder is sometimes more helpful,” says a mom who wishes to remain anonymous.

Dr. Lisa Adams, Ph.D. and school psychologist for 10 years, suggests, “Depending on age, organize and color code binders. Use the same color for all math, etc.” Choose colored binders with clear front/side areas for clear labeling. Staples has a great line of colored 2-inch binders with a large attached pocket in the front cover with customizable front and sides.

A spot designated just for doing homework and nothing else is key. No phones or other distractions are allowed. Start with the most difficult subjects first, and take frequent activity breaks. Dana Baker-Williams, mom of X, says, “She and I would set up a quiet place for her to study and set a schedule for homework. She had pens that she could use on her mirror closet doors to write out assignments and due dates. Then she could prioritize better. We’d also break assignments into more bite-size pieces if they were large or long projects.”

Dr. Adams adds, “Develop a system of retrieving assignments, a time for doing them, a time for turning them in. Provide continuous parent oversight until system is learned.”

If you still need a helping hand, check out the various tutoring services found on our site so your child can catch up, stay on track, or get ahead (https://www.fredericksburgparent.net/guides/tutoring-services).

You can help make school more exciting for your ADHD kid by teaching them organization skills, working with teachers for long-term success throughout the coming school year and beyond. These are skills they can use their whole lives to help them out in college, jobs, and relationships as well. ✷

Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow. com) is a 40-something ADD writer and homeschooling mom of 5 surviving AND thriving.

• WORK THAT PLANNER! Commit to 15 minutes each morning to prepare for the day and 15 minutes at night reviewing and thinking about what could have gone differently. Rebelling against the planner is normal; create rewards for sticking with it. (There are a zillion different planners, so review a bunch on YouTube first.)

• DO THINGS IN SMALL CHUNKS.

Instead of sitting down until you are done with All. The. Math.

Homework… try setting a timer for 15-20 minutes and then get up to move around and come back to it. Just don’t wander too far!

• NO PAPER EXPLOSIONS. Keep a small notebook with you and transfer the little jots over to that

ONE SPOT (the perfect planner)

in a timely manner. This goes for notes created on phone apps as well. If reminders aren’t put in the right place, they are lost forever. • A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING.

Once the homework is finished, put the binder/textbook back in your backpack. Keep the backpack in the same spot all the time. File papers in a milk crate system so you always have a spot for them.

Once the mess is out of your

brain, you don’t have to worry about constantly losing things and trying to find them again, wasting precious time. • CAN’T STRESS COLOR CODING

ENOUGH! Post-it notes and tape flags in various sizes and colors; bins in various sizes and colors; flat drawer organizers; Washi tape for extra personalization; pens, pencils, Sharpies and highlighters they love and will actually use. ✷

Ū Highly specialized educational

Ū Comprehensive curriculum Ū Integrated assistive technology

Ū Transitional boarding for

Ū Consulting services for

ROLLING ADMISSIONS Elizabeth Russell, Director of Admissions erussell@cotting.org | 781-862-7323 ext. 114 Special Needs Guide | BostonParentsPaper.com 31 Join us for virtual Cotting Conversations! We’ll cover a new special education topic each month. Learn more at cotting.org/conversations