Joemom,
Great idea! I will try the wristbands! He has 2 lunch boxes at school and for weeks I have been telling him to bring them home. Also 2 library books in his backback for days. I wish I had a wristband this a.m! He wrote a reminder note, but I am sure he will lose that too lol! I will order them today. Thanks!!
CR1 he is only allowed 1 bin out at a time(i.e his bin with army men or his StarWars bin) but he still throws the toys anywhere. Or they end up under his bed everywhere, etc. If I stand there and watch him, and remind him, he gets mad, esp when I show him what he missed when he is done. Then it gets his temper going, and it just isn't worth it. I see alittle change now that he is medicated, but not much at all. I think we will need to go to 20mg, but I am going to give it this week and see. I also have a meeting with his teachers this week. They say they see some change in him the last week(since increase to 15mg)
My son's organizational skills for school have improved somewhat once meds were at the optimal level, but his room remains an issue. I try to step over the mess and go on. I do make sure his leather kits and tools are put up by telling him that if they are not put away, I will stow them and he won't have them anymore....grandma spent a lot of money on those things and I won't have them lost or ruined by being stepped on! But there are clothes (until I insist he bring them down to launder), miscellaneous toys, and drawings everywhere.
I found out that if I hang every article of clothing on hangars (as opposed to folding) then the clean clothes ending up on the floor instead of the drawers is diminished. It seems that taking up the hangars and hanging them in the closet, is easier for him than opening several drawers, and sorting things into drawers.
Perhaps you can have the teacher stand nearby and assist him on packing the backpack each afternoon. You may have to have it written into a 504 or IEP though. Another choice is for the teacher to assign an organized 'buddy' to supervise your son's packing the backpack....I also got an extra set of books for at home, because I was running back to the school 2-3 times a week.
I had to chuckle about the lunch boxes...I have soooo been there! He is now 10 and rarely forgets his lunch box this year....it will get better, I promise!
oh my do we have the same son?? HA.. sounds like my son to the T.. I have no ideas for you , we struggle with everything you have listed.. my son is on 20 mg of Folcalin, he can organize when his meds are in him, but when the wear off, his room is back to being a mess again!
I have used wrist reminders with my DS ( also age 7). These are paper bracelets ( kinda like the hospital kind) that has a space for a message. They come in a little notebook and they are made by Mead ( you can order them on their web site about .50). I use them when my son is having a hard time remembering something...for example he had 4 sweaters and school in his cubby and kept forgetting to bring them home....so I had him wear a wrist reminder which he kept on until he had his sweaters in his backpack...then he tore the reminder off. I have also used it when I send him to clean his room. He can tear it off when the room is clean. I have been know to use the reminders myself.Well, generally, try to keep the amount of stuff he needs to organize to a bare minimum. Maybe only 1 toy bin in his room, for example. DD's room is also a sty most of the time, I hate it. Anyway, we do checklists here in the morning and at night. One of the items on the night checklist is to pick up the toys in the bedroom. That should only take less than a minute on a nightly basis.I was wondering if anyone has any idea's on how I can get my son to stay organized at school and home.
My 7 1/2 year old is on 15 mg of Focalin(he was just diagnosed 3 weeks ago so we are still adjusting it) for ADHD. He is VERY unorganized at school. He forgets to turn in his homework almost daily, even though its done and in his folder in his backpack. He forgets to bring his homework home about once a week. This happens even though its written in his assignment notebook, he looks at it and still forgets. I tell him to check twice, he still forgets. His teachers remind him, he still forgets. Library books are constintly lost in his desk at school, or his room(although now he can't take them up there)Typical ADHD, I know, but I want to find something to help him become a little organized. Any idea's would be appreciated. This is new territory for us,(the ADHD, not the unorganized part) so hoping we can find something to help.
Also, something much less important, but I would still love some idea's. His room is a MESS! I have been trying for a good year to find a way to help him atleast keep it halfway clean, but nothing works. I have organized it so many times I can not count! But, the next day its a mess again!! I know he is only 7(almost 8) but it bothers me to see it that way. Currently, his toys are in bins, labeled with what should be in there, key word is should! Like I said, I know this is minor compared to most things we and are kids deal with, but I would still love to know what works for you guys.
Thanks