My daughter is a young adult and she has both ADD and LD. Her frustration is her lack of organizational skills when it comes to everyday life. She holds a job, owns a car and is a fantastically sweet young lady. She does however become frustrated when it comes to organizing. Does anyone have any suggestions or hints to help her. Tricks that work for you. Organizational suggestions that do not treat her like she is 10.
Oh…she has tried the agenda book and it did not work.
I appreciate anyone’s offer for suggestions. Thank you.
Re: ADD and LD organizational skills
Hi Ann,
Like Arlene, I have found Julie Morgenstern’s book, “Organizing from the Inside Out” to be extremely helpful even though she doesn’t mention LD/ADHD issues. The reason why I think her book works for folks like us is she encourages you to think of adapting the organizational system to how you work. For example, if you’re the type of person who likes to pay your bills on the dining room table, you need to set up a system that accomodates that need.
Is your daughter technologically oriented? What about trying a PDA? I use a palm pilot and a computer to keep track of appointments and it has been a lifesaver.
Finally, it is important for your daughter to get in the habit of placing items in the same place. For example, I have a hook near the entrance to my apartment for keys. As soon as I have used my entry card to get into my apartment building, it goes into my purse without fail because otherwise, I will lose it. Because I wasn’t diligent about this at one point, I ended up with four laundry cards. Oh well, you can’t win them all:))
Hope this helps. What specific problems is your daughter having?
PT
Re: ADD and LD organizational skills
A strategy that has worked for me is to break down things into smaller tasks write them down. then highlight each one off the list. so far this has worked since I am trying to get all my “piles” more organzied. For example if I wanted to clean my room. i would write down put school books on book shelf, hang up clothes, etc. I also keep a spiral notebook….anytime i think of something I need to do….I write it down. As with organizing other things, I rely on help from my roommate, class mate and others to show me how they do it. I have a few more suggestions if you like just email. I am a undergrad student in college hopefully graduating next may and then going on to grad school. without doing these things i probably wouldnt do as well as i am right now
ADhd LD help with organizational skills
my best answer to you would be tohave you/your daughter to join this group.
www.flylady.net their system is awsome for anyone with or without ADD and organizational skill.
I have the same issues and also with my son.
it takes work , repetition and c[u]onsistancy[/u]
good luck
.
feel free to email
I am still having a lot of problems with organization, but I have a few suggestions that have helped me. I find sorting very helpful when I am confronted with caos. Putting things that go together into piles, and then dealing with each pile separately begins to create some orgainization out of caos. (e.g., a table with many items on it can be sorted by paperwork, stationery supplies, books, clothes, hardware items, cosmetics, magazines, etc.)
I keep boxes that I use for sorting (e.g., sweater boxes, laundry baskets) Leaving myself telephone messages or posting messages on my door or mirror, charging my cell phone next to my pocketbook, hanging things I need to take with me on the doorknob, etc. are all things that work. (I was just reminded that I have to look for the keys that I couldn’t find earlier, but having spare keys helps, as I frequently lose keys. Of course, disciplining myself to always put them in the same spot would be a helpful idea that I haven’t yet implemented.) I ask doctors’ offices to call to remind me of appointments, but I do need to work on keeping a calendar on a wall or other visible place to remind me of appointments and due dates.
I find some of the ideas in Julie Morgenstern’s books helpful (e.g., Organizing From the Inside Out) She organizes the environment, as a teacher would organize a kindergarden classroom. Having things together that are similar makes it easier to locate what is needed and to put things away. I’ve implemented some of her ideas, but have a long way to go.