Transcript Creating Successful Routines for ADHD Kids

Organizing for the AD/HD Brain
Patty Hoyt
Professional Organizer
November13, 2013
What is AD/HD?
What is AD/HD?
AD/HD
First identified in the 1930’s
Impairment of the executive functions of the
Pre-Frontal Cortex
Initiating, focusing, organizing & prioritizing
Creative, curious, brave, open minded,
intellectually quick and innovative
What is AD/HD
• AD/HD is marked by a difficulty in performing
consistently at one’s evident level of
intelligence, skill or attention.
What is AD/HD
AD/HD Treatment
• Medication
• Education
• Behavior Skills
Behavior Skills
Behavioral Skills
• Learn your strengths
• Self-management strategies
• Create customized systems, routines and
structure (Organize!)
Learn Your Strengths
Learn you Strengths
• Learning Modalities
• Auditory
• Visual
• Kinesthetic
• Tactile
• Smell
• Verbal
• Emotional
• Cognitive
• Intuitive
Auditory
• Focus sustaining music
• White noise
• Periods of silence (reactive to sound)
• Timers (auditory cue)
Visual
• White board with
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top priorities
Calendar stand
Label everything!
OOSOM
Create open or
transparent
systems
Display racks or
open shelves
Kinesthetic
• Rocking chair or treadmill
• Out-basket or printer across room
• Exercise
• Move Stool
• Gum
Tactile
• “Perfect Writing Instrument”
• Appealing textures and surfaces
• Fidget toys and smooth stones
• Beware the tactile/emotional connection
Taste/Smell
• Identify aromas that inspire, calm or promote
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focus
Get help with mold or mustiness in home
Eliminate smells that cause sensitivity
Verbal
• Oral
• Positive self talk
• Nonjudgemental sounding boards
• Say/repeat steps out loud
• Written
• Journal
• Read to learn or motivate
• Take notes for reminders or inspiration
Self-management Strategies
• Get enough sleep
• Take medication
• Eat healthy
• Eliminate distractions
• Plan ahead
• Develop support system
• Should
Organize
• Forming New Habits
• To-Do lists
• Planners
• Time-Management
• Beware of Clutter
• Clutter Control
• Getting Started
• Hub
• Room by Room
Organize-New Habits
• Tie a new habit to an old one
• Make the habit as easy as possible
• Make the habit hard to ignore
• Put reminders everywhere
• Visualize yourself doing the behavior
Organize-New Habits
• Practice “instant corrections”
• Failure is a part of learning
• Problem-solve & experiment
• Mark your calendar
• Reward yourself
Organize
• To Do list
• Comprehensive list
• Daily list
• Prioritizing tasks
• Make appointments
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with yourself for
tasks
Take advantage of
motivation moments
Organize
• Daily Planner
• Choosing a planner
• Regular planner review
• Tips
Organize
• Time & task management
• Review the plan
• Transfer specific tasks to daily To Do list
• Pay attention to sequencing tasks
• Schedule self-care
• Keep plan realistic
• Start and End times to tasks
• Use Analog Clocks
Beware of Stuff
• The more stuff you have, the more you must
find a place to put, and the more you'll have
to clean, repair, and eventually replace.
• Stop buying things you don't really need just
because they are a bargain.
• The more stuff you have, the more time it
takes to locate it.
• You can always get more stuff, and you can
always get more money. But you can never
get more time.
Organize-Clutter Control
•S.P.A.C.E. method
• Sort - Group like with like
• Purge - Love it or lose it
• Assign a home
• Contain - Get the right storage to fit
• Equalize -Maintain you system
Organize-Clutter Control
• Oosoom’s
• Labels
• By the door basket
• Stubby To-Do Lists
• Create Routines
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
Organize-Getting Started
• Clutter is unmade decisions
• Quality over quantity
• Create a crisis
• Set Deadlines
• Anticipate shot-term interests
• Keep, Toss/Recycle, Donate, Sell?
• Maybe Pile?Bag for 6 months - if not used, it goes
Organize-Getting Started
• Manufacture Motivation
• Catch the “mood” wave
• Create Organizing Occasions
• Avoid Overwhelm
• Reduce Distractions
• Break things down
• Body Double
• Small goals -short increments
Organize-Getting Started
• Finish one project at a time
• Be creative-themes
• Take Breaks
• Self Talk
Organize-Create a Hub
• Create a “Hub”
• Keys, calendar, mail, wallet, phone
• Central Location, but close to door
• Accessible to the whole family
• Include trash & recycling
• Four Categories
• Bills to pay
• Action
• Phone
• File
Organize-Room by Room
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Clothes- Fit, last worn, mending, multiple items
Books/Magazines-time to read, current issues, can you
find it on-line, donations to libraries & book exchanges
Collections-joy, value, gather favorites
Kitchen-Create zones, multiple items
Paper-important paper in safe, transfer key info, find the
rest online
Desks- daily on the desk, weekly in the desk, monthly in
the room, less in another room
Organize-Last Thoughts
• Focus on what you choose to be important
• Set small, achievable goals (write them
down)
• Stay positive
• Analyze your obstacles
• Failure is learning
Last Thoughts
• "If a man does not keep pace with his
companions, perhaps it is because he hears a
different drummer. Let him step to the music
which he hears, however measured or far
away." — Henry David Thoreau
Resources
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ADHD KC -www.ADHDKC.org
CHADD - www.CHADD.org
ADDitude Magazine -www.Additudemag.com
National Association for Professional Organizers www.NAPO.net
Institute for Challenging Disorganizationhttps://challengingdisorganization.org
Patty Hoyt - [email protected], (913)-912-0504