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How to Organize Children With ADD

Children who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, often have many thoughts running through their heads at once and, as a result, have difficulty focusing on being organized. Their high level of distractibility may make them appear lazy and unmotivated when in reality they need guidance and support to keep their belongings and lives in order. Creating structure for your ADD child will help him navigate through each day with less frustration and more success.

Things You'll Need

  • Labeling supplies
  • Planner
  • Calendar
  • Storage bins
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Instructions

    • 1

      Declutter your child's room. Get rid of clothing that is worn or too small and old toys that are no longer used. Purchase storage bins for under the bed and get a closet organizer. Label bins so that she can tell at a glance what they contain. Teach your child to create a spot for everything and to return everything to its spot once she's finished using it.

    • 2

      Create or purchase a family calendar, one that has a separate column or row for each member of the family. Record everyone's schedules on the same calendar so the entire family can see how their individual activities coordinate and overlap. Use a highlighter to color code important events. Encourage your ADD child to look at the family calendar daily to see what's on his schedule.

    • 3

      Teach your child to use a planner. Purchase a one-day-per-page book to give her room to write things she wants to remember. Make sure that she keeps it in the same place all the time, such as on a bookshelf, and that she reviews it daily. Color code it as well. For example, she could use a red pen for school-related activities and a blue one for tasks outside of school.. She can write details in her planner that there isn't room for on the family calendar. For example, if the family is going to the beach, she can use her planner to remind herself to bring her new flip-flops or favorite water toy.

    • 4

      Create designated areas in the house for belongings. For example, during the cold season, have a bin by the door for mittens, hats and scarves. Teach your child to deposit these items in the bin immediately upon entering the house, rather than leaving them in random locations where they may not easily be found. Have a specific place on a bookshelf for school library books, and teach your child to return the books to this spot when he has finished reading them. Mark on the family calendar and in his planner when they are due back at school, so he will know when to return them to his backpack.

    • 5

      Supply your child with a good backpack for school that has a lot of pockets. Label the inside of the pockets to help her remember what goes in each pocket, rather than simply stuffing everything into the main compartment of the back pack. For example, a pocket labeled "mittens and hat" can save your child from having to dump out the contents of her backpack in search of those missing items.

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