Organizational help needed!

Someone just recently posted an idea that I thought sounded great— homework goes in a clear pocket inside the front of the binder— that way the child sees it as soon as he opens the binder (hopefully reminding him to turn it in!). Depending on the number of challenges he faces, you might include in the IEP that teachers will remind him individually to turn stuff in, or accept late work. How realistic is it to expect him to master this skill right now?

My daughter had the exact same problem all of 6th , 7th and 8th grade! No matter what we did to help her, it just kept happening.
We tried everything, the system that seemed to work for her was having one catch-all folder. We allowed her to put everything in one folder all day and helped her to organize it every night. I mean every night. Then the assignments that needed to be turned in for the next day went a see-thru red plastic folder right in the middle of her planner. If at the end of the day there was anything left in the folder, she could go then and turn it in. We still had the occasional throwing assignments under her bed or on the bottom of her locker (finished assignments, go figure!) but it helped.
My daughter is a freshmen now and in the beginning of the year it happened two times and never happened again. Because her teachers gave her a zero for the assignment. Now since she is at the high school, she realizes that she has to pass the class or take it over.
This is what helped for her, but I think the thing that helped the most was maturity.
Try to understand that it is part of his disability, I truly don’t believe my daughter know herself why she couldn’t be organized.

Good Luck

It is all in helping the child identify systems that work. Systems that he can rely on and do automatically.

First follow the KISS principle. KISS = keep it simple xxxx, I won’t say the other word because it is offensive on this board but not offensive in the business world where it is more often used.

Second find a system that requires the least possible thought. Somethng that can be done every day the same way, same time, same place. It must become a part of the routine. Once it becomes a part of his routine it is automatic. It just happens. Like getting up and brushing one’s teeth. It is just what you do. You barely think about it. Find out what his current system is for handing in homework. Tell him to scratch that one and help him to develop a new one. Don’t try to cut and paste the old system. It is often better to just start anew.

For example:

My son forgets his lunch box at school. I ask him what happens when he returns from lunch with his lunch box. He says he brings his lunch box back to his desk and then later in the day he puts his lunch box in his knapsack. We talk about why this system isn’t working. He has to remember at some point in the day to put his lunch box away. It varies day to day. This requires thought, organization, effort, it is just not simple.

We talk about why his lunch box needs to go to his desk. It doesn’t. How about as soon as he walks in the door the lunch box goes into the knapsack? Lunch box should never meet desk. It is an extra step that is not needed. He has to remember that the act of walking into the classroom after lunch entails a visit to his knapsack to put his lunchbox away. This is done the same way everyday. In the beginning this takes effort but it should become routine if it is done the same way every day.

It is best if kids can be lead to developing their own systems so that they can eventually do this themselves. Organized people are organized because the form and maintain efficient systems.

Absolutely, positively, and always, Keep It Simple.

I suffer from severe organizational problems myself. When people ask this problem and get the usual answer, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or throw things. Many people think the solutions is binders with multiple sections and agendas and colour-coding and mnemonic tricks and stars on a chart and … Of course, every binder, ever divider, every agenda page, every note, is just one more thing to remember and keep track of. Since keeping track of things is the PROBLEM, adding yet more things to the list is absolutely not the solution.

Yes, work on habit. All homework goes in the backpack, period. Lord knows how deep you have to excavate, but you know it will be in there somewhere. Things to take to school go on top of your shoes so you can’t leave home without them. Pens live in the pocket. If you have a definite habit, and if the habit is simple and straightforward enough that you can do it daily without conscious effort, then it will work for you.

I have a disorganized 12 year old in 6th grade middleschool, and I feel for you.

(1) Ask the school to have a homework board where daily assignments are posted by all teachers at the end of the day. My kid’s school does this, and while some of the teachers are bad about putting the stuff down, most try to comply.

(2) A daily planner does help. Last year I had to stand over her whenever I picked her up and make her copy all the homework down from the homework board and into her planner, but this year she usually remembers to have it copied down before I get there. This avoids the embarassing parental rant in front of friends. She MOSTLY now remembers to get the books and materials she needs to do her homework as well; last year this was a recurring bone of contention. We are still working on getting her to remember to enter the tests, quizzes and long-term projects into the planner.

(3) You might want to have copies of all his books at home. Last year I ended up buying three or four copies of each of her books, because she kept losing them, regular. This year I keep extra copies of her regular dictionary, her Spanish dictionary and her Spanish verb book at home, and I had to buy an extra copy of a couple of the novels used in English, and that was it. She is improving. On the other hand, my patience with this sort of foolishness is wearing very thin.

(4) My kid’s teachers take 50% off for homework which is one day late, and 100% off for homework which is two days late. I therefore now have penalties for homework that is late, and she is therefore a lot better about keeping on top of things. Afterall, grades are pretty meaningless to a middleschooler.