Parents of children with ASD and ADHD know how difficult it is to achieve tasks, that come habitually and spontaneously to neurotypical people. Speaking, instructing, repeating your words, screaming, punishing, and calling names do not help the situation. When you look after a child with ASD and ADHD, you have to let go of all those conventional norms that were imparted to you since childhood. You learn with experience and with guidance of psychologists. You enter a whole new world of trial and hit!
Here are a few suggestions and practices drawn on by moms to prepare their kids to NOT forget their belongings at home or at school.
Checklist
- We use a lot of checklists. Both my kids have them in their room and for school stuff too.
- I have a dry erase board for my child that lists everything, and I put it by the door. As he walks out the door, the arrangement helps him double check the list to make sure he has everything.
- We have a system called get ready, do, done, get done.
Photograph what the job looks like before it is done, when she has done it well, and thenpost that – and she can compare and grow her executive functioning. - I initially got them motivated by offering 10 cents for each box checked off at the end of the week.
Visual Impetus
- Make a visual list, pictures of the items (exact if you can, or at least match colors).
- Visual schedule. Make pictures on magnets or Velcro and have her move them from one side (home) to the other side (backpack).
Consistency and Regularity
- I get them in a habit of keeping their backpack in one place every single day, after school. Folder automatically comes out of bag to see if there is anything that need immediate attention. Plug the iPad in at the same time.
Then as part of bedtime routine put everything into the backpack, so in the morning lunch and water bottle are all that need to be remembered. For my child, it is all about consistency and forming habits. He has ADHD too and mornings can be hard. - We have a chalkboard wall, so we have AM and PM list…routine.
- Routine, routine, routine, plus a visual checklist- pictures rather than words, He is 13 and we have been following the same routine since he was 7.
Assembling and Preparation
- Also have consistent places for things to be placed. Also, make sure that everything is in its place before you go to bed.
- Pack as much as possible the night before.
- Keep it all together i.e. close to one another or in one bag so there is only one thing to grab.
- Also, you could put all the items in one spot (on a counter) at night, for a couple weeks to form the habit. I ask my daughter to put them in her bag herself.
Visual Accessible Reminders
- I have heard of people laminating the checklist and threaded onto a key ring. Then put key ring onto school bag zipper. One for the morning, one for after. Then it always stays with their bag.
- I have a laminated index card that is attached to my sons backpack he checks it with an erase marker each day, and at school he has the same card pasted to his desk.
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