Getting Organized with ADHD

Why is Getting Organized a Challenge?

When children have trouble decluttering or organizing, many adults attribute their inaction to laziness or lack of willpower. And while most children find these tasks tedious, for students with ADHD, there’s a lot more to it. Children with ADHD struggle with organization because certain parts of their brain don’t function in a way that allows them to organize productively or efficiently. The parts of the frontal lobe that are responsible for things like organizing and prioritizing function differently in a brain with ADHD. This can make even knowing where to start impossible without very clear and targeted guidance.

Strategies for Getting Organized

For any student who struggles with organization, whether or not they have ADHD, there are always strategies that can help.

1. Color-code everything

There is tremendous power in using visual cues to help keep materials organized. A great way to do this is through color-coding. One way to color-code is to assign each subject area a different color. If students have folders and notebooks for each class, then the notebook and folder colors should correlate. Science could be green, social studies could be blue, etc.

2. Use a planner

Planners are really underrated. Many parents complain that they always buy their kid a planner, but it just ends up buried under papers anyway. When a student has to use a planner they don’t like, or that’s organized in a way that doesn’t make sense to them, of course they won’t use it. Students should have a say in the planner they use. And once they have one, they should spend some time making it their own.

But not all planners are created equal. Sometimes even the layout of the pages can be enough to make or break one student’s success with it. So make sure they are paying attention to the inside. Have them think about whether the page layout will work for them. Is it daily? Weekly? Does it have a month-view with boxes or lines? There are even custom planner websites like Agendio if your child is serious about their planner and wants to create their own.

3. Create a backpack organization system

Helping your child create an organization system for their backpack can make keeping track of materials much more manageable. Assign specific places where given materials should live, and make sure they are labeled. Backpacks that have multiple compartments built in are especially helpful. Books and folders should be in the largest pocket. School supplies like pencil cases should be in the smallest compartment. Have your child practice packing and unpacking these supplies regularly, especially at first so that he can get used to properly putting their things away. And don’t expect perfection! Students with ADHD also have difficulty with consistency, so be patient. And if you find their pencil case in the wrong pocket one night (or on a regular basis), just give gentle reminders.

4. Use visual checklists

Checklists can help with a whole slew of organizational tasks, from to-do lists for homework assignments to getting ready for school in the morning. Some students benefit from attaching a checklist to their backpack, reminding them what items should be in it before they leave home, as well as before they leave school at the end of the day. Some students find it helpful to have a checklist posted for everything they need to do in the morning in order to get ready. This sometimes includes minutia like brushing their teeth or eating breakfast, although many students won’t need reminders like this. Depending on the age of your child, she may want to decorate her checklist to make it more individualized and use pictures and words to make it easier to follow.

5. Use a watch with a timer

For older students and those with more independence, wearing a watch with a timer can not only help them keep track of time but can also help with time management in general. When students have a specific amount of time to do a task (e.g., read for 30 minutes), setting a timer is much easier than just looking at the clock periodically to keep track. A timer can also be used to schedule regular homework breaks or to signal when it is time to get ready to go somewhere.