How did you help your EF/ADHD kid organize?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Those of you with kids who have EF and ADHD challenges — what did you find that helped keep them organized? Mine is a freshman in high school and it has been a tough transition.
She is missing assignments (seriously affecting her grades) and turning in things late. Now, I’m not exactly sure how the lateness is measured bc she does have an IEP with extended time. For the things that are missing, she almost always swears she did it. I don’t think she’s lying bc she knows I check regularly or get notices when things aren’t turned in. I think she starts and thinks she turned them in and just forget, and never gets back to it. What would help — a Google doc listing everything? She’s in a resource class and they’re supposed to be helping with this but it’s still happening. Fwiw, she also has dyslexia/dysgraphia. She has a couple Ds and I am seriously worried she will end up in summer school. Which wouldn’t be the end of the world but it would bite in to her other plans of working. When we talk about it, she sometimes will be calm but also gets defensive (don’t you think I’m trying?!) Help! |
Anonymous
| Executive Function coach, stat. Ask her HS counselor for names, ask all your friends (you'll be surprised who has them), and post on a neighborhood list serv. Life-changing |
Anonymous
+1. Almost every kid I know has one. |
Anonymous
|
So, I interviewed some back in the summer before the year started and the costs were outrageous. She has a tutor who works with her and does some of this work. I guess it isn’t taking.
|
Anonymous
|
Is she amenable to help from you? I was able to help my son but that doesn’t said work for everyone.
Here’s some of the things we did. - photos of every completed assignments - email photos to me - get it in the IEP that assignments can be emailed to teacher - make a written checklist to be completed in every class - for every single thing, identify a place, including everything that goes in the backpack. And then make sure everything goes in its place everywhere and all the time. - never use the extra time allowed to turn in assignments. Get them done by the due date. Then there is a buffer for errors with turning things in. - review and planning meeting each evening. Just five minutes. |
Anonymous
A good EF coach should be able to set her up for success and then graduate her from services. Some students need more tutoring like handholding but the point for most should be skill building and graduation. Because insurance won't cover the services, it is expensive but not be long term. |
Anonymous
we tried two private EF coaches but my kid was too resistant. Ended up benefitting from more/better support at school. Suggest calling an IEP meeting. |
Anonymous
| Try contacting Julia Simak at Purposeful Minds: EF Coach, SLP, also has been OG trianed and has experience in working with dyslexia support. She doesn't accept insurance but can provide a superbill. |
Anonymous
| If you don’t have the money for an EF coach you can use Chat to Claude AI for tools, strategies and electronic or paper systems. Do a broad query and go from there to narrow down what you are looking for |
Anonymous
|
How is she tracking assignments? You may want to get the Order out of Chaos planner and show her how to use it. She can learn to check off in her planner once she's completed/submitted her assignments.
Does she check the portal (Canvas, Schoology...) every day for all of her classes? If not, you'll want to help her develop a routine to do so. How is she keep tracking of papers? If it is a disaster, consider getting her to use an accordion folder. It is often easier to quickly put papers in the right spot for classes rather than using binders. She'll need support to move items she's no longer needing to carry daily to either be recycled or stored safely (by class) at home for any exam prep later in the year. Some students do this monthly. Most of all, do everything you can to protect your relationship with her. Her defensiveness is a sign that she's already sensitive about your feelings on this. Sometimes outsourcing to an EF coach, can help you better maintain your relationship. |
Anonymous
| Nothing worked. My son had to figure it out for himself in HS. Now doing mostly OK |
Anonymous
I am basically this for my kid. It’s a struggle. I wish I could outsource it but I’d need someone 5 hours a week. |
Anonymous
Correct, costs are high, but what is the cost of your child flunking HS courses and not learning EF skills? |
Anonymous
|
We have a freshman too and broke down and got an EF coach through Education Connections. I bought a package and it was a lot, but now that the money is spent, I don’t think about it and it.is.so.worth.it. I really debated but after several missing assignments I bit the bullet. The homework fighting was ruining our relationship and it feels so good to hand it off to someone who he actually will with/listen to (which was NOT the case with me or his dad).
PS we were surprised by all of it because he decently managed it in middle but I think the tougher classes and volume of work was a huge adjustment. His ADHD really showed up and not in a good way |
Anonymous
| NP here. For those of you who went with EF coaches, are there any left who still work in person? |