Anonymous wrote:Does he have to wrangle the folder into the backpack? I see myself in this child and have some ideas.

Suggest in the cubby a bin that is an out box. First thing when he gets to school, something important to him goes in the out box. (maybe a token he can use for 15 min extra screen time at home).
Anything that has to go home goes in the out box. Then at the end of the day or whenever is the right time he puts all of the out box stuff in his bag. The folder goes in the bin.

The bag has to be easy to get in and out of. I had a bag in MS that was rounded at the top and there was a lot of finagling to arrange a folder in there. The bag should be easy in easy out. He also has to empty the bag when he gets to school of things that should stay there so that it's not so full he's messily jamming something in there (or avoiding the motor task).

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow I am surprised the patrol details caused so much angst! He is a great patrol - he is really sweet with the kinder kids he shepherds around. They don’t care he forgets his math folder lol! As his rush at the end of the day shows, he cares about his duties a lot and the responsibility has been great at helping him mature.

I have told him many times to just put the folder in his backpack immediately without the waystation of the folder - he just can’t remember. I will try a few other of the visual reminder ideas!

Can he leave something in the cubby that reminds him to put the folder in the backpack? (This would help distinguish between truly forgetting and deliberately rushing.)

OP here. Wow I am surprised the patrol details caused so much angst! He is a great patrol - he is really sweet with the kinder kids he shepherds around. They don’t care he forgets his math folder lol! As his rush at the end of the day shows, he cares about his duties a lot and the responsibility has been great at helping him mature.

I have told him many times to just put the folder in his backpack immediately without the waystation of the folder - he just can’t remember. I will try a few other of the visual reminder ideas!

Does he have to wrangle the folder into the backpack? I see myself in this child and have some ideas.

Anonymous wrote:DS is in 5th grade. ADHD-combined type. Mostly going well (not yet medicated), but he is in compacted math so it’s in a different classroom than his home room.

About 50% of the time, he forgets his math folder/homework at school. After he returns from math to home room, he puts folder in cubby above backpack. He rushes bc classmates are already moving on from math. Then at end of day, he rushes to pack up and forgets to put folder into backpack. He rushes then bc he doesn’t want to be late for safety patrol duties.

Any ideas for 504 accommodations that could help? Or anything else? He doesn’t notice the visual reminders we have tried, and I am just not sure how else to help.

He is overloaded with too much responsibility that he is not yet ready for. You have set him up for failure.

I agree with any sort of visual checklist or reminder. Asking the teacher to remind him to use something like this could be helpful as he builds the habit. And I fully disagree with the poster who suggested this kid should not be a patrol.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He needs to drop safety patrol. How was he able to be on the safety patrol when he forgets his math homework? That would be disqualifying at our ES.

It would also be an incentive for him to learn to remember the folder, however works best for him.

Umm no. You cannot be prevented from participating in an extracurricular activity because of a behavior that is due to your disability.

Also, punishment is not an appropriate consequence for a behavior that is a result of disability. ADHD kids don't lack motivation per se, even when if he was motivated to remember the folder (which he probably is because he is already coming home and having the natural consequences of forgetting the folder - not being able to give it to an expectant parent), he still can't do it consistently because of executive functioning difficulty.

It's not a punishment, its a consequence. Also, the pressure of safety patrol is causing him to rush and to forget the folder - it's not an activity that he is ready for.

(Neither of my ADHD kids were qualified for safety patrol. Nor should they have. They were too distracted to be the right fit for it. )

Anonymous wrote:DS is in 5th grade. ADHD-combined type. Mostly going well (not yet medicated), but he is in compacted math so it’s in a different classroom than his home room.

About 50% of the time, he forgets his math folder/homework at school. After he returns from math to home room, he puts folder in cubby above backpack. He rushes bc classmates are already moving on from math. Then at end of day, he rushes to pack up and forgets to put folder into backpack. He rushes then bc he doesn’t want to be late for safety patrol duties.

Any ideas for 504 accommodations that could help? Or anything else? He doesn’t notice the visual reminders we have tried, and I am just not sure how else to help.

Have you tried a laminated card attached by a short string to the zipper of his backpack? He can't close the backpack without grabbing/seeking the cord.

His math teacher should be ending early enough to allow kids to return to homeroom and pack up with other kids. Homeroom teacher should also be ending class early enough for kids to have time packing up - 5 mins before the bell rings.

Also, why is he putting the folder in the cubby above the backpack? It should go directly in the backpack. I, a grown ADHD adult, operate by the bag rule - there's a purse (or work bag or school bag). Anything you want to take goes directly in the bag. After years of losing keys, I learned this - car keys can only be in one of two places - in my purse or in the ignition. No pockets, counters, tables, whatever. I even have one of those telephone curly cords from inside my purse to the key ring so that I can't leave the keys in the door (cuz they are technically still attached to my purse.

My ADHD kids also use the bag method. Backpack is in the same place every night at home. Everything that is school related lives in the bag and when you are done with it you have to put it bag in the bag immediately.

Can the backpack go to math with him so the math teacher can make sure the folder makes it’s way into the backpack?

Can you write on the folder “put in backpack”? And then he puts it straight into the backpack? Why does it go in the cubby at all?

The thing that worked best for us was to assign everything a place. For him, the place should be in the backpack. Always. No exceptions. That takes priority over moving on to the next activity. And it shouldnt interfere with patrol duties.

Anonymous wrote:He needs to drop safety patrol. How was he able to be on the safety patrol when he forgets his math homework? That would be disqualifying at our ES.

It would also be an incentive for him to learn to remember the folder, however works best for him.

Umm no. You cannot be prevented from participating in an extracurricular activity because of a behavior that is due to your disability.

Also, punishment is not an appropriate consequence for a behavior that is a result of disability. ADHD kids don't lack motivation per se, even when if he was motivated to remember the folder (which he probably is because he is already coming home and having the natural consequences of forgetting the folder - not being able to give it to an expectant parent), he still can't do it consistently because of executive functioning difficulty.

He needs to drop safety patrol. How was he able to be on the safety patrol when he forgets his math homework? That would be disqualifying at our ES.

It would also be an incentive for him to learn to remember the folder, however works best for him.

Can he check in with a teacher before safety duties? He doesn’t go to said duties unless he has what he needs to go home.

DS is in 5th grade. ADHD-combined type. Mostly going well (not yet medicated), but he is in compacted math so it’s in a different classroom than his home room.

About 50% of the time, he forgets his math folder/homework at school. After he returns from math to home room, he puts folder in cubby above backpack. He rushes bc classmates are already moving on from math. Then at end of day, he rushes to pack up and forgets to put folder into backpack. He rushes then bc he doesn’t want to be late for safety patrol duties.

Any ideas for 504 accommodations that could help? Or anything else? He doesn’t notice the visual reminders we have tried, and I am just not sure how else to help.