mikeys_mom
11-20-2012, 03:52 PM
DS is 8yo and completely disorganized. He does have some executive functioning issues.
At home, despite our best efforts at making sure everything in his room has a place, it is always a disaster zone in there. I go in every few months and clean it up because he just doesn't have the ability to organize it. I show him where everything goes, ask him if he thinks it will work for him. He sometimes has some changes to make, which are fine. Within the week, it's back to disaster zone. Books piled up on his nighttable, legos "positioned" all over the floor, stuff like snap circuits and other science-type things always "in progress". He just seems to never be finished with any one thing and gets upset at the idea of putting it away while he is in the middle of something. We don't have the space for so much stuff to be in progress. I also don't have the energy to make sure he puts one thing away before starting something else. I'm usually just happy he can keep himself busy while I'm dealing with his younger sisters.
At school, his desk, cubby (in the classroom) and schoolbag always seem to be a mess. Some folders he brings home on Fridays and are supposed to go back in the cubby on Monday but he says he doesn't have time so they sit in his schoolbag all week. He is the kid who always has random papers flying all over the place. I sit with him every night, we do homework and then I put everything back in his school bag. I keep track of certain folders that only go back to school on certain days. We were told by both the psychologist and psychiatrist that for now we need to walk him through every step of the way. The problem is, that his disorganization at school just seems to be getting worse. Last week he lost a folder and a workbook. The workbook was found in his desk, eventually. Folder seems to be gone. The teacher just had him start a new one.
We have a Dr's appointment in January (nothing available sooner) and are meeting with the school next week. I am trying to come up with some concrete things to suggest that they do to help him out. Plus, hoping we can use some similar strategies at home. Anyone BTDT with a disorganized child? What worked for you?
At home, despite our best efforts at making sure everything in his room has a place, it is always a disaster zone in there. I go in every few months and clean it up because he just doesn't have the ability to organize it. I show him where everything goes, ask him if he thinks it will work for him. He sometimes has some changes to make, which are fine. Within the week, it's back to disaster zone. Books piled up on his nighttable, legos "positioned" all over the floor, stuff like snap circuits and other science-type things always "in progress". He just seems to never be finished with any one thing and gets upset at the idea of putting it away while he is in the middle of something. We don't have the space for so much stuff to be in progress. I also don't have the energy to make sure he puts one thing away before starting something else. I'm usually just happy he can keep himself busy while I'm dealing with his younger sisters.
At school, his desk, cubby (in the classroom) and schoolbag always seem to be a mess. Some folders he brings home on Fridays and are supposed to go back in the cubby on Monday but he says he doesn't have time so they sit in his schoolbag all week. He is the kid who always has random papers flying all over the place. I sit with him every night, we do homework and then I put everything back in his school bag. I keep track of certain folders that only go back to school on certain days. We were told by both the psychologist and psychiatrist that for now we need to walk him through every step of the way. The problem is, that his disorganization at school just seems to be getting worse. Last week he lost a folder and a workbook. The workbook was found in his desk, eventually. Folder seems to be gone. The teacher just had him start a new one.
We have a Dr's appointment in January (nothing available sooner) and are meeting with the school next week. I am trying to come up with some concrete things to suggest that they do to help him out. Plus, hoping we can use some similar strategies at home. Anyone BTDT with a disorganized child? What worked for you?