Is ADD A Fraud?

By now I hope you’re used to my somewhat circuitous method of writing - seems I always start in one place and end up somewhere else, with hopefully a connection in the middle. Isn’t that the way when you have Attention Deficit Disorder?

Organizng School Papers the ADD Way

We are in the midst of a nasty heat wave where I live, and yet signs of fall are all around. The stores have their autumn merchandise out already - I even saw turkey decorations in one store. The school bus has come down our street a few times in preparation for the new school year, and of course, all of the stores are having back to school sales.
As you are shopping for school supplies, you might want to keep one word in mind: organization. One of the biggest problems students with Attention Deficit Disorder seem to have is with keeping track of all of those loose papers that have to go to school and then back home again.
There are a number of suggestions that people make when it comes to the easiest way to keep things organized. One of them is color coding: for instance, math = blue, so you buy a folder and a notebook in blue for math class. It’s a good idea in theory, and may even work for some kids, but I think for most kids with ADD, it just ends up being too many things to keep track of. Plus, I can just picture my kid being late for class because he was standing in front of his locker trying to remember if math was blue or red.
Binders are another idea, because you can put papers in and take them out as you need to, and they keep everything together. Add some dividers and a pencil holder, and you’re in business. The trouble with binders, though, is that they take a little work to pop them open, put the paper in, and then snap them shut. Not much work, I know, but enough so that it’s not likely to happen as often as it should, especially with an impatient ADDer. And turning to the right section, popping open and inserting? Even less likely. What you’ll get instead is papers folded or crumpled and just stuffed inside, with a hope and a prayer that they stay there until they’re needed again. I think you’ve already been there and done that.
I have 2 suggestions that might work a little better, but I’m not making any guarantees. We’ve got ADD, you know.
First, buy just one folder. A good sturdy one with 2 pockets that’s easy to spot. It goes everywhere your kid does: every class, to home and back to school. Always. One pocket is for papers that need to go home and the other is for papers that need to go to school.
If your child is allowed to carry a backpack in school - to classes - you can modify this idea and use 2 accordion files or large envelopes instead, preferably in different colors. These can remain in the backpack, standing open, so that papers are easy to insert or remove without removing the envelope.
My second idea is a variation of the envelope suggestion. If you’re purchasing a new backpack this year, and your child can take it to class, see if you can find one with a built in pocket or area that would serve the same purpose. Add a brightly colored folder or something similar to divide the pocket in two so that you have home and school areas. (The folder is used as a divider only - not as storage. You could also use a piece of poster board or cardboard.)

Aha! ADD

This post may seem to be all about me and the changes here at ADD Moms, but stick with it. I think you’ll find it relevant to your ADDer.

Changes at ADD Moms

My son has a habit of wandering. He can’t sit still long enough to watch a tv program or finish a meal. Yesterday, he brought his almost finished glass of iced tea into the kitchen and got out his allergy meds to take. Then he went wandering. In the meantime, I walked into the kitchen and noticed that he had left the things out. So, I emptied and rinsed the glass, put it into the dishwasher, and put his meds back in the cupboard, not realizing he hadn’t taken them yet. He was a little surprised when he got back, but in the end we both had a good laugh. We know how it is when you have ADD.

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