Organization and Time Management

The ability to organize materials and manage time is part of "executive functioning." Executive functioning is a set of behaviors and skills that are responsible for guiding, directing, and managing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Youth who have trouble with executive functioning are often inconsistent in their performance and behavior across settings and demands; even if they demonstrate these skills in some settings, they are typically unable to sustain a consistent level of performance over time.

As a parent, it can be frustrating when your child is disorganized and loses track of time. But it is important to remember that your child is not behaving this way on purpose. He will need your help to develop new skills to help him compensate for these weaknesses.

Some strategies you can try are:

• Try being a homework "coach" rather than being the homework "police" and forcing your child to do the work your way. This can mean helping your child make lists of things to do, use a homework assignment book and prioritize work. If things go wrong or are too hard, you can help your child problem solve about what he would do differently next time.
• Use technology to help with time management. Many different calendar programs and apps are available. Choose one that you can share with your child so you can make sure the calendar is up to date. Calendars that will give warnings before upcoming events are helpful for time management. If your child has a phone, set the phone to vibrate or beep 5, 10 and 15 minutes before important events.
• Use a countdown timer app like 30/30. This will allow you and your child to set countdown timers for events throughout the day. It will also help your child make more realistic estimates about how long different activities will take.
• There are many to-do list apps available for computers and phones. Choose one that is easily searchable and that can store photos, documents and audio notes in addition to simple text. Evernote is one popular app.

For more information on technology to help with ADHD and executive functioning, ADDitude magazine (http://www.additudemag.com/) regularly publishes articles about new technology.