Today I'd like to talk about organization. Organization in some
areas of your life will help you avoid long term headaches, especially now that
you have a serious diagnosis in your life. I hope you find these tips thought
provoking and a helpful starting point.
One of the first things I personally
bought for my son's records was an accordion file. I now have two of them. Find
a filing system that works for you. I'm considering moving all my files to a
binder or tapper keeper. If you decide to use a binder I would strongly suggest one that zips closed. It will help keep paperwork inside that may work loose over time or with use, also consider page protectors, so you don't have to punch holes in important paperwork. Whatever works best for you is ideal, just make sure
it is portable. I bring Aiden's files to all new doctor appointments, new
therapist appointments, and will be bringing it to the school every new class
year. Why? You never know what you will need. It keeps everything in one place
and safe. Organizing your medical paperwork will save you hassles in the long
run. I have made a section for each doctor, each therapist, insurance
information, copies of his birth certificate/ social security/ and insurance
card, grants, diagnosis and test results. Here is a great site with tips for creating your special needs binder:
Consider tracking your child's behavior, diet, etc with an app for your phone. Yes, they make them and a lot of them are really good. I use one called Autism Tracker. It uses a picture guiding system for your logs and it cover tons of areas. It even has an option to track more than one child and to email reports to who ever you designate, which is hugely helpful for therapists. There is also an app I used called ShopWell. This is great for diet purposes. All you do is mark allergens or any other areas you'd like to avoid. When you go shopping open the app and scan the bar code. The app will tell you if there is something in the food you need to avoid, based on what you told it.
You will find that your individual child
with Autism will gravitate toward certain toys or interests. Aiden was drawn to
cars while in his one's and two's, but now in his three's he is drawn to
wrestlers. In fact it’s safe to estimate he owns 20+ wrestlers at this point.
Buy those storage boxes! He has a bin with latching top for his
"guys" which are his superheroes and action figures and a completely
separate box for his wrestlers. They cannot be combined and he knows each one
individually. Don't think you can hide one from him either, he knows which
figures he has and asks for one's he does not. These boxes will provide not
only sanity for you, but a cue for your child. Every child keeps things in a
constant state of mess, but these identifiable boxes help them find the toys
that mean most to them. And they are a lifesaver during clean up.
Try to create areas in your home with
specific purposes. An area for eating, sleeping, playing, and homework or life
skills is a good foundation. Most of this is already created by the natural
flow of a home and don't think it has to be a room for each function. A desk in
the child's room can be assigned for homework only. Do not allow toys or play
things on the desk, which is a desk for homework only. Keep a light on the desk
that is on for homework and off every other time. When the homework light is
on, turn off or dim as many other lights in the room as possible, this helps
create a mental barrier and may help promote focus. I have heard a mother with
an Autistic child talk about setting a timer for homework.
The problem with
Autism is also its gift. Intense focus on areas they love and lack of interest
in areas they do not. The timer makes it a kind of game and may help engage
your child in a subject they do not enjoy. Her son is rewarded with time on a
video gaming system. Push your creativity in this area. Find out what they like
and use that to your advantage.
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| Homeschool Organization Ideas |
Aiden helps me put his laundry away.
Amazing? No, kids love to help in general, use that to your advantage. How does
Aiden help me put clothes away? I put pictures on the outside of each
respective drawer. For example, his T-shirt drawer has a blue t-shirt picture
on it. This helps him learn what each item is and it helps him find what drawer
he is looking for quickly. Just a tip, don't bother folding their clothes. Sounds
funny, but what is honestly accomplished by folding your child's clothes or is
it one of those social norms that everyone falls into? Why do I say not to
fold? Well my child pulls all his clothes out of his drawers and throws them
around the room. He is fascinated by the different colors and textures of his
clothes. Instead of getting mad, why not just put them back and move on? As he
gets older I will teach him how to fold and teach him why it is socially
acceptable to do so, but now I'm much happier not to fold. Everything is a give
and take, weighing out what you are willing to do. I am not willing to fold his
whole wardrobe five times a day. Thankfully we have almost completely stopped
the clothing redecorating from him.
Helpful for older children with Autism is
a large visual calendar. If your child cannot read, use picture calendars. The
calendar can be a tear away desk calendar or a large magnetic calendar. Assign
each family member a color or picture. Then write out the entire family
calendar every month. It will not only help your whole household, but it is
important for Autistic individuals to feel in control of their environment. If
they know what is happening in the life of the family and they can see what
events they will be attending, it helps them anticipate the upcoming event. It
is also a social cue indicator. For instance, if there is a wedding, there are
more social graces necessary for that event than attending a school PTA
meeting. It helps the person mentally prepare for this event and they don't
feel surprised by their everyday life. Here is a simple example of a picture calendar for Autism, created by the CARD program:
If you want to create a meal calendar for
the month, feel free. It gives the kids a menu to look through for the day and
it lets them know what your meal expectations of them are. For instance if you
want your kids to eat a Lunchable for lunch instead of a sandwich, since soup
and sandwiches are for dinner, then putting it on a menu could avoid an
argument over Lunchable vs. sandwich all together. "This is the menu we
follow and this is what you will be eating" is a solid reason and it helps
shift any kind of blame off you and toward the menu. A menu simplifies your
life, since your partner will know what to help you prepare and it makes
looking ahead easier during food preparation. This gives your Autistic child a
"play book" of food and these kids love rules with clear
expectations.
Feeding into the rule situation, my family
created a "Rule Board". This is a cork board with construction paper
stapled to it. My son helped me create the board, he picked the colors, and we
wrote each rule with each applicable consequence together. This helped him
learn the "rules" and the written consequences provide a constant
guide for a parent who maybe frustrated or angry at the time of punishment.
Parents are not perfect and sometimes having something else does the
"thinking" for you will help. Be consistent with your punishment.
This is true for every child, but especially with your Autistic child. Talk to
your ABA therapist and include your spouse or significant other in these
topics. Tell other people who care for your child what consequences you expect
for certain actions. This keeps consistency across the board and reinforces the
teaching. Invest in a small timer to keep near the time out area. This will
give an audible tone when the consequence has concluded and the child can
return to their activities.
Finally, let’s talk about going outside.
When you leave your home you will always have something with you for your
Autistic child. My son's Nabi is a constant fixture in my bag. I have
transitioned from a purse to a backpack; it’s just easier for me. I carry
water, snacks, and diapers with me always, that's the price for motherhood.
When I go out with Aiden my bag expands a little, with the Nabi, a wrestler or
two, maybe a book or coloring book. You must travel with items your child like
and are acceptable focus items for them. It will save you in the long run. I
leave some of these things in my bag, they never leave it. I am going to be
purchasing a backpack for Aiden that he will learn to pack up and take with
him. Independence teaching is vital to future life. Control of their
environment is key.
Show me how you are doing! Post your creative ideas on our Facebook page- Aiden's Heroes or post pictures as a comment to this blog. Share your creativity with others and help them along their journey as well. You always have a voice here, with us.
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