Live Well With ADD

Organization and preparation are the keys to living well with ADD. Take time before the school year starts to develop some routines for your family to make life easier.

 

Part of the thrill of living well with Attention Deficit Disorder is consciously and intentionally planning those parts of life where others without ADD just drift along. Organization and preparation are the keys to living well with ADD. The period before the start of the school year gives you ample opportunity to make plans for a successful year. These strategies should include household routines to make life easier.

 

Make a family calendar for events: Whether it is a calendar that you can update on your computer or phone, or a large wall calendar, you need a calendar. Everybody in your family must have access to it. Each person should place their events on the planning calendar, then all members of the family need to know about these occasions. If everybody has a smart phone, there are apps for this!

 

Buy the necessary supplies:  The necessary supplies for success include whatever it takes to keep your student and family organized during the school year. Find out what you need for school. Then, factor in the supplies necessary for any after school activities or household endeavors. These include backpacks, office supplies, filing systems, menus, and anything needed to maintain the routines.

 

Plan your new school year routine: A routine can make your life so much easier. Everybody knows what to do, so the members of your household can operate more independently. At a minimum, you need routines for waking, getting ready for school, after school, dinner, bedtime, and weekends. In the beginning, it can be a good thing to have the routines written down. With younger children, posters are often helpful. Show the routines in words and graphically.

Adjust to the new routines: Begin your new procedures well in advance of school starting. This will help you find any problems that the new routines have. It also allows you to ease into a new rhythm.

 

Get back on meds if you have taken a med holiday (this also applies to anybody in the household): Starting meds lets your body adjust to them. This will also allow you to assess their effectiveness. Make notes about how the medications work.

 

Have a med check: Make an appointment with your medical professional for a med check for any of your family members who are taking medication for Attention Deficit Disorder. Take your notes about how the medications are working. Discuss your reactions to the medications frankly with your medical professional. If somebody needs to switch meds or to change the dosage, then this allows time to adjust before school starts.

 

Review the IEP: If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), read through it. Become familiar with the goals, accommodations, and Behavior Intervention Plan, if applicable. Do this with your child, too. He should know what he is entitled to, based on his IEP. If parts of the IEP need to be tweaked, call for a meeting. Parents are important members of the IEP team, and they can call a meeting.

 

Talk to teachers about expectations: Find out what the teacher expects. Make certain that the teacher is familiar with the IEP accommodations and has a plan to let other teachers know about how to implement them. In addition to knowing the teachers’ expectations, they should also know about yours. Make a written list for them. Be positive. This should not be an adversarial situation. All people who are involved in your child’s education should be on the same page.

 

Engage tutors: If your child has a problem in an academic subject, you might consider engaging a tutor. Many school districts maintain lists of tutors. Also, teachers and other parents are a great resource for finding good, effective tutors.

 

Read books: Books can be very instructive. They can assist you in making decisions about planning and implementing your child’s educational process. Check out the Live Well books that are FREE in September. 

 

You know what routines your family needs. Take time to plan for a successful school year. With planning you have lower stress levels. This can help everybody feel better and live well with Attention Deficit Disorder!