Hi mums, my eldest will start high school in just over a week, he is currently on a wait list to see a pediatrician as I suspect he might have add. He's got trouble with getting organised and I have to tell him what to do, down to putting jox on, if I don't it won't get done as he gets distracted. He's also had trouble since grade 4 to get tasks finished in school and is easily distracted. I'm just wondering if there's anyone else out there who's got an older child that's not yet diagnosed ( we've been on the wait list for nearly 2 years) and how I that case you help your child getting organised, have you got any good suggestions of getting ready charts for older kids etc? I worry so much that high school will be too much for him and that he'll end up
In trouble because he can't keep up. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Getting my son organised for highschool
Sunday, 22 January 2017 - 21:02
Getting my son organised for highschool
Posted in:
Education, Behaviour, Kids, Teenagers, Tips and Advice
3 Replies
Im in a similar boat but with my littlie with undiagnosed asd. I have found joining a few facebook parent support and discussion groups really helpful with this kind of thing.
Why such a long wait for an assessment?
I have kids with autism and dyslexia.
I colour coded each school book, my son chose the colours for each subject, I then (painstakingly) covered each book, also covered a 2nd book for maths and English. I colour coded his timetable and got a map of school and colour coded that as well. I stuck a timetable in his school diary and kept one on the fridge at home. I have a shelving area for each child to keep their books, bag, hat, etc. I'd lay clothes out the night before and assist him to pack his bag in the morning, ensuring to allow plenty of time for how slow this whole process is!
There are heaps of free visuals if you search images online, and you can laminate them and stick on fridge or whiteboard, using magnets or Velcro, or just write a routine on a whiteboard or blackboard ie have shower, brush teeth, eat breakfast, etc. Get your son to help with this and to get his feedback. He just ticks it off, or moves the 'visual' to the 'finished' side of the board. What you use depends on your child's cognitive ability.
Most importantly, I had to ban tv and any tech time, far too distracting! Also a good motivator to get all his jobs done, only then he was allowed tech time.
I used timers a lot, still do. My younger son is starting high school next Tuesday, he has ADHD. I will tell him he has X amount of time until we leave and then set my phone timer. PS I always allow an extra 10 or twenty minutes so we're never rushed or stressed. If your son has his own phone or watch, he might like to set his own timer, so long as he keeps to it.
As their parent, I see it as our job to provide all the scaffolding for them to learn these skills, it takes as long as it takes, and sometimes we remove a few bits of scaffolding and they're good to go, other times we might have to build some scaffolding back in for a while. It's trial and error, as all kids are different, and going through puberty just adds another layer of fun ?
Re school, I'd make an appt to see the school counsellor or learning support teacher, or both. Ensure they know all about your son and his needs. Hopefully they will offer some advice and suggestions. Ask them how to ensure all his teachers know how to best support him, so he's not getting labelled as troublesome. Also, when you go along to parent teacher interviews, ensure you tell each of his teachers about his support needs, never rely on others to pass that information on. Good luck!
Please see someone private, a child should not have to wait 2 years (my son has physical disabilities and I know about the public system and I am a single mum!) to get the treatment he deserves. You are jepodizing his whole education by not getting the treatment, he only has one go at this because if he becomes too disengaged/disillusioned by the education system, it will be very hard to get him back on track. At the very least, see an allied health professional (OT, behavioural psychologist), you don't need a diagnosis for them to assist you.