Back to School Tools for Kids with ADHD
Heading back to school with ADHD is not an easy task and is often involves more than just a few jitters. There are lots of things we, as parents of amazing ADHD children, can do to make heading back to school easier – for the whole family.
Heading back to school can be a very trying time. But in this article you’ll find lots of things to help.
Must Haves for Back to School With ADHD
Here are a few things that you will use on a daily basis throughout the school year .
Dry Erase Boards
Small, dry erase boards have so many uses. Some of them include:
- Writing down what’s needed for school
- Doing a math problem along with your child
- Making checklists for yourself or your kids
- Writing fun, inspirational notes for your kids
- Taking dictation from your kids for them to write in their own time
- Writing steps to completing a larger assignment
- And many, many more!
You’ll want a few dry erase boards because they will be in constant use! I use them for chore lists and reminders and notes to my husband and to myself.
Seriously, you won’t know what you ever did without one( or three)!
I bought mine on Amazon(small, medium and large), but this is something to look for at Goodwill, too!
The Case-It Binder
We had to buy a new Case-It Binder this year…my son’s old one finally got a bit too raggedy after 4 years!
This helps kids who struggle to be organized in check – it’s been a life saver for my son as soon as he started changing classes in middle school. It pretty much fits everything in it – even his chrome book fits in and can be zipped up.
Best Case-it for Middle School:
This Case-it has two binders with room for lots of folders and worked best for middle school.
Best Case-it for High School or to hold a laptop:
This version has one small binder and an accordian folder built-in.
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Time Timer
We use these timers ALL THE TIME!! Timers can be used at many points during the day to keep kids on task, get them out the door, and start building their sense of time.
This year they will be used for homework, screen time or reminders to get out of the shower!
Each kid can use a timer for so many things:
- Remind themselves when they have to get ready to leave for school
- Setting work time and break time
- Self-timing for tests and quizzes
- Set for reading break
- Math facts practice
- Instrument practice
- Video game time
Timers are so great because they help kids be more independent and in charge of their own learning…a goal we can all be working towards.
Side note about timers and ADHD: ADHD kids usually have “time blindness”, that is they have no idea how to estimate the passage of time and usually grossly under or over estimate how long a task will take.
Timers have been a helpful part of getting my two boys with ADHD to understand how long 10 minutes or half an hour is. The visual red swath helps them to see how fast time is passing! These things are brilliant!
My kids use this one and this one.
***Update on The Time Timer****
It’s like my two favorite things had a baby!! The Time Timer has a dry erase board version that is so awesome!! My younger son took one of these to school with him last year and it was a hit.
These are so great for helping kids stay on track, whether they are at school or at home.
The Planner for Kids who Hate Planners
My son really struggled to find the right planner during middle school. This year for his second year of high school, we’re getting this planner again!! It worked well last year and it has tons of 5 star reviews.
It’s from Order Out of Chaos and has some simple features which help kids stay organized.
I think this worked really well for my teen with ADHD because:
- The layout is simple, with plenty of room to write.
- The pages are organized by class, not just be the date.
- There is space to check off when the day’s assignments are done.
- After school activities have their own section each day.
- There is a nice monthly calendar, as well as pages for each day.
Clipboards
Having a clipboard for each of your kids allows them to work, easily in different places around your home. Having a hard surface to write on, means they can be sitting on a sofa, int the car or outside, if needed.
Clipboards can be great organizers – for kids who have a hard time keeping things neat and tidy! There is less crinkly and ripping of paper. Several sheets can be kept on at one time.
And maybe best of all — it’s hard to lose a sheet of homework when it’s attached to a clipboard.
Each family member can have a clipboard with their to-do’s!
Hang them on 3M hooks where all can see! See how much you are going to love them?
I bought mine at Goodwill, but these are really inexpensive, too.
Need More Help With ADHD?
My all time most read post on breakfasts is HERE.
Read about our ADHD Story HERE.
How I get my ADHD Teen to sleep like a baby, HERE.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and extensive article! As someone who’s worked in special education for the past three years, I know there are all sorts of parents of kiddos of all ages who can use this information and students who will benefit from it. My daughter (10th grade) has recently come to me saying that she’d like to be screened for ADHD after she did so poorly with online learning (after being a consistent B to A student all through her school career), and she wants to do better this year. Sometimes, it takes a change to identify a student who has different needs with learning. This is definitely going to help me be best prepared for the “blended” approach her school plans to take until I can get a formal identification of any special needs she has. Thanks again and know that your advice will be helping us for sure!
Hi Theresa! So insightful of your daughter! Distance learning is so challenging for us all. Let’s hope we are back to “normal” soon. Let me know what you find success with. Your daughter is lucky to have you!
I’m a mom of ADD boys too, and I LOVE this article. We are doing virtual school, and I forgot to make sure they have a clipboard for days they do their work on the sofa b/c the fact is that will happen. I pinned this on like four different boards. Promise I’m not crazy it’s just I know other moms can use this too.
HI April!!! Thanks so much for the feedback. I love to share ideas that will help busy moms like us. We’re all in this together. How is virtual learning going so far?