Organization for Anya

Anya was creative, intelligent, and always full of energy. Her teachers enjoyed having her in class for the new ideas she offered and her participation in classroom activities. But her backpack looked like a hurricane had hit it. Crumpled worksheets disappeared into the bottom of her bag, half-finished projects got mixed up, and she often forgot what books to bring home. She spent hours looking for things she had just had in her hand. Homework, obviously, suffered when she did not bring the right books back home for completion. Teachers assumed she was disorganized because she didn’t care. But Anya knew that her problems had increased since high school after students were made fully responsible for their lockers at school and schedule of books to carry to each class.

As the academic coach at her school, we helped Anya first notice her patterns. What did she do when a worksheet reached her desk? What did she do with her books at the end of each class when she had to move to another room for the next subject? How did she pack her bag before heading out home after school?

We then helped Anya understand that her challenges were not because she did not care, but due to executive dysfunction of organization. She noticed that her cluttering and hoarding, forgetfulness, and trouble managing materials were all common challenges of executive functioning. It was important to help Anya feel understood, not judged.

We then worked with Anya to create color-coded folders, a clean-out routine at the end of each school day, and a checklist taped inside her locker. At home, we helped her create designated spaces for school items like worksheets, books needed for homework, books needed for reference, daily in/out folders, etc.

These helped Anya become less disorganized with her items. Importantly, she found herself missing fewer homework deadlines and improving her reputation among teachers and friends.

(All names and references are changed to protect privacy.)