As adults, we use strategies to organize our lives. We put papers in color-coded folders, use shoe racks, and schedule appointments with PDA's, calendars, and lists to organize our environments.

Providing children with similar strategies helps them organize their environments and promotes independence. Although we try and help kids organize by reminding them to put their things away, many children often need examples and support to succeed at organizing their lives.

Below are a few tips for helping kids take their organization to the next level.

1. Toys
   Use pictures or drawings of items to remind children where things belong. Cut pictures from the newspaper or use a picture from the toy's box. Tape images on shelves and in toy boxes so children clearly know where toys belong.
   
   Pictures and labels also can be used outside totes and
   bins to indicate where animals, art supplies, or other small toys belong.



2. Shoes
   Provide a mat, box, or shelf for shoes. If kids remove their shoes in the entranceway, be sure to place the box or mat immediately inside or outside the door. If people wear shoes in the home, be sure to have the box, shelf, or mat located in the child's room in an easy to access location.



3. Bathroom
   Use toothbrush, soap, cup, and toothpaste holders to provide a natural reminder where things belong.
   
   Towels should be housed on a towel rod or ring so children know where to return them when they finish drying their
   hands and face.
   
   All areas should be accessible when the child is standing on the floor or on a step stool so they can be responsible for putting their own items away.



4. Desk
   Create a jig or outline of the location where each object belongs. Place outlines on the top of the desk and in the desk drawers to let children know where to find and return their notebooks, pencils, crayons, and other school materials.
   
   Clearly defining areas is important for kids to independently locate and return writing and working materials.



5. Book Bag
   Give children the resources they need to organize their papers, pencils, and other school supplies.
   
   Folders are a way to keep papers sorted by subject. Be sure to use folders with pockets that are secure and provide enough space for necessary pages.
   
   Label notebooks and use different color books for different subjects. For pencils, erasers, and pens select a bag with pockets for these items or purchase a pencil holder.
   
   Make a weekly routine, possibly Sunday evening, or removing any unnecessary papers and materials from the book bag so children can stay organized and find their important materials.



6. Clothes
   Drawers should be easy to open and closets should have hangers and shelving children can reach easily.
   
   As with toys, children can benefit from a picture,
   drawing, or words indicating where clothes belong.
   Provide enough hangers and shelving so clothes fit
   neatly in the closet or drawers.
   
   Dirty clothing should be put in a convenient place.
   Be sure hampers are easy to access and near areas
   where the children remove their clothes. If children
   change in the bedroom and in the bathroom,
   place hampers in both locations.

Thanks, Linda, for a most informative workshop today in King of Prussia! I already use tons of visual supports but came away from your presentation with new ideas for both materials and implementation strategies that I can use with my students. Your Visual Toolbox is a terrific resource which I will certainly put to good use in my elementary school and when I share the info with the speech/language staff of 80 SLPs.   Pat Mervine

Have YOU attended Visual Strategies on TOUR?
Can you join me in one of these cities?

Check these locations:

• Kansas City, MO
• Santa Ana, CA
• Murfreesboro
  (Nashville), TN

Many people have asked.

Now there is a Time Timer that makes a sound when time is up.

This is definitely a "MUST HAVE" for your collection of visual supports.

Are you planning for your staff
in-service training for next year? Do you ever get complaints about boring programs filled with useless information?

Visual Strategies Workshops are packed with lots of practical "how-to" information that participants can take back to use the next day.

Here is what one program planner said
"In my 25 years+ of educational experience (14 as an admin), I have never seen a group of educators so attentive!" - Administrator

Give your educators effective tools to make a difference
with their students.

.

Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Consultant for Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the author of the bestseller, Visual Strategies for Improving Communication, one of the most recommended books in the field of autism.

Internationally recognized as a powerful and informative speaker and consultant, Linda has presented her insightful and dynamic workshops to audiences of educators and parents worldwide.

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