DD college lanyard woes (ADHD)

[CampbellFairfax]

My DD is meant to wear a lanyard at college with her student pass in it - she needs it to get in/out of buildings, buy lunch etc. She has ADHD and lost/forgot it most days last year until she started keeping her pass in her phone case and all was well from then on.

Fast forward to yr13 and shes Head Girl and been told she has to physically wear the lanyard to lead by example. Day 3 and she’s lost it already and is distraught.

Anyone got any tried and tested tips or solutions to help?

As a fellow ADHDer, this is spot on.

My pass goes in the left pocket of my bag. It cannot deviate. As soon as I leave the office turnstile, it goes back in the left pocket. Putting it anywhere else would redult in unmitigated disaster.

Reasonable adjustment to not wear

Trying different lanyard so don’t have sensory issues

Lanyard always with phone or something else she must always have for college and does not forget or on neck/other solutions mentioned. if need be lanyard with phone out of college as well.

If none of these work and I would challenge on disability grounds college not agreeing reasonable adjustments then there would be the option of not being head girl - getting her qualification is more important, so if she is not attending due to the badge then that’s what would go. (I’d have suggested moving school or college but I presume she is half way through qualification.)

OP said nothing about her DD hating rules. In fact, she showed her DD is so scared to break rules that she's anxious to go to school without her pass.

How on earth have you leapt from the DD losing a pass (and looking for strategies to avoid that happening), to her never being able to get a job?

I thought people's knowledge of ADHD had improved in recent years, but sadly this thread is showing the opposite.

i'd suggest to the school that they come up with a different way of signalling that she's Head Girl (a sew-on badge?).
And that, seeing as someone with different needs has become Head Girl, which is fantastic, maybe they could change their thinking and think instead that she can 'lead by example' by showing her peers that someone with differences is just as capable as someone without.

I do mislay my phone all the time but only in the house -I just phone it to find it. Of course, outside the house it lives in a defined spot in my bag - always the same place for that bag and I never put it down out of the house - it stays in my hand the whole time it is out of my bag.

THIS ....COLOUR PHOTO COPY AND LAMINATE PUT IN THE LANYARD, REAL ONE IN THE PHONE. EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE INSISTING SHE DO WEAR THE LANYARD THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD DUE TO UNNECESSARY ANXIETY CAUSED BY THEIR SOLUTION. CITE ADHD

Maybe it isn't the best role for her though. Someone should be realistic and not put this undue pressure on her.

The college and the op's dd need to find a role more suitable. Volunteering with after school clubs or being involved in any shows and events. I'm sure she has lots of excellent skills but if part of being headgirl is being organised it's maybe not the ideal thing for her and there's no shame in that.

The whole thing about living with a condition is finding something that lets you shine not something that makes you feel useless.

In my HHS Trust we use things like these ID card holders - lanyards are a no-no due to infection control. These can clip at the waist iron to pickets or even a neckline.
Retractable Badge Reel with Claw Clasp and Clip for Id Card Holders (2Pack) https://amzn.eu/d/02M3F7lx

So this thread is seeking help and support but you choose to insult and deride a teen. It seems you can’t even meet the purpose of the thread so why don’t you keep your opinions to yourself.
I really hope this is a bot, as the lazy nastiness of your post is so depressing.

Dd puts her lanyard on before leaving the house (ditto glasses) and doesn't take it off until she's home. Not sure what the issue actually is here, it seems simple. The lanyard should have an extender on it so she doesn't need to remove it to swipe.

Wow! This blew up!

THANK YOU to every poster who has made really helpful suggestions and shared links and tips. It’s appreciated and I’m hopeful there’s a strategy here that will work!

THANK YOU also to those who have argued against the misinformed and unkind posters (so I don’t have to!).

THANK YOU to those who appreciate that my DD (and others like her) work so much harder than their NT peers to succeed in our school system. I am enormously proud of who she is and all she has achieved. She went for HG because she wanted other young ADHDers to know not to write themselves off like she did at 13.

And for those PPs asking saying how will she cope in the real world, the answer is probably with some difficulty in some areas. Just like the rest of us.

Generally Head Girl is someone with an exemplary record - academic, conduct and attendance.

She's been given the role, so presumably it suits her in many ways.
A lanyard seems like a very small thing to be a deal-breaker.

She's missing college as it's so stressful, she distraught. If it isn't the lanyard it'll be something else.
Someone here has to be realistic and practical. Find a role that plays to her strengths not her weaknesses.

Oh give over. Throwing the baby out with the bath water. The OP’s asked for practical suggestions for attaching the lanyard securely and received them.

The OP says, Because she’s inspirational in a multitude of ways, as her peers and teachers all realise.
This role does seem to play to her strengths, apart from this one blip about the lanyard. A realistic and practical approach might be to find an alternative/accept that there is more than one way to lead by example.

She was missing college last autumn - it was a new school, she didn’t know anyone, it was overwhelming. Since then she has settled and flourished, hence her appointment as HG.

The lanyard thing doesn’t mean she’ll be a terrible leader. Quite the opposite; her many other roles that play to her strengths as you say (including her part time job as a play worker with disabled children and her sports leadership in school) mean that the school and her new peers think she is an excellent person to lead them.

I’ve no doubt she’ll find an adaption for the lanyard and do just fine. I’m grateful for the creative solutions offered.

Have you any idea how ableist and discriminatory this statement is ?

It’s anything but simple. But you’d know that if you read the updates.

So the post you quoted has gone entirely over your head then ?

Agree.

"That's correct, and as Head Girl I aim to be an inclusive and supportive leader who understands that the Equality Act entitles those with disabilities to reasonable adjustments. I'm sure you feel the same about your role as a school leader."

Which is the whole problem.

Would a clip-on holder with the lanyard on elastic be better for her - it could stay on a pocket, belt loop or lapel? I use one at work as I'm not keen on things round my neck but the pass has to be visible all the time onsite.

I can't recommend a brand because I work in corporate-land and all mine are free promotional ones from suppliers, but plenty of different colour options from Amazon etc.

Do you ever read a thread before commenting? Clearly not,🙄