child development question

[NotOnUrNelly]

DS is in year 6, has ASD and is totally scatty. Anyway current teacher is on a crusade to get him 'organised' before he goes to secondary. Essentially he is way too immature to be going to secondary next year, so I understand her concern. However she reckons that year 6 children should be capable of getting their stuff organised, making sure everything is in their school bag each day and able to remember to take it to school. I suspect she is deluded if she thinks the NT kids do this without their mums running around after them? I'm going to be in a home for the bewildered myself at this rate...

Well my eldest is only 5. But there was no way I could do that in year 6. Mind you I'm dyspraxic so I'm scatty too.

My daughter is 13, nt and very bright. Only this morning she did an emergency run back to the house because she had forgotten her games bag! I suspect his teacher may be a little deluded lol

They should be able to, with the same amount of forgetting and losing that anyone does, lol

DD is in P7 (Scotland) she pretty much gets herself ready in the morning tbh

I agree the teacher is deluded but maybe you could make a start?

DD is NT and in year 6 and bright as a button but everyday she forgets to bring something home or take something to school. As the saying goes she would forget her head if it wasnt screwed on.

DS is 6 with SN and he actually is the one that chases DD to the door with the bits she forgot!

I would try a list or a chart to stick inside the front of the bag just as a gentle reminder. To be honest once they get to senior school they carry all the books all of the time where my eldest went so I dont think it will make such a big deal. :)

Actually that's a fair point about senior school - DS who does have organizational issues got much better when he moved up, because he has a timetable and can look at that to see what he needs instead of just having to remember what day PE or whatever was on or when homework was due and because everything has to go in his bag at the end of every lesson he doesn't leave things behind as much.

Doesn't stop him trying to get dressed before he's taken his pyjamas off or leaving his entire PE bag behind right enough, lol

I'm terminally scatty. Here's some of what I do day to day. Most of my family has similar systems so for us it's normal. ( I was a bit shocked on my early bird plus course recently to discover most people don't live like this lol!)

List on the front door with what you need to take each day. A cheap tesco value white board or laminated sheet is ideal as you can tick the items off before you leave the house. Also pin a "letters for school" wallet next to it so trip letters etc actually make it back to school.

A laminated list that's permanently attached to school bag that states what has to come home each day (this must include the homework diary btw for secondary!)

organisedmum.com does wicked calenders and diaries - they aren't cheap but the stickers are so cool and the layouts are very visual.

Blackboard paint one side of the bedroom door to use for list makers for random reminders for "stuff"

Coloured post it notes are your friends. I post them round my screen and then remove them as tasks are done.

Blackboard in the kitchen to write up when we use stuff up - that becomes part of the week's shopping list.

I used to have a laminated list pinned inside my swimming bag to remind me to shower then dry then cream (excema) as a teen

It becomes a very effective way of life - I used to earn good money planning multi-million pound projects for a living. If you know any adult/teen dyslexics they'll prob have all sorts of good visual personal organisation ideas.

It is important to teach some strategies if you don't want your adult DS stranded in a strange town with no wallet, or train ticket home someday, it's not just about school. Lots and lots of patience while he learns the systems that help him on your part are needed. My friends used to get incredibly frustrated with me when we were teens due to my scattyness before I'd sussed what worked for me & I'm NT. ASD will make that need for patience greater & you will probably find the teacher expects him to progress at a far quicker rate than he is able. Stick with it though as it will pay massive dividends in adult life regardless of the demands of school. His TA should be helping too with this. If he doesn't crack it till year 10 - so what? So long as he gets there in the end.