Another school year has begun, and it can be chaotic. Getting organized early can be an essential tool in your student’s survival toolkit. Organization is helpful for anyone, but it is essential for students with low or no vision. It’s frustrating when you’re unable to find needed items, especially if using vision to look for them is not an option. You can help stem this frustrating time waster by having consistent locations for items and communicating with your child if you are going to move things around.
As the old saying goes, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Wise words that can curtail stress, confusion, and arguments.
Teaching organization starts at home. A student’s personal items at home and school should be organized and have specific, consistent locations. Clothing, toiletries, school supplies, and assistive devices should all be located conveniently and easily accessible. Below are a few ideas for getting organized, but we recommend brainstorming with your child to find ways that work for them.
- Use Braille, tactile, or colored labels on drawers, near hooks, on shelves, etc.
- Have hooks near the door at home for items like white canes, backpacks, and jackets. Have your child take and return their personal items to the hooks or storage locations.
- Have an organized method for storing clothing. For example, pants, shirts, socks, etc. go in different drawers. Hang shirts and pants by color or pair outfits ahead of time and keep them separated with drawer dividers or something similar. Use sock sorters – some styles can also be used for gloves and mittens if they don’t already have clips or strings keeping them together.
- Use keychains, safety pins, or ring binders on zippers to differentiate jackets, bags, and pockets. These can also make it easier for children to zip and unzip.
- Use storage containers that your child can open independently for school supplies, toys, etc.
- Keep snacks sorted and organized in a way that allows your child to choose their own snacks and put them into their lunchbox. You can use storage containers like the ones mentioned above.
- Organize backpacks so that items consistently go in specific pockets or storage containers. Have your child pack the bag so they know where things are located.
- If your child has difficulty knowing which shoe is for the left or right foot you can use a safety pin with a charm on one shoe. Placement should consistently be on the right or left shoe for every pair.
- Keep toiletry items such as toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, etc. stored separately and in a consistent location where they’re easy to access.
Even very young children can help organize their personal items and we encourage involving them in the process. By involving them your child will learn important concepts and skills, making them more independent. Step back as they get older and let them practice organizational skills on their own. It may take longer, and your child may organize differently from you, but it’s important for them to build the independence and self-confidence that comes from allowing them to do things for themselves. Doing things for your child may seem kind and be more efficient but it does not help in the long run. If it’s necessary for someone else to organize items or a space, involve them as much as possible and ensure the child knows where things are located.
We can’t talk about organization without also discussing time management. A routine can help students get the sleep they need and get everyone out the door on time in the hectic morning rush.
- Develop a consistent morning routine with your child.
- Have your child lay out their clothing the night before. This is a great time to discuss appropriate clothing for weather and occasions.
- Have your child help get things ready the night before. For example, allow them to choose and pack their snacks and lunch. They could also help pack their own backpack and check that the necessary supplies, homework, paperwork are in the correct pockets, based on the organization method you’ve chosen, and easy to find.
- Keep tasks moving and work on concepts of time by letting your child know the time needed for a task or what time they need to leave the house. Setting timers can be a great way to keep a routine on track.
Once organization and time management skills are being practiced at home, we strongly recommend working closely with your child’s team at school to carry through on these skills and routines. Your child’s Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) and their Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS) can work with you and the school team to develop organizational habits and routines. If your child does not have a TVI or COMS, talk to the school team, reach out to your eye doctor, or contact an agency like Future In Sight to determine if those services are appropriate for your child. Teaching skills and strategies early is important for any child’s development and success in school and beyond, and for those children living with a visual impairment or blindness it is vital.
About the author: Rhonda Haller, M.Ed., COMS, is a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist at Future In Sight.