Here at reSPACEd, about 70 percent of our clients tell us they have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Adults with ADHD often struggle with disorganization because they may have trouble staying focused on monotonous tasks such as sorting mail or going through bins of toys. Getting organized can also be a struggle because clients might have a hard time breaking a big project down into manageable chunks, making decisions, creating functional categories or letting things go.
Never fear! With our additional training and years of experience working with clients with ADHD, we have lots of ways of making the organization process easier, faster and more effective. Here are some examples of our methods:
- At the beginning of the session, we explain the structured 4-step organizing process we will be using, so clients can know exactly what to expect.
- We check in with the client throughout the session to make sure the pacing and the strategies we are using are working with the client’s energy level and mood. We are always happier to speed things up for our high-energy clients or slow things down for our clients who need more processing time.
- If clients feel overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in the room, we can use a sheet to cover up the areas we won’t be tackling that day. Thanks to ADHD professional organizing author Judith Kolberg for that tip!
- Along the same lines, we can pack up a box with things to sort and take it into a safer room or out on the patio to sort, if the room we are working in brings up feelings of overwhelm or features too many distractions.
- We make a concerted effort to keep the sessions light and fun by chatting with clients throughout. We are happy to turn up the music (client’s choice!) and bump up the energy and enthusiasm! This can make a task feel like it’s zipping along!
- We take 5-minute breaks here and there, and remind clients to drink water and eat a snack, if necessary. Need a longer break? We are happy to let clients rest for a while while we organizers continue to do preliminary sorting and labeling of the area, if the client would like.
- We stop 30 minutes before the end of the session to put things away, dump trash and recycling, and clean up. We know you are tired at the end of the session, so let us clean up the mess!
- We never assign homework in between sessions unless the client specifically asks us to.
We love working with clients with ADHD because we love their energy, great sense of humor, problem-solving prowess and creativity. If you feel ready to ask for help getting organized, please be sure to contact us here at reSPACEd. Let’s chat!
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