The start of a new school year causes anxiety in almost every student, but can be especially anxiety provoking for ADD or ADHD students, especially if the student is moving up to a new school. ADD or ADHD students need time to adjust to a new school and the new schedule and surroundings. Often students find it helpful to visit and walk through the new school before the start of classes. A good day for this is when students pick up his or her schedule and locker assignment. Plan to allow from 30 to 60 minutes of exploration time and time to practice opening a new locker.

Students find it helpful to walk his or her schedule, and go from 1st hour class all the way through to the final hour of the day. Causing more anxiety are schedules with A and B days. This means on an A day you go to hours 1,3,5,7 and on B days you go to 2,4,6,8. The A and B days rotate which can take time to adjust to and remember that if you end on an A day on Friday then Monday starts with a B day.

When exploring new schools for the first time, be sure to locate bathrooms, water fountains, lunchrooms, and the gymnasium. Some students share a locker with a peer and a short discussion on boundaries may prevent future problems. Respecting personal boundaries and property is important. Remind students to leave electronics like Cameras, CD, DVD, Game boys, MP3, Nintendo DS, and other personal items of value at home.

Student binders can be a lifesaver for ADD or ADHD students. The enclosable binders that allow a student to carry folders, pens, pencils, calculators, and paper are essential in preventing lost homework assignments or important notices from school. Using a color-coded folder system may help ADD or ADHD students remember to turn in completed assignments and bring home essential supplies for completing the assignment at home.

Use a red colored folder for incomplete assignments to be finished after school. Red means STOP do your homework, placing a red stop sign on the outside of this folder is a good reminder for the student. A green folder is where students place completed homework papers that are ready to turn into the teacher the next school day. Essentially, green means GO turn in your work, and a good visual reminder is a green light or a GO sign. Last, a third colored folder usually a blue one is where students put graded papers, important school announcements, permission slips, and any additional communications between school and home, like notes from parents, teachers, and students. A picture of a home is a good visual reminder that these papers go home to mom or dad.

By using a binder, that encompasses folders, assignment book, and school supplies in one central location ADD or ADHD students are less likely to forget to turn in assignments or to bring essentials needed to each class. Initially as students are in elementary or middle school by using the color coded folders and a visual sign pasted to the folder it will help ADD or ADHD students understand what the red, green, and blue means, so in later years the habit becomes naturally ingrained.

ADD or ADHD students usually have difficulty with learning organizational skills and when school advances and more responsibility is placed on individual students, this binder color coding system helps them become independent. In no way should parents or teacher be the one packing a student’s backpack outside of elementary school.

In the first and second grades, parents and teachers may need to remind students to check the correct color folder and to bring the papers to parents or teachers. Yet, if parents and teachers continue to pack a child’s backpack, the student will continue to be non-complacent about school responsibilities and students need to be actively learning how to organize school life. If students do not learn consequences early in his or her school career, he or she will simply have greater difficulties down the road.