Teens with ADD and ADHD are often thought of as “visual organizers”--that means we like to be able to see where things are. Sometimes we hate to put games and tools away out of sight because we can’t always remember where we put them.

I know I’m a visual organizer. Although I may look totally disorganized, I’m actually pretty organized in my own way. Most of the time I can find things within three minutes which time management experts say indicates a pretty good level of organization. I usually know where my tools are, because I can see them in my mind. It’s like I have a mental map of where I used them last.

To be organized you must have some special skills that include:
1. having a good memory,
2. figuring out the problem,
3. developing a logical plan to solve the problem,
4. making yourself get started on the plan.
These important skills are sometimes called executive functions. Unfortunately, many of us with ADD or ADHD lack some of these critical executive function skills. If you’re interested, there is more information about executive functioning in Appendix 8. Although there are medicines to help you pay attention, there are no medicines to specifically help with executive function problems such as disorganization and difficulty planning ahead. Hopefully scientists will find some new medicines to improve executive function skills so that you can be better organized and plan for the future more easily.

Unfortunately, some adults think that teens with attention deficits are less mature and responsible than their friends who don’t have attention deficits. In fact, experts tell us that students with ADD and ADHD mature four to six years later than their friends. So, in many ways, a 16-year-old with an attention deficit is going to act more like he or she is 10 or 11. Of course, none of us likes hearing this news. Having this developmental delay, however, means that many of us will need more supervision and support at a time when most parents and teachers believe they should be giving us less supervision. And most likely you also think adults should be less involved in your life! In truth, each of us wants to be our own boss NOW.

As far as seeking independence from parents goes, many teens with attention deficits feel that they should have the freedom of a 21-year-old. That means we’re always pushing for more freedom, while our parents are trying to slow that process down. Sometimes my parents referred to that as “pushing the envelopes.”

Getting Organized at Home
I know disorganization is a huge problem for me and is something I need to work on. Everyone wants to be able to find things; I know I do. When my room is really messy, clothes, and games get lost. Then I have to waste time looking for them. When I’m already running late, I don’t have time to hunt for something lost in the rubble. And sometimes I do feel embarrassed when friends come over and my room looks like a pigsty. When I was in high school, our garage was such a disaster; we couldn’t even park a car in it.
My room. My room was always messy. At first my parents fussed a lot, but they finally gave up and just shut the door.
Taking things apart. I was always curious and loved to take gadgets apart. Then I would leave the pieces lying all over the carpet. My parents said we had an “electronic graveyard” at our house from all the things I took apart but never put back together.
Why I’m messy. Ideas are always popping into my mind. So before I can finish and clean up after one project, I get another idea that leads to another project. I always think of something else that has to be done right away. Other times, I get too focused on one thing and before I know it, I haven’t done anything else I was supposed to do that day. So, I hurry on to the next project and leave my mess in the middle of the floor.

By the end of the day, I’m burned out. The next morning, when I get up. I forget to clean up my first project. Later when I look at the mess, I feel totally overwhelmed with it and have no idea where to begin or what to do first. Sometimes when I’m cleaning, I don’t know where to put things. I figure it will take forever anyway, so why bother.

Advice on Getting Organized at Home

Alex’s Advice: Here are some ideas that help me get organized--most of the time.
Getting your room organized.
*Set aside time to clean up your room. I usually knew it was time to clean my room when my mother couldn’t walk across the floor to my bed without falling over something. Work out a cleaning schedule with your parents. Pick a time when you’re not rushed and can have a couple of uninterrupted hours to work on it.
*Consider taking medication. It’s easier for me to clean my room and stay focused when my medicine is working.
*Divide your room into sections. If you need to “see” the sections of your room, take some rope or yellow “crime scene” tape and divide it into four to six section until it is clean. Continue cleaning until it is all done.
*Organize everything to be cleaned up into three or four categories. Organize them in two or three laundry baskets plus a garbage can. One basket may be for things to take to the kitchen, another for dirty laundry, and the third may be for clothes to be hung up. Of course throw away all your garbage.
*Stay focused Make yourself stay focused. Don’t let yourself get distracted when you’re going through things. Sometimes I’ll find something that I’ve been looking for months. I always want to stop and work on whatever treasure I’ve just found. I totally forget that I’m supposed to be cleaning my room.
*Set aside some things for later. One way to avoid getting distracted is to start a “come back to later pile” that you can work on after you finish cleaning your room.
*Set a timer to go off every 15 minutes as a reminder. Ask yourself, “ Am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing?”
*Get your parents to help. Ask your parents to clean the room with you. That way, after you understand what they mean when they say “clean up,” you can do it on your own.
Make a list of what your parents mean when they say “clean up your room.” For example, make the bed put your dirty clothes in the hamper, put your games away, hang up your clothes and vacuum.

Amelia Advice:
*Listen to music. When I clean my room, I listen to music. It keeps me interested and keeps me from getting distracted.