The Organized Child An Effective Program to Maximize Your Kid's Potential—in School and in Life

Are you sick of nagging your child to write down homework assignments? Is his or her backpack a black hole that eats up papers, books, and gym clothes? Organizational skills problems aren't just frustrating--they get in the way of school success and wreak havoc at home. Fortunately, help is at hand. This unique resource stands out from other books because it is based on a scientifically tested program that works. Learn how you can teach your 7- to 13-year-old specific skills to:

*Organize school materials and toys.
*Track assignments.
*Improve time management and planning.
*Overcome brain "Glitches"--mischievous creatures that trip kids up.
*Create and follow effective routines.

Concrete examples, tips for strategically using praise and rewards, and practical tools (you can download and print additional copies as needed) help you implement each step of the program. Maximizing your kid's potential starts now--here's how.

A Greater Good Favorite Parenting Book of 2018

Mental health professionals, see also the related intervention manual from Gallagher et al., Organizational Skills Training for Children with ADHD: An Empirically Supported Treatment.

Richard Gallagher, PhD, is Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center. He is also Director of Special Projects at the Institute for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and Behavior Disorders at the Child Study Center of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital of New York at NYU Langone. Dr. Gallagher is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist who has been treating and evaluating children since the 1980s. He is coauthor of Organizational Skills Training for Children with ADHD: An Empirically Supported Treatment (for mental health professionals) and The Organized Child: An Effective Program to Maximize Your Kid's Potential--in School and in Life (for parents). Dr. Gallagher codeveloped (with Howard B. Abikoff) the Organizational Skills Training Program and codirected the research that serves as the basis for both books.
 
Elana G. Spira, PhD, is Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Child Study Center of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital of New York at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center. She is coauthor of Organizational Skills Training for Children with ADHD: An Empirically Supported Treatment (for mental health professionals) and The Organized Child: An Effective Program to Maximize Your Kid's Potential--in School and in Life (for parents), and participated in developing and testing the Organizational Skills Training Program. Dr. Spira specializes in evidence-based assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD and behavior disorders, and currently sees patients through the NYU Child Study Center’s home- and school-based services in Westchester and Lower Rockland County, New York. She is Director of Research and Evaluation at Westchester Jewish Community Services, a leading social service agency in Westchester County, New York, and Adjunct Lecturer at the NYU Silver School of Social Work
 
Jennifer L. Rosenblatt, PhD, is Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Child Study Center of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital of New York at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center. Dr. Rosenblatt has extensive clinical experience working with children and adolescents, and currently sees patients through the NYU Child Study Center’s home- and school-based services in Westchester and Lower Rockland County, New York, where she specializes in the treatment of ADHD, organizational skills problems, and other learning and behavior challenges. She participated in developing and testing the Organizational Skills Training Program.

I. Understanding Your Child’s Disorganization
1. Organization and the Executive Assistant in Your Child’s Brain
2. From Parent to Coach: Taking on a New Mindset to Get Your Child Organized
3. Discovering Your Child’s Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses
II. Laying the Foundation for Change
4. Overview of the Skills-Building Program
5. Prompt, Monitor, Praise, Reward: How to Motivate Your Child Down the Path toward Organization
6. Building a Connection between Home and School
III. Organizational Skills for School Tasks
7. Tracking Assignments
8. Managing School Materials
9. Time Management for Schoolwork
10. Planning for Long-Term Assignments
IV. Putting the Last Pieces in Place
11. Managing the Glitches at Home
12. Putting It All Together: Making Organizational Skills of Your Routine Every Day
13. When Your Child Needs Additional Help
Appendix: Creating Your Own Planner
Resources