Many children have difficulty planning and organizing their homework. A child with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, TBI and other neurological conditions, however, tends to have an especially difficult time organizing to both do homework and turn it in. Although the child may be very bright, he/she may fail classes due to lack of turned in assignments.
The IEP team may create a goal, “Student will write down his assignments in his planner in all classes with minimal prompts in 5/6 daily classes.” But, just writing the assignment down in a calendar may not be enough. The student may need explicit steps, materials, motivation and checklists to get them through the thinking and organization process.
Michelle Garcia Winner has created a fabulous Homework Planning Guide. It is a table that asks the student to write down many of the steps involved in an assignment. Here is an example of a guide:
If you have a child who struggles with organization, turning in assignments, or completing their work, try breaking down ALL the steps. Remember, as the child gets older, he/she needs to become more and more independent. Tools such as the Homework Planning Guide may help him/her towards independence.
CC is a Speech-Language Pathologist and mother of 2. Find more speech ideas on her daily blog: If Only I Had Super Powers.