TOP TEN BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS FOR
STUDENTS
WITH BRAIN INJURY:
The summer is on its way out and the back to school bandit is
knocking on your door, calling you to each and every retain store to
buy all of your back to school needs. While marketing agencies have
come up with the catchiest slogans and cartoon characters to
advertise on backpacks and lunchboxes, there are some very practical
things that you can look for as you shop that may help your child
throughout the year. So, as you venture out to do your back to
school shopping, here are some practical items to add to your
shopping and to-do list.:
1. A copy of the student’s locker number & combination and
a locker organizer: A copy of your child’s locker number and
combination may be very helpful to your child. Have your child tape
a copy of this information in his or her organizer and in their
backpack, and be sure to keep an extra copy at home. If your child
also has a gym locker, do the same for the gym locker. Also, most
office supply store and drug stores sell locker organizers that
allow a student to organize their books and materials.
2. A copy of the student’s schedule, school map and a
visit to the school: For schedules, be sure to label class,
teacher’s name, room number and even floor number. Some schools can
even provide you with a map/layout of the school which can help your
child better manage switching classes. It is also helpful to have
your child visit the school before school starts to become familiar
with the layout of the school and where his/her classes and locker
are located.
3. An “organized backpack”: A backpack with various
compartments may help your child keep organized. While a regular
backpack without compartments may look nice, it doesn’t provide your
child with the structure or compartments to keep his or her things
organized.
4. An “organizable” notebook: A multi-subject notebook may
be easier for your child to keep organized than having multiple
notebooks. If your child has organizational difficulties and loses
things easily, it may be easier for your child to remember to bring
one notebook to school as opposed to several. Also choosing a
notebook with tabs that can be used to label each subject can help
your child stay organized. If the notebook does not come with tabs,
you can purchase them and add them separately.
5. Academic journal/organizer: An academic journal or
organizer will help your child write down the assignments that are
due as well as future assignment dates or test dates. This book is
highly recommended if your child has memory problems. This
assignment book will essentially work as a memory book by helping
your child to remember assignments, due dates and upcoming events.
6. Wall calendar: A wall calendar for your child’s room
can also help your child to remember important dates and events.
This can also reinforced deadlines and help with future scheduling.
7. An audio recorder: Depending on your child’s age, with
permission your child’s teacher may allow an audio recorder in the
classroom if your child has trouble focusing and/or recalling
information. An audio recorder would probably be more suitable for
an upper classman in high school and is very commonly used in
college. T his can also be used a study tool for your child to reply
as necessary to recall any information he or she may have missed in
actual lectures.
8. Post it notes and colored flags: Post-it notes are
great because they allow your child to write down things he or she
needs to do and remove them once tasks have been completed. They can
be used to list particular tasks that need to be completed if your
child is having organizational troubles and can also be used if your
child is having troubles and can also be used if your child is
having troubles breaking down steps of tasks. Post-it flags come in
various colors and sizes and can be used to tag certain areas of
books, notebooks, papers, etc. for quicker access to finding the
information a student needs.
9. Strategy Note cards: If your child has received any
rehabilitation and has been given compensatory strategies to help
with deficits, writing them on note cards for him or her to refer to
ma be very helpful. The key to success when utilizing strategy note
cards is to color code them and keeping them organized. For example,
keeping them together in a box at home and in a pocket of the
student’s backpack can help.
10. Highlighters and pencils: Pencils or erasable pens are
great because your child can erase his or her mistakes and can also
help to keep their work neat and tidy, in turn helping with his or
her organization skills. Highlights can also be very helpful in
helping your child remember relevant information.
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