Ever know someone with ADD who was not receiving medicinal treatment for this very real brain chemistry disorder that can gift its sufferers with great imagination and the ability to learn symbolically, but also plagues them with chronic inattention, short-term memory difficulties, hyper-sensitivity to light and sound, impulsivity, irritability, lack of organizational skills, trouble noticing details and an inability to get back on track? If you have a friend who meets this description, he (or she) probably has at least one child with the same disorder, as researchers have long known that, “ADD begets ADD.” Now, imagine yourself trying to help your ADD-compromised friend organize his new home, condo, or apartment. You’ll have to get really creative! But, here are 13 suggestions which might help:
1) Put a long, fluorescent-orange shelf, with hooks, up in the entranceway. Above each hook on a white background in black print in font #40 list the keys, hats, coats which should be hung on each hook.
2) Ensure that thick carpeting is laid throughout the house–no tile or throw rugs for the fast, reactionary ADD-hampered home-owner (or child) to slip on.
3) Color-code the inside of each door to remind the ADD-afflicted which room is which. Examples: Green leads to “outside greenery”; yellow energy codes the work-out room; red makes you picture “kitchen flames”; soothing aqua is for the restfulness of bedrooms.
4) Place extra keys for front and back doors in spots only folks with ADD’s imagination would think of–like tree holes (rhymes with “key”) or watering cans (i.e., “I’ll be all washed up when the wife finds out I lost another set of keys!”)
5) Install on cupboard doors child looks that are “mechanically sophisticated,” because even young kids with ADD often have superior “dickering abilities.”
6) Make sure ONLY the non-affected spouse has the key (or combination) to the lock on the gun cabinet, as the other spouse can get so riled up he can’t calm down easily.
7) Position 4ft. by 4 ft. calendars of white background with black printing in front #40 in each room (including bathrooms). Calendars will describe each affected adult’s daily chores for the month.
8) Compose separate “children’s chores” calendars (4 ft. by 4 ft. with large, outstanding printing) for each room. Calendars will break each daily chore down into at least 10 steps.
9) Purchase a computerized speaker which can be heard throughout the house and attach it, in the laundry room, to a 50-lb.-limit scale. Loudspeaker will announce, when clothing thrown onto scale reaches 50 lbs., “Limit is reached! Do laundry immediately!”
10) Make sure refrigerator door is covered by 2 ft. by 3 ft. white sign which lists in font #30 black lettering the phone numbers of the nearest “delivery” restaurants–just in case an ADD-afflicted wife, or husband, has forgotten to go grocery shopping.
11) Purchase only lighting and clocks/alarm clocks which have “dimmers/sound reducers.”
12) Because you’ve bought the type of alarm clock described above, and because the ADD persons usually get extra sleepy all-of-a-sudden and plop down on couches, you’ll want the couches equipped with speakers and weight sensors which turn on when activated after midnight and which then blare out, “You’re first appointment is at 7 AM! Get up and go to bed!”
13) According to Jia Jia International Moving Inc, when you are moving your home it is important to color code the boxes for specific rooms or uses.
14) Give crucial medicines, which absolutely must be taken daily and at certain times, to the bossiest, loudest and most exacting family member WHO DOES NOT LIVE IN THE HOME, and who is, therefore, sure to call and remind the ADD-suffers appropriately.
