Organizing Accommodations for those with Learning Disabilities

By Becky Esker, President Get Organized! LLC

Those with learning disabilities (LD) often need extra organizing assistance. The unusual path their learning takes often is strengthened by structure and order. LD covers a wide range. Before you can help a client with LD you must first understand there are a multitude of different types of disabilities. This article will address three of the many types of learning disabilities and strategies for accommodating them:

1) Dyslexia
Individuals challenged with dyslexia have a difficult time reading. The most common known type involves letter reversal.

Accommodation: Paperwork will be a huge challenge for this client because of the volume of reading involved. Read and sort the paperwork for the client. Read aloud to them anything that needs their assistance and decision-making. If the client must read the paperwork, highlight the most important points for their perusal. Communicate with the client via telephone and avoid email messages as they require reading.


2) Visual Processing Disorder
After the mind takes in visual written information, it is challenged in the processing stage. It might jumble up the information and not be able keep it straight and organized. Thus, processing what it should be doing is slow and confusing. The results that are produced come much slower than the norm and might be incorrect. The individual might actually know the correct result, but not be able to communicate the correct result.

Accommodation: Do not ask the individuals to “picture” something in their minds or to “picture” where something is in a drawer. They need to have items clearly visible. Use open shelves and brightly colored organizing products.


3) Dysgraphia
Individuals with this disability have difficulty in writing and transferring thoughts into the written word.

Accommodation: When working with clients with dysgraphia, make labels for the clients and write out their To-Do list for them. Essentially do any writing needed as part of the organizing process for them. When setting up systems, try to minimize the amount of writing the client must do. For some, typing is much better than handwriting. Consider setting up methods where clients can use the computer to type. You might also suggest electronic voice recognition systems where the client speaks into a microphone and the computer types out what they say.


While taking these accommodations into account, as the professional organizer you will need to assist the client with systems that are well structured and as automatic as possible. Structure and repetition can be used to overcome the challenges those with learning disabilities face.
 

Becky Esker is a Certified Professional Organizer®, national speaker and the president of Get Organized! LLC, a professional organizing service, serving the greater Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. Would you like free organizing or decorating tips? Request your brochure from 319.395.7477 or access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com.