3 Time-Saving Tips for the School Year

Time-saving tips can make the school year go more smoothly for parents and students with special needs. At the Iowa Learning Disabilities Conference in October, parents who attended my workshop, Managing You Time without Losing Your Mind, shared their favorite time-saving tips during Q & A. Here’s what they had to say.

Time-Saving Tip #1

The first tip came from the mom of a teen who has short term memory issues. Teachers use the record feature on her son’s iPod to explain each day’s homework assignment. This is written into his IEP. It works better than written communication because it’s faster for teachers and can’t be as easily “lost.” What kid wants to lose an iPod?

Time-Saving Tip #2

The second tip comes from a mom whose kids have special dietary needs that require snacks at school. She packs a week’s worth of drink boxes in an inexpensive plastic pencil box. In another box, she packs a week’s worth of snacks. They fit perfectly into the pencil box, which can be labeled with a Sharpie marker.

pencil box

Time-Saving Tip #3

The third tip comes from a mom whose son whose special needs impact his organizational skills. Long-term projects or those with multiple parts are particularly bothersome for him. He uses a hard document case (The picture is my best attempt at finding what the mom explained…I hope it’s right!) with the slots numbered for the days of the month. The assignments for each portion of the project are filed in the slot corresponding to the date when it’s due. This system makes it easier for her son to “see” what needs to be done when.

Time-Saving Tip #4, #5, and Beyond

The remaining time-saving school tips in this series depend upon you. Leave a comment to share tips that save time and help your child succeed at school. Thanks!

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Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Dance!, the third book in the West River cozy mystery series, which features characters affected by disability, was released in October of 2023.