Let's Go Cards

Use a small index card or a trimmed piece of paper to make a list of things that need to happen to leave home. It can be words or pictures. Include between two and five items, no more. A list might include:

-Get dressed.
-Put on shoes.
-Fill water bottle.
-Get comfort item.

Ten to thirty minutes before you need to leave, direct kids to the little list. They'll need you to go with them the first several times and go over it together. Start asking, "Did you check the list?" "Did you do everything on the list?" several minutes before you need to go. After practice, you should be able to say, "We leave in ten minutes, get ready and check the list!"

It helps kids to know what you mean by "be ready" and it helps you to not have to mentally go through the list and verbalize it every single time, while also grabbing whatever you need. Especially for kids with poor impulse control, attention issues, or disordered task issues, it helps to have a list to be in the habit of checking so they don't "forget" steps that seem basic to adults.

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