Finding the Keys, Wallet, Cell Phone……

This morning, a journalist asked me to name three top challenges that ADHD poses to relationships. My first thought: “Finding the keys, the cell phone, and the wallet.” But that sounds so trivial, doesn’t it? Yes it does, until you’ve been pulled into an ADHD partner’s adrenaline-spiking, to-the-death search on a daily basis. And, in truth, other issues do loom much larger — like remembering to re-charge the cell phone. Another minor issue? Not when your child or partner is counting on you to stay in touch.

Now, I’d be the last person to suggest we can rely solely on organizational tools to resolve ADHD-related issues, especially as they affect relationships. But sometimes we get so caught up in the whirling vortex of bigger problems that we miss simple solutions to the smaller ones. For example, what could be easier than placing your keys, watch, gizmos-to-be-recharged, and whatnot in a tidy valet like this one (pictured right).

What’s that, you say? Your ADHD partner might stand a better chance of finding her keys (and getting to work on time) if she didn’t sleep right through the alarm clock? If you recruit the Drill Sergeant (pictured left), he will issue a stirring round of orders after the bugle sounds “Reveille.”

These are just two of the many ADHD-friendly items that Terry Matlen has carefully chosen to stock in her ADD Consults Store. My personal favorite? The Forget-Me-Not containers (below, right). No need to wonder where that half-sliced onion or lemon wedge lurks in your fridge. These color-cue containers (red for tomatoes, yellow for lemons, and so on) cleverly hang from a fridge shelf.