Zoom Autism Magazine Issue 9 | Page 16

A ZOOM EDITORIAL Creating a Work Station on a BUDGET! C alvin Coolidge once said, “The only difference between a mob and a trained army is organization.” To me, this quote is game-changing. What I’ve learned in my professional and personal life is that success depends on synchronization and harmonization of efforts. Bottom line: organization is the staple ingredient to keeping my family in sync, especially when it comes to my autistic son Jacob. Jacob is one of the smartest people I know, but, like many autistic individuals, he tends to have some executive functioning problems. The thought of getting organized is just too exhausting to him, and yet he thrives on it. A place for everything and everything in its place is what he needs in order to feel in control. So, with this in mind, every school year we put together what we like to call a homework/work station, a comfortable and creative space dedicated to him (and my daughter Bella too). Our homework station addresses many of Jacob’s potential challenges when he sits down to do his homework. We tackle sensory and possible attention/focus issues with just a few easy inexpensive items and ideas. The end result is an environment that not only is conducive for work but also allows Jacob to feel in control and successful. BY Jacob and Sharon Fuentes 16 ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses To help get you started on creating your own budget-friend- ly homework/work station, we broke down the different areas of Jacob’s, what it is about them that he finds helpful and where you can find similar type products. Remember: what works for Jacob may not work for you or your child. Also, the links we include are by no means products that we are recommending or getting paid to promote. We are just including them to help get you started. If you already have a homework/work station, or should you choose to make one after reading this article, send us the pictures so we can share with others. Email your pictures with short captions to [email protected]. Magnetic Dry Erase Boards and Cork Boards From reminders to make sure he has everything he needs before heading off to school to inspirational and fun messages, these boards keep us organized and on task. If something is changing, such as rehearsal after school, it gets written on the board as a visual reminder. Why Jacob says it helps: “I can put reminders for tests and the perfect scores I got on said tests because I remembered.” Where you can find it: You can find these types of boards in almost any size and shape everywhere. If space is an issue and you do not have room for separate boards like we use, why not try this twoin-one option that costs only $11 on Amazon. Body Ball This is a new addition to our workstation and one that is a huge hit… at least it is now! At first Jacob did not want to try it out as it’s an exercise ball, and as he said, “Mom, I’m trying ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses 17