Organizing Your Child's Paperwork

Creating order with all the documentation that a child diagnosed with a disability can make life so much better. It is important to be able to retrieve not just information but official documentation when it's needed. This is a huge task if you have been stuffing things is some type of container. You have thought, "I know I have it somewhere!" But where! I have had mothers say I have no idea of where to start. I heard something many years ago that has really stick. "Start with the first thing." Let's look at some basic organizing principles that might apply. 

 

1. Be ready to put the most important documents somewhere. I like to use a portable file drawer with folders. I have used hanging file folders labeled with categories placed in the file. I put folders of specific things within the categories in each hanging folder. Start simple. As you sort, you can assign specific things to a file folder within each category.

2. Begin sorting through your paperwork. There should be three basic piles accumulated. The throw away pile. If you don't need it, pitch it. If you are a little unsure if you will need it in the future, put it in a "I'll save for now" pile. If it's important to save, put it in a file folder in the file box.

3. Continue this process until you get through all the scores of paperwork you have. If your save for now paperwork is large then you may need to come back in a few months and go through it again and purge some more. It helps me release it fully if I save it for a while.

4. Store the "save for now" paperwork in some file folders/accordion folder within some basic categories. It need not be as specific as the information you put in the file box. Honestly, much of these things will eventually be pitched.

Once your file box has been organized, it will be amazing how little paperwork you still have. The majority of the paperwork will go in the trash. Now, it will be much easier to find the documents that you need!


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