ADHD Inattentive...is there an inexpensive phone/device for reminders?

[provenance61]

We have a 13 year old and will be getting him a phone for the first time.  He has ADHD inattentive, as well as slow processing.  He's extremely bright, but needs a huge number of reminders of tasks to accomplish, staying on track, etc. 

 

The plan is to start with something inexpensive -- hopefullly not a smart phone, but a less expensive phone (possibly a trackphone).  So there would be some limits and also if it is lost there is not a huge out of pocket expense.

 

I KNOW an iPhone or something would have lots of helpful apps.  But what could we get that is not as expensive if lost or as hard to monitor usage (especially internet).  Any ideas?

 

 

[PeterPan]

Kindle Fire.  They go on sale at surprisingly low prices, are almost as functional as an ipad, and have EXTREMELY GOOD parental controls. We use the included clock app for my ds' alarms, and we have TONS of them.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

 

[provenance61]

Oh Elizabeth, thank you!  We actually took advantage of getting one during the recent sale.  :)  I was thinking it would be shared between the two kids, but maybe we could just dedicate this to his use.  I suppose the advantage would be keeping near him.  Do you have your DS' in his room and/or with him most of the time?

 

We need lists and reminders like there's no tomorrow.  I wonder if websites/apps like the Cozi Calendar can be used on the Fire?  Even with the controls?  We'd want to keep the internet mostly blocked except for something like that. 

 

P.S.  With the included clock app, can you attach a text reminder (like "do this _______ now")?

 

 

[PeterPan]

Hmm, let me look!  Some apps let you do that, and I don't remember.  Or, now that you have it, play with it.  You should have a *calendar* function and a clock.  

 

I use the parental controls to keep it off the internet, yes.  In fact, I turn apps off too.  Dig around in the parental controls first, because you're going to LOVE them.  

 

Yes, I would do one device per child.  Get him earbuds too, so he can listen to his device quietly.  My ds has his with him at all times, like blanket, hehe.  You'll want a cover, if yours didn't come with one.  I use a simple $10 cover off ebay.  Works fine.  

 

Yes, you'll want to think through the logic here.  I like being able to turn off apps, because we use audiobooks so much.  That way he can listen to audiobooks but NOT be lured into Angry Birds and stupidity, kwim?  So that's just what I do.  Maybe you don't need that.  So if you turn off apps, your Cozi or whatever might not work.  The regular calendar will probably continue to work (try it and see), and then you would sync it through Google calendar if that matters to you.  

 

I'm thinking you'll be able to label recurring events on the calendar.  We use alarms for our appts, and we just know what they mean.  They just keep us honest and on-time.  So, for instance, we have an alarm for breakfast.  If he hasn't eaten breakfast by the time the alarm goes off, he has to stop whatever he has gotten sucked into and go eat.  Ditto for lunch, quiet time.  Then we have our classes and appts.  But we sort of know they're coming and don't need labels, kwim?  We also differentiate with the ring tones, so you start to recognize them.

 

Well good, glad you had a simple solution!  Pick up a 2nd kindle maybe.  We LOVE the kindle in our house.  We have 2 ipads, but the parental controls of the kindle are so fabulous.  

[Citrusheights5]

We  recently purchased this phone for my son.  For us it absolutely needed voice to text feature, so we moved up in to the smart phone realm.   We could have just kept it as a prepaid phone, but we added it to our existing plan right there and then at best buy.  It had a calendar feature, alarms, and the ability to download apps, so we  downloaded cozi calendar app, and I am able to update that calendar and he will get alarms and notifications with it as well.  

 

if you have any other questions I would be happy to answer them! 

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-gophone-motorola-moto-e-with-8gb-memory-no-contract-cell-phone-black/6427144.p?id=1219661891130&skuId=6427144

[Dmmetler]

If you use Outlook, the Lumia 435 or 635 is inexpensive and is available with a lot of cheap pay as you go plans (and is easy to set to just using data on wifi). It syncs easily with a Windows 7+ computer. An added "bonus" is that compared to an android or iPhone, there are a lot fewer apps for the Windows OS, and most of them are business/productivity, vs games. It's a smartphone, but for the most part, it's a much more focused device, which might be a good thing. http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Lumia-635-Annual-Contract/dp/B00LBFFSNM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450017740&sr=8-2&keywords=lumia+go+phone

[Guest]

nm

Edited August 12, 2017 by Guest