When my son Eli was five, he was diagnosed with ADHD and executive dysfunction. Wanting to do everything I could to untangle his world, I did massive amounts of research. I read articles, attended conferences, and sought out experts. Uncovering ways to get and keep my son organized and teach him time management skills became my passion…and my business. (We’ll get to that!) I learned systems and strategies that could be used to bring some order to the chaos at home and school. Bu the most effective “research” I did was to talk to parents like me to learn from their experiences, share information 
and provide support.
After reorganizing my home from top to bottom, a dear therapist friend of mine came to visit. She looked around my home and said, “I have a patient you have to do this for; a mom with three boys under the age of 10.”
So off I went to transform this desperate mom’s house and life. We created “homes” for all their belongings, took doors off closets so her children could “see” what they owned, removed dressers from rooms and replaced them with clear bins and hooks. We put time management strategies in place. Out went useless checklists and up went eye-catching directions. Analog clocks were hung; schedules firmed up, launching pads created and on it went. After 10 hours, I helped this sweet woman transform her chaotic and unhappy house into a calm and orderly home. I received four phone calls from her friends asking for my help. And when I turned to my husband and said, “I don’t do this for a living,” he replied, “Well you do now!” And so, my company, Order Out of Chaos was born.
Fast forward 11 years and boy have things changed. We are a full service company that offers organizing, time management and coaching services; family education, and ADHD resources as well as virtual educational classes and products to hundreds of families and their students – both mainstream and with learning differences.
I regularly travel the country presenting to parents, students, and teachers on issues surrounding teens today. Over the years, the single most requested subject I am asked to speak on or parents are concerned about is time management, an issue filled with emotion, anxiety, and confusion. Not a day goes by that I am NOT speaking, writing, emailing, coaching, or talking on this subject. Having developed an arsenal of what I call “The Triple Ts” – tips, tools, and techniques – for teens and time management (and parents!), it was time to write a book! And my goal in writing this book is simply to provide support and guidance for parents looking to help their teens understand, develop and implement time management skills.
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Leslie Josel is the Principal of Order Out of Chaos®, an organizing consulting firm specializing in student organizing and chronic disorganization. Launched in 2004, Order Out of Chaos® offers organizing, time management and coaching services; provides family education and ADHD resources as well as teleclasses, webinars, videos, and products to hundreds of families.
Leslie is a graduate of the JST Coach Training Program for teens and college students with ADHD. She is a Golden Circle member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and earned her Chronic Disorganization and Hoarding Specialist certificates from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).
In 2015, Leslie’s second book, What’s the Deal with Teens and Time Management, a parents’ step-by-step guide to help teach their teens the time management skills they need to succeed in school, home and in life, was published. Leslie is also the creator of the award winning “Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management,” a student planner that helps middle and high schoolers develop and master time management skills.
A respected resource on ADHD and Executive Functioning in students, Leslie speaks and conducts workshops nationally to parent and educator groups on a variety of issues and topics facing students today, including The Matan Institute, National Ramah Camping Commission, and Morgan Stanley. Leslie has also been featured in national broadcast and print media such as the Hallmark Channel’s “The Better Show”, “Conversations in Care” radio, The Associated Press, Family Circle Magazine, and Educational Dealer Magazine.
Also known nationally as an expert on chronic disorganization and hoarding issues, Leslie has appeared on many episodes of TLC’s hit television show, “Hoarding: Buried Alive”, and the Cooking Channel’s television special, “Stuffed: Food Hoarders”. In 2014, Leslie received a Telly Award, the Internet/Online programming’s highest honor for her work on dLifeTV.
She is also the co-author of the award winning “The Complete Diabetes Organizer: Your Guide to a Less Stressful and More Manageable Diabetes Life” (Spry, 2013).
To sign up for Order Out of Chaos’ monthly newsletter, read their weekly blog, access free videos, resources and information or learn more about Leslie, visit their website at www.orderoochaos.com.
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The Story Behind the Book 