The Complete Guide to Choosing an ADHD Coach for Your Child

Did you know it’s estimated that roughly six million children have ADHD? If you have a child that struggles with ADHD, you might notice the condition affecting both their social and academic life.

Unfortunately, medication is often a temporary solution — one that doesn’t teach them the necessary executive functioning skills they’ll need to succeed in both school and life.

The good news is that ADHD coaching might be able to help your child. But what is ADHD coaching? And how do you choose the best academic coaching for your child with ADHD?

If you want to learn the answer to these questions, and more, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about ADHD coaching. Let’s get started!

What is ADHD Coaching?

Before we learn how to choose an ADHD coach, we must first understand precisely what they do. As a parent of a child with ADHD, you know that the condition can be a mixed bag.

On the one hand, ADHD can positively impact your child’s creativity and energy levels. But, it also comes with its fair share of challenges, especially in a traditional academic environment.

Children with ADHD often have trouble paying attention. They also struggle with organizational skills, which can cause them to miss important instructions and deadlines.

All of these drawbacks can hurt their academic performance, which in turn damages their self-confidence. An ADHD coach is a professional trained specifically to address the challenges of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The executive functioning skills that an ADHD coach teaches aren’t limited to the classroom either. They can also positively impact their social skills and home life.

How is ADHD Coaching Different From Life Coaching?

ADHD coaching and life coaching are similar in that they help children and adults maximize their potential. However, there’s an important difference between the two.

ADHD coaches are specifically trained to address the challenges that people with ADHD face daily. In fact, many of the coaches have the condition themselves.

This gives them unique insight that they can apply to academic coaching services. So, if you have a child with ADHD, make sure you choose an ADHD coach over a life coach. They’re better equipped to address the needs of your children.

Benefits of an ADHD Coach

If you aren’t convinced about ADHD coaching, you’re likely wondering what benefits come with the process. First, there are the skills your ADHD coach can teach your child.

They’ll teach your child important organization skills that can benefit them in an academic environment. This includes things like:

• Time management
• Workflow
• Record keeping
• Multitasking (when to do it and when not to)
• Task and project management
• Home organization

Next, they’ll help manage your child’s emotions. This can give them confidence in the classroom by reducing some of the anxiety and stress they face.

Just remember that there is a limit to this benefit. One study found that if your child has difficulty controlling their anger, ADHD coaching might not be appropriate for them.

In these cases, it might be appropriate to first treat any co-existing mental health conditions that are occurring with your child’s ADHD. Next, ADHD coaching can help your child learn new skills that can help them both in and out of the classroom.

These include communication, problem-solving, public speaking, conflict resolution, and social skills. Lastly, an ADHD coach can help your child achieve their goals.

Maybe this just involves getting better grades in school. However, it can also involve allowing your child to be kinder to themselves.

With ADHD coaching, children can be more comfortable in their own skin. At the end of coaching, they’ll realize that their ADHD makes them different, but it doesn’t have to be a shortcoming.

Does ADHD Coaching Actually Work?

ADHD coaching is a relatively new form of treatment for children, teens, and adults struggling with ADHD-associated problems. So, is there any evidence of it working? The answer is yes.

Specifically, a 2018 review looked at nineteen different studies that were associated with ADHD coaching.

In all of the studies, it found that coaching helped both with executive functioning and reduced some of the negative symptoms associated with ADHD. Many participants reported achieving their goals (which, in most cases, were improved grades).

What’s more, individuals also reported less stress and a stronger sense of well-being. This likely comes with the knowledge that your child’s ADHD doesn’t make them worse than other children, just different.

That being said, more research will be needed before ADHD coaching becomes a standard treatment method for the symptoms assocaited with ADHD.

Choosing an ADHD Coach for Your Child

Sadly, the process of becoming an ADHD coach currently isn’t regulated. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t qualified professionals out there. But, it does mean that you should do your research before picking a professional.

We recommend compiling a list of all the coaching services in your area. Then, ask them the questions in this section.

Their answers should give you a good idea of whether they offer a genuine, evidence-based executive functioning curriculum or if they’re underqualified for the role.

Is the Coach Adequately Trained?

You want a coach that’s specifically trained in helping people with ADHD. There’s a big difference between a professional that knows evidence-based executive functioning skills for ADHD and one that doesn’t.

Some academic coaches might claim to be qualified because they have a friend or child with ADHD. This can give them valuable insight into what it’s like to live with ADHD.

But that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to help your child. Look for professionals that offer specialized ADHD coaching services.

These individuals with ADHD coaching experience will not only understand your child, but they’ll know how to give them the academic coaching resources they need.

This includes things like how to motivate them, how to help them stay organized and how to help them reach their goals. So, stick to professionals that have been adequately trained in ADHD coaching.

Do They Specialize In Executive Functioning Skills?

Executive functioning skills refer to skillsets that can help your child plan, stay on top of, and execute any goals or tasks they have. These skills are vital for people with ADHD and have many benefits.

Unfortunately, many children with ADHD never learn them. This is a problem because it can affect them well into adulthood, whether it’s in their job or personal relationships.

Because of this, you should ensure your ADHD coach has experience with executive functioning skills training.

Are They Caring But Objective?

You want an ADHD coach that cares about the success of your child. But, there should be a limit to this. At the end of the day, you want them to be objective.

If your ADHD coach gets too entangled in your child’s success, they might get angry or irritated when they struggle. This can only hinder progress.

When ADHD coaches remain objective, it helps your child trust them more. This trust from an outside perspective is vital for performance improvement. Otherwise, they simply won’t listen to whatever the coach says.

Do They Provide Positive Feedback?

Positive feedback is vital for an ADHD coach. Children with ADHD usually aren’t used to receiving much positive feedback in an academic setting. So, a positive attitude from a coach can be an incredible motivator for change.

This is especially important when your child fails, which is bound to happen. A good ADHD coach will teach your child that failure is a necessary step on the journey to success.

Also, it’s important to note that there is such a thing as too much positive feedback. You still want your coach to be critical of your child when they need it.

But any negative comments should be balanced out with positive ones. It’s generally recommended that your child receive three positive comments for every one negative one.

This is key to helping your child eventually believe in themselves.

What Are Their Fees?

ADHD coaching does represent an investment. But, your child’s coach should be as upfront as possible about what they charge. Ask how and when they charge payments.

Be careful around potential coaches that try to dodge this question. This can be a sign that they’re trying to take advantage of you when payment time comes around.

Do They Have References?

References can give you a good idea of other people’s experiences with the ADHD coach. If they’re a professional, then they should have no problem providing you with contact information of people they’ve worked with.

Ask them what their experience was like and whether or not they consider the coaching success.

Alternatively, the ADHD coach might have a testimonial page. These are helpful because you can read about success stories without having to contact someone.

Can They Work With Your Busy Schedule?

When you’re juggling kids, school, work, sports, and more, it can be incredibly difficult to find time to take your child to ADHD coaching. So, look for an ADHD coach that makes things as easy as possible.

Ideally, they’ll offer various learning options, including online coaching sessions. This can make scheduling ADHD coaching much easier because you don’t need to worry about fitting an extra commute into your schedule.

Instead, your child can start coaching the second they get home from school.

The more flexibility a coach offers with their schedule and teaching options, the better. Telecommunication makes learning executive functioning skills online just as effective as in-person learning.

Looking For ADHD Academic Coaching For Your Child? Contact Peak Academic Coaching

We hope this article helped you learn more about ADHD coaching and how it can help your child learn executive functioning skills.

The most important thing when picking an ADHD coach is to find someone that takes a personalized approach to your child. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all method when it comes to executive functioning skills training.

Each child is different and has different challenges they’ll need to overcome. Look for professionals like Peak Academic Coaching that understand this.

We provide an evidence-based curriculum that’s worked with hundreds of children. So, if you’re ready to get your child the help they deserve, contact us today.