What is ADHD Coaching?
Coaching is a supportive, practical, and action-oriented process in which the client(s) and coach identify areas in which change is desired. Like an Olympic athlete's coach, a life coach can enhance growth even for those who are doing very well.
Together, the client and coach will:
- Discover Your Strengths
- Identify Needs, Values and Desires
- Set Goals (Business and/or Personal)
- Develop and Implement Strategic Plans
- Develop New Skills/Systems
- Enhance Communications Skills
- Improve Relationships
- Use Tools to Manage Time, Priorities & Tasks
- Initiate and Complete Tasks/Projects
- Promote New Awareness For Success
Coaching is like having a personal trainer for your life, career or small business:
People hire coaches because they want a life that is purposely designed rather than one where they are trapped making a living, relating with people who fail to inspire them and doing what others say they "should." People hire coaches to actualize their hopes and dreams.
Creating Goals with your coach is an essential element of your coaching.
The Institute for the Advancement of AD/HD Coaching (IAAC) defines AD/HD coaching as "a designed partnership that combines coaching skills with knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorder, a neurobiological condition. The coaching process enhances quality of life, improves performance and supports growth and change. The purpose of AD/HD coaching is to provide support, structure and accountability. Coach and client collaboratively explore strengths, talents, tools and new learning to increase self-awareness and personal empowerment. Together they design strategies and actions and monitor progress by creating accountability in line with goals and aspirations."
The IAAC has identified the following as behavior core proficiencies of AD/HD coaches:
- Ethics and conduct
- Knowledge of AD/HD
- Working in a professional community
- Advocating/self-advocating
- Establishes a well-defined coaching agreement
- Creates a supportive coaching relationship
- Direct communication
- Curious questioning
- Professional Listening
- Using an AD/HD conceptual coaching model
- Clarifies client's understanding of AD/HD
- Encourages client self awareness
- Planning and goal Setting
- Co-creating actions
- Accountability and monitoring
According to The Graduate School of Coaching, a coach offers:
- Perspective: Fresh or different ways of looking at a situation, context
- Validation: Via encouragement and acknowledgement
- Message: Shares fitting knowledge, opinions, or wisdom
- Energy: Energy and support as needed
- Solution: A solution to a problem or issue
- Plan: Co-develops a plan of action with the client
- Structure: Support and check-in structure
- Resource: Suggests/refers client to experts, books, tools, assessments
- Options: Expands number of options the client thought they had
- Caring: Cares via listening, patience, safety and love
- Training: Trains clients in personal and business skills
- Advice: Provides advice via recommendations and suggestions as options
- Strategy: Develops or co-develops a personal or business strategy
- Feedback: Offers feedback, observations, insights, ideas and opinions
- Challenge: Provides a challenge to the client to stretch or make a change
