Your teen is disorganized, continuously late, struggling with getting school assignments done and turned in, and not exactly thriving. So, what do you do? You've tried everything you can think of to convince your teen to use the help that's available, and nothing seems to work.
Does this sound familiar?

So, someone suggests you hire a coach for your teen, and you think, “Why not?” After all, maybe someone else can talk some sense into your teen, right? Maybe teen coaching is right for your teen.

ADHD Coaching for Teens

Parents often reach out to coaches because they are worried that their child is not flourishing. As a parent, you know that your child or teen is negatively impacted by ADHD and that it is impacting the entire family.  Often, you are desperate for help.  But is your teen READY for coaching? That's the 20-million-dollar question.

ADHD coaches help students learn about ADHD and how it impacts their quality of life.  A coach and student work together to discover and explore what is getting in the way of the student's success. And this happens in a non-judgmental, supportive environment where the student feels comfortable enough to share his strengths and weaknesses.

That's a tall order for a lot of teens.

You see, ADHD teen coaching is not just about working through a “to-do” list or learning to hand in homework on time. The student and coach set reasonable and attainable goals to work through during the process.

After the student becomes self-aware and understands his own unique needs, THEN the coach can introduce strategies, skills, and tools to enhance the quality of life – and to help them be better organized.

The ultimate goal in ADHD coaching is for the student to become independent and to be able to learn how to take appropriate actions on his or her intentions.

How Do You Know if a Teen is Ready for Coaching?

• If they show willingness and curiosity, they are ready for coaching. To demonstrate this, the teen might be willing to call or meet with the coach to introduce themseles.
• The teen must want to try to manage their ADHD effectively.  They must be ready to explore what makes them tick and be open to learning about ADHD and how it affects them.
• The teen must feel comfortable in a partnership with an adult.  The coach is not the boss in this relationship.  The teen is in the driver's seat, and the coach is the navigator.  Remember, the coach is not a therapist or a tutor.
• If the teen has goals for themselves, they are ready for coaching. The coaching process is based on the teen's goals, not the parents.
• The teen must be willing to take action steps between coaching sessions. Coaching is not just a weekly conversation.  The client agrees to action steps to try out during the week.  No matter what happens with the action steps, the teen should be ready to explore the outcome.
• The teen must be ready to take responsibility for their actions.  Coaching is not a place where the teen receives instructions to be a better student.  Rather, the teen must be ready to take ownership of their thoughts and actions and be willing to reflect on available options.
• The teen needs to realize that to be successful, it takes hard work and effort.  It's not about taking the easiest route; it is about investigating options and resources that will propel the client toward her desired outcome.

Coaching can help teens learn how to effectively work through their challenges so they can lead healthy, happy, and productive lives. As parents, we want our teens to find success, but they are the ones who must be ready to take those steps.

If your child is ready for coaching, there are great resources available to match you with a good fit. You can check the Resources section here on ImpactADHD for more information.

If your child is NOT yet ready for coaching, have no fear – you can help make that a possibility in the future! Talk to Elaine or Diane, and connect with the other parents on ImpactADHD. Once you learn coaching skills that you can use with your kids, you'll be amazed at how quickly you can help them get ready for a coach themselves.