Do ADHD Coaches Really Help?

May 26

How ADHD Affects People in Their Daily Lives

How does ADHD affect people in their daily lives? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychological disorder that affects millions of people. The most common symptoms of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These are all difficult and impairing symptoms that impede the ability to learn, develop relationships, and work.

These symptoms also expose children and adults with ADHD to a variety of other problems which they may not have otherwise experienced if they did not have ADHD. For example, school performance, academic failure, delinquency, and substance abuse are all common in young people with ADHD.

While ADHD has often been thought of as a childhood problem, it can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Adults with ADHD often struggle with procrastination, disorganization, forgetfulness, and difficulties completing tasks. They may also have low self-esteem and low motivation. ADHD may be related to substance abuse and anxiety, and those with ADHD are more likely to have other mental health conditions.

Must-Have Traits of an ADHD Coach

ADHD is a condition that affects millions of adults and is often associated with children diagnosed with ADD. (As a side note, ADD has recently been removed from the DSM-V, the manual used by the American Psychiatric Association to diagnose mental conditions.)

We all have different challenges, strengths, and weaknesses. If you are struggling with ADHD, it can be really tough to manage. There are professionals who offer ADHD coaching. We spoke with Diana Anzaldua, owner/founder of a trauma center in Austin, TX. Austin Trauma Therapy Center provides ADHD coaches, too!

Diana stated, "with a good ADHD coach, you will be able to manage things a lot easier. There are different types of ADHD coaches. Some types include:

Licensed mental health professionals (such as LCSWs, LPCs) with a practice in which they only provide ADHD coaching
Licensed mental health professionals who offer ADHD coaching, but also have a general mental health practice (this is what Austin Trauma Therapy Center offers)
Educators, such as a certified teacher or degreed professional, who are also trained in ADHD coaching and have a coaching practice or are hired to provide coaching in public or private schools or colleges
Individuals who are not licensed mental health or educational professionals and who only do ADHD coaching

The things you need to look for in an ADHD coach are:

Does the coach have a specialty certification from an official governing body, such as the International Coach Federation (ICF), or The Institute for the Advancement of ADHD Coaching, or the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches.
Please be aware that ADHD coaching remains a very broad field and it still does not have a licensing requirement
What type of coaching do you need? Face to face, or online? If face to face, then be sure the coach you hire is in the same area as you are.
Type of background - besides coaching training, what is the coach's background? Do they have a background in education, business, healthcare, etc.? If you want someone who has experience in your field, you may need to ask more specific questions
Consider other issues you may need to treat, such as anxiety, depression, etc. If you want help with these, you'll need to also get help from a licensed therapist.

Overall, these are some tips to help you find an ADHD coach. Feel free to leave a comment if you'd like. We'd love to hear from you!