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Empowering Youth with ADHD: Your Guide to Coaching Adolescents and Young Adults for Coaches, Parents, and Professionals
Unveiling a powerful and proven methodology for teens and young adults with ADHD, this guidebook offers complete instruction for professionals and parents on what ADHD coaching for young people is and how it can dramatically improve the lives of the afflicted. A groundbreaking approach, this handbook discusses powerful intervention practices to help youths with ADHD break through barriers and succeed in their lives. The thorough, hands-on guidance makes for an ideal resource for all individuals interested in learning more about coaching young people with ADHD—including life coaches interested in expanding their practices to a new market; academic tutors and personal organizers wondering if they would like to become trained as an ADHD coach; and therapists, psychiatrists, and pediatricians confused about what ADHD coaches do.
- GenresAdhd
260 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
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52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 4, 2013
In Empowering Youth with ADHD, Jodi Sleeper-Triplett thoroughly explains the definition, benefits, limitations, and process of coaching teens and young adults with ADHD, as well as offering a bit of background on ADHD and resources for further reading about ADHD. This is a good overview for anyone considering becoming an ADHD coach, and also for parents and young adults trying to understand the whole coaching process and what to expect from it.
I have one very specific quibble: When describing Personal Coaching Agreements (PCAs), Sleeper-Triplett gives examples of standard contract like agreements with goals, action steps and rewards. The rewards are things like $10 for completing action steps, buying something new, doing something a bit special,etc. These rewards are not rewarding enough and too far off in time to motivate someone that actually has ADHD, which entails a fair bit of impatience! Daniel Pink presents some newer thinking about motivation in his book, Drive. He says the carrot and stick method of motivation, like the PCA rewards, is out, and that we are more successfully motivated by being given autonomy, mastery, and purpose. I wonder how this approach might work in a PCA context.
I have one very specific quibble: When describing Personal Coaching Agreements (PCAs), Sleeper-Triplett gives examples of standard contract like agreements with goals, action steps and rewards. The rewards are things like $10 for completing action steps, buying something new, doing something a bit special,etc. These rewards are not rewarding enough and too far off in time to motivate someone that actually has ADHD, which entails a fair bit of impatience! Daniel Pink presents some newer thinking about motivation in his book, Drive. He says the carrot and stick method of motivation, like the PCA rewards, is out, and that we are more successfully motivated by being given autonomy, mastery, and purpose. I wonder how this approach might work in a PCA context.
September 13, 2016
1. In his book Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults, psychologist and researcher Dr. Thomas Brown labels the affected executive functioning skill areas as activation: organizing, prioritizing, and activating to work focus: focusing, sustaining, and shifting attention to tasks effort: regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing speed emotion: managing frustration and modulating emotions memory: utilizing working memory and accessing recall action: monitoring and self-regulating action.
2.
A report by Dr. George J. DuPaul and Dr. Robert J. Volpe indicated that 27-31% of individuals who have ADHD also have learning disabilities, although this range varies according to the specifications used to define learning disabilities.
3.
Students with learning disabilities (LD) have difficulty acquiring basic skills or academic content. Learning disabilities are characterized by intra-individual differences [characterized as differences within a student across academic areas], usually in the form of a discrepancy between a student’s ability and his or her achievement in areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, or speaking. For example, a student with a[n] LD may be quite successful in math computation and listening comprehension but may read poorly. Other students with LD may read and speak well but have difficulty expressing their thoughts in writing.
4.
According to Dr. Brown, “A person with ADD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder than most other people.”This means that among the other factors that a coach needs to consider when working with a young person with ADHD—unique constellation of ADHD symptoms, personalized treatment responses, and possible learning disabilities—a coach should also stay aware of possible coexisting conditions to the ADHD, which may fall into the realm of mental health issues or other DSM-IV diagnoses. In particular, young people with ADHD may also struggle with depression, anxiety, or substance abuse or addiction.
5.
the status of a coexisting condition may interfere with coaching to the point that the young person is simply not coachable at the present time. Coaching may need to be put on hold or terminated altogether.
6.
The part of the brain thought to be related to ADHD affects executive functioning—one’s ability to be organized, arrive on time, stay focused, remain in control of one’s impulses, and so on—and is not related to a person’s intelligence. As a result, a young person with ADHD may not only be smart but may also fall into the category of gifted (defined as someone with exceptional talents, high achievement potential, and oftentimes intrinsic motivation). One of the challenges for gifted children with ADHD is that their intelligence, talents, and abilities may hide their ADHD, leaving the disorder undiagnosed and unrecognized.
7.
Although gifted children with ADHD will have an intelligence level that is higher than that of their nongifted peers, they nonetheless are likely to fall behind their peers in cognitive, social, and emotional development. As a group, ADHD children tend to lag two to four years behind their age peers in social and emotional maturity. Gifted children with ADHD are no exception.
8.
believe wholeheartedly in seeing each and every client as a person and not a disorder. The moment we view a young person with ADHD as broken or deficient, we risk robbing the young person of his or her power lest we inadvertently convey this perspective to the young person. The coach should not be looking at a client from the viewpoint of having ADHD, coexisting conditions, or learning problems. Operating from this perspective skews the coaching process and places the focus on all the things that are “wrong” or all the things that have to be “fixed.”
9.
Perhaps the most important knowledge a coach, parent, or care provider can gather on ADHD is an understanding that young people with ADHD are not broken or faulty. Even with the potential obstacles and impediments these young people face, they are nonetheless creative, resourceful, and whole. They have everything they need inside of them: With the support of their particular treatment—from medication to coaching to good nutrition—young people with ADHD can apply their efforts in focused and strategic ways to achieve the goals they set for themselves. By asking questions and really listening, the coach can empower the client to come up with everything he or she needs to be successful: from clear goals to rewards that motivate, from action steps to strategies for success. And
10.
The purpose of prescreening is to, as best possible, confirm that the adolescent or young adult is ready, willing, and able to enroll in a coaching partnership and that the parent is willing to let that process take place.
11.
Prescreening involves a brief process of gathering information from the parent and young person and sharing information with the parent and young person to make sure that the parent and young person really want the services the coach has to offer the parent is truly ready to support the coaching process the young person is truly ready to engage in the coaching process.
12.
four common factors can be assessed to gain valuable insight and understanding into how a parent might react to the knowledge that the coaching process does not involve the parent: the age of the prospective client how involved the parent has been in the child’s day-to-day life up until now how independent the prospective client is the level of disability or difficulty experienced by the prospective client.
13.
It can be incredibly difficult for parents to watch their children fail at making friends, passing a course, being selected for the school play, or getting a date to the homecoming dance, but the only way for their children to grow and develop is to get practice negotiating the world around them without mom and dad always stepping in.
14.
One of the coach’s jobs during the prescreening process is to assess the parent’s readiness and willingness to change roles. Will the parent be able to step back from being the advocate for the young person to being an observer and supporter while the young person learns to advocate for and take care of him or herself?
15.
questions posed by the coach to the parent, such as What kind of services are you looking for from a coach? Do you understand how coaching differs from tutoring or therapy? What is your understanding of the coaching process? How do you hope coaching can be helpful to your child?
16.
the coach is also doing some early investigating into the prospective client’s interest or motivation for coaching. To this end, the coach might ask questions like “Is your son/daughter aware of the fact that you have contacted me on their behalf about coaching?” “Has your son/daughter expressed an interest in working with a coach?” and “When might I expect a call from your teen to briefly connect and discuss the possibility of coaching together?”The parent’s answer will give the coach some insight into the prospective client’s motivation level for coaching.
17.
I explain that coaching involves my creating a direct partnership with the adolescent or young adult, supported through regular meetings and check-ins in which the parent is not present or involved. During these regular meetings and check-ins, my role in working with the young person is to empower him or her to achieve goals and enhance the quality of life through actionable steps the young person has laid out.
18.
by empowering that young person to discover and apply his or her own resources, skills, and strengths. I also make sure that the parent understands that when I work with clients, I do more than focus on academics with the young person. I will offer whole-life coaching and ADHD coaching rather than merely academic coaching.
19.
Coaching is not therapy. Coaching is not homework help. Coaching is not monitoring the young person and then reporting back to the parent. Equally important, I let parents know that coaching is not doing the work for the client or enabling him or her to be dependent.
20.
“Because I’m not an academic tutor but a coach, I can help motivate your child to do her own homework if this is one of the goals we have set for coaching, but I won’t do her homework for her.”
21.
What is the client’s predominant learning style—visual, auditory, or kinesthetic? What’s important to the client? What’s working right now and, conversely, what obstacles should coach, client, and parent plan to be on the lookout for as coaching unfolds?
22.
ADHD coaches combine knowledge of ADHD and its neurobiology with life coaching skills to help affected individuals set goals, acknowledge strengths, accept limitations, develop social skills, and create strategies that enable them to be more effective in managing their day-to-day lives. Coaches do this by partnering with the client to design an action plan for success. The coach establishes a pattern of frequent communication with clients to help them stay focused and working steadily toward their goals.
23.
Accountability is often put into practice through regular check-ins in between coaching sessions, whether through telephone calls, e-mails, text messages, or faxes. The coaching sessions themselves also provide opportunities for progress updates and regular accountability. Whatever the coach and client agree upon is to be carried out.
24.
It is helpful for the coach to offer information from a variety of sources (e.g., Internet, campus counseling services, books, support groups) so that the client can choose the format and location he or she prefers.
25.
employing a mindset of curiosity
26.
make no predictions and to assume that they don’t know any of the answers, regardless of how many hours of coaching experience or work with youth that the coach already has under his or her belt. This curiosity-based approach is not only respectful to the client as a unique person but also prepares the coach to hear what the young person and parent are really attempting to communicate.
27.
What is it that the young person would like to change or improve upon in his or her life? What’s working now? What might get in the way of progress? What are the goals of the young person?
28.
What is the young person’s favorite subject at school? What accomplishments is the young person proud of? Has anyone ever explained ADHD to the young person so that he or she really understands it? Has the young person ever worked with a coach or professional organizer to assist with ADHD or learning disability problems? If yes, when?
29.
what is their favorite food, band, or sports team? What do they enjoy doing in their free time? Do they have any free time? What’s their favorite movie or book? Last, how does the young person see the future and possibilities for change? Does the young person have an outlook that is conducive to self-growth? Is he or she ready and willing to give coaching a chance and work in partnership with the coach?
30.
When was the young person’s ADHD first diagnosed? Are there other family members with an ADHD diagnosis? Does the young person have any coexisting (comorbid) conditions or issues that need to be taken into consideration during coaching or that may impede the coaching process: depression; anxiety; substance abuse; or other mental, behavioral, or environmental conditions? Does the young person have special accommodations per an Individualized Education Program/504 plan? Has the young person worked with a tutor? If yes, in what subject(s)? Does the young person’s family use a calendar? Who maintains that calendar?
31.
there appears to be a connection between ADHD and learning disabilities, with research indicating that there is a 40-60% overlap between ADHD, learning disabilities, and giftedness, as noted by Dr. Susan D. Mayes, Dr. Susan L. Calhoun, and Dr. Errin W Crowell.
32.
according to Dr. Joanne Rand Whitmore and Dr. C. June Maker, “It is not unexpected, then, to find a significant discrepancy between the measured academic potential of these (gifted) students and their actual performance in the classroom.” This can be confusing and frustrating for parents and teachers, who expect high achievement from the gifted child and don’t see results because of the impact of ADHD and learning disability on the child’s ability to achieve.
33.
When a client comes to coaching and is consistently having problems in a specific subject in school or complains of being unable to understand what others are saying (missing bits and pieces of oral information), there may not be a diagnosed learning disability, but the ADHD is still having an impact on learning and on connection to others. As educated coaches have specific knowledge about ADHD and learning issues, coaches are advised to put on their “teacher” cap and explain to clients and parents that although there may not be a diagnosed learning disability, ADHD itself does create difficulty when it comes to staying on track, focusing, and taking in large amounts of information. The question becomes “How does ADHD impact the ability of the client to learn effectively?”
34.
I have learned over the years, however, that for young people with ADHD, having the will to do something is not always enough. These young people may have all of the will and desire in the world to accomplish something—what’s called motivation—but lack the skills needed to get from Point A to Point B. So they may appear unmotivated to the rest of us when really they just don’t know how to proceed. And for those who do lack motivation, it’s not simply a matter of these young people not caring. Something is actually happening in these young people’s brains (their neurobiology) and likely their life experiences, too, that makes motivation difficult, if not impossible.
35.
6.1. Cycle of Action © 2010 Jodi Sleeper-Triplett
36.
6.2. Cycle of Success
37.
Chris A. Zeigler Dendy notes frequently in her book Teenagers with ADD and ADHD that teens with ADHD often appear to be unmotivated and lazy to those around them. The low energy, daydreaming, or “spaciness” of an ADHD inattentive-type teen can appear to adults, peers, and others as disinterest, laziness, and lack of motivation. Sadly, these young people have often been told by others that they are ill-behaved, uncooperative, ungrateful, uncaring, or even stupid. Although it’s true that motivation to work is often a problem for young people with ADHD (as noted by Dr. Thomas E. Brown in his book Attention Deficit Disorder), a lack of apparent motivation in young people with ADHD does not equal laziness. Both Dendy and Dr. Brown stress the need to develop and strengthen executive functioning skills, which are necessary for goal-directed behavior, in young people with ADHD.
38.
a perceived lack of motivation in young people with ADHD pertains to the absence of momentum and drive to achieve their goals. This lack of momentum is often fostered by a lack of skill or other inability to achieve one’s goals and doesn’t mean that young people with ADHD are being obstinate, willfully disobedient, or inflexible.
39.
A youth with a prefrontal cortex that is asleep in some way because of a neurochemical imbalance related to the biology of ADHD can easily be mistaken for a young person who simply does not care or is unmotivated. For the young person to feel motivated, this part of his or her brain first needs to be sufficiently stimulated. Until then, we as coaches, parents, and adults can try to jumpstart these young people into action until we’re blue in the face, but we’re likely to see no tangible results if their brains are not sufficiently activated. Only when the young person’s brain is sufficiently activated (i.e., regulated to have the proper flow of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and epinephrine) can we even begin to hope to see motivation in the young person. Without this brain regulation, motivation is simply an unrealistic expectation.
40.
Because of the brain-based biology of ADHD, motivation is not about will or choice for many young people with ADHD; it is about a neurobiological condition that runs counter to natural feelings of motivation. If these young people could, they would choose to engage in actions to meet their goals. The problem is that these young people really and truly have trouble getting started—not because they don’t care, per se, but because they lack the physical sensation of “get up and go” that would exist if their brains were regulated properly.
41.
Over the course of the young person’s life, his or her imbalanced brain chemistry has led to weakened executive functioning skills, such that the young person may have trouble concentrating, focusing, organizing thoughts, sustaining effort, or utilizing working memory.
42.
Reliable executive functioning isn’t just needed to accomplish goals; it’s needed to acquire the skills used to accomplish goals. As a result, a lack of skills can lead to an adolescent who is frozen with uncertainty on how to proceed on a given task. The outward picture of a young person without skills may be an individual who doesn’t turn assignments in, who doesn’t study for tests, or who avoids writing college application essays. However, if we were privy to the young person’s internal world, we could see that he or she may actually feel trapped or paralyzed because of a lack of skills. The young person may be filled with the desire to be successful but be deficient in the skills needed to identify or engage in the action steps that will lead to success. The young person’s lack of skills inhibits him or her from taking action.
43.
a young person can care with all of his or her heart but, without the proper knowledge or skill set, be completely unable to take even a first step toward action. As indicated by renowned developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, if we want young people to be able to meet their goals, we have to first help them develop the skills and attitudes needed to work productively.
44.
If you are working with a young person with ADHD who seems to lack motivation, consider each of the following areas: degree of brain activation, sufficiency of skill set, and quality of thoughts and beliefs in regard to the young person’s ability to generate success from his or her efforts.
45.
setting goals, creating a step-by-step action plan to accomplish goals, and identifying desirable rewards and incentives.
46.
fostering confidence
47.
The action stage of the process is a time when very sincere intentions on the part of the young person with ADHD can easily break down.
48.
By helping clients think through the practical nuts and bolts of how they are going to accomplish a goal—by mapping out the individual steps needed for success—coaches can provide clients with an important motivational boost.
49.
the coach will guide the client through the process of developing a step-by-step plan and will support the client in creating his or her own plan, one that feels right and is based on personality, learning style, comfort level, and so forth. The coach can then jump in as needed along the way to offer specific strategies, support, and structure for constructing the plan. Coaches use their coaching skills to help the client stay focused, consider all perspectives, step back, look at the big-picture goal, and then zoom in on the specific action steps needed to accomplish the goal.
2.
A report by Dr. George J. DuPaul and Dr. Robert J. Volpe indicated that 27-31% of individuals who have ADHD also have learning disabilities, although this range varies according to the specifications used to define learning disabilities.
3.
Students with learning disabilities (LD) have difficulty acquiring basic skills or academic content. Learning disabilities are characterized by intra-individual differences [characterized as differences within a student across academic areas], usually in the form of a discrepancy between a student’s ability and his or her achievement in areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, or speaking. For example, a student with a[n] LD may be quite successful in math computation and listening comprehension but may read poorly. Other students with LD may read and speak well but have difficulty expressing their thoughts in writing.
4.
According to Dr. Brown, “A person with ADD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder than most other people.”This means that among the other factors that a coach needs to consider when working with a young person with ADHD—unique constellation of ADHD symptoms, personalized treatment responses, and possible learning disabilities—a coach should also stay aware of possible coexisting conditions to the ADHD, which may fall into the realm of mental health issues or other DSM-IV diagnoses. In particular, young people with ADHD may also struggle with depression, anxiety, or substance abuse or addiction.
5.
the status of a coexisting condition may interfere with coaching to the point that the young person is simply not coachable at the present time. Coaching may need to be put on hold or terminated altogether.
6.
The part of the brain thought to be related to ADHD affects executive functioning—one’s ability to be organized, arrive on time, stay focused, remain in control of one’s impulses, and so on—and is not related to a person’s intelligence. As a result, a young person with ADHD may not only be smart but may also fall into the category of gifted (defined as someone with exceptional talents, high achievement potential, and oftentimes intrinsic motivation). One of the challenges for gifted children with ADHD is that their intelligence, talents, and abilities may hide their ADHD, leaving the disorder undiagnosed and unrecognized.
7.
Although gifted children with ADHD will have an intelligence level that is higher than that of their nongifted peers, they nonetheless are likely to fall behind their peers in cognitive, social, and emotional development. As a group, ADHD children tend to lag two to four years behind their age peers in social and emotional maturity. Gifted children with ADHD are no exception.
8.
believe wholeheartedly in seeing each and every client as a person and not a disorder. The moment we view a young person with ADHD as broken or deficient, we risk robbing the young person of his or her power lest we inadvertently convey this perspective to the young person. The coach should not be looking at a client from the viewpoint of having ADHD, coexisting conditions, or learning problems. Operating from this perspective skews the coaching process and places the focus on all the things that are “wrong” or all the things that have to be “fixed.”
9.
Perhaps the most important knowledge a coach, parent, or care provider can gather on ADHD is an understanding that young people with ADHD are not broken or faulty. Even with the potential obstacles and impediments these young people face, they are nonetheless creative, resourceful, and whole. They have everything they need inside of them: With the support of their particular treatment—from medication to coaching to good nutrition—young people with ADHD can apply their efforts in focused and strategic ways to achieve the goals they set for themselves. By asking questions and really listening, the coach can empower the client to come up with everything he or she needs to be successful: from clear goals to rewards that motivate, from action steps to strategies for success. And
10.
The purpose of prescreening is to, as best possible, confirm that the adolescent or young adult is ready, willing, and able to enroll in a coaching partnership and that the parent is willing to let that process take place.
11.
Prescreening involves a brief process of gathering information from the parent and young person and sharing information with the parent and young person to make sure that the parent and young person really want the services the coach has to offer the parent is truly ready to support the coaching process the young person is truly ready to engage in the coaching process.
12.
four common factors can be assessed to gain valuable insight and understanding into how a parent might react to the knowledge that the coaching process does not involve the parent: the age of the prospective client how involved the parent has been in the child’s day-to-day life up until now how independent the prospective client is the level of disability or difficulty experienced by the prospective client.
13.
It can be incredibly difficult for parents to watch their children fail at making friends, passing a course, being selected for the school play, or getting a date to the homecoming dance, but the only way for their children to grow and develop is to get practice negotiating the world around them without mom and dad always stepping in.
14.
One of the coach’s jobs during the prescreening process is to assess the parent’s readiness and willingness to change roles. Will the parent be able to step back from being the advocate for the young person to being an observer and supporter while the young person learns to advocate for and take care of him or herself?
15.
questions posed by the coach to the parent, such as What kind of services are you looking for from a coach? Do you understand how coaching differs from tutoring or therapy? What is your understanding of the coaching process? How do you hope coaching can be helpful to your child?
16.
the coach is also doing some early investigating into the prospective client’s interest or motivation for coaching. To this end, the coach might ask questions like “Is your son/daughter aware of the fact that you have contacted me on their behalf about coaching?” “Has your son/daughter expressed an interest in working with a coach?” and “When might I expect a call from your teen to briefly connect and discuss the possibility of coaching together?”The parent’s answer will give the coach some insight into the prospective client’s motivation level for coaching.
17.
I explain that coaching involves my creating a direct partnership with the adolescent or young adult, supported through regular meetings and check-ins in which the parent is not present or involved. During these regular meetings and check-ins, my role in working with the young person is to empower him or her to achieve goals and enhance the quality of life through actionable steps the young person has laid out.
18.
by empowering that young person to discover and apply his or her own resources, skills, and strengths. I also make sure that the parent understands that when I work with clients, I do more than focus on academics with the young person. I will offer whole-life coaching and ADHD coaching rather than merely academic coaching.
19.
Coaching is not therapy. Coaching is not homework help. Coaching is not monitoring the young person and then reporting back to the parent. Equally important, I let parents know that coaching is not doing the work for the client or enabling him or her to be dependent.
20.
“Because I’m not an academic tutor but a coach, I can help motivate your child to do her own homework if this is one of the goals we have set for coaching, but I won’t do her homework for her.”
21.
What is the client’s predominant learning style—visual, auditory, or kinesthetic? What’s important to the client? What’s working right now and, conversely, what obstacles should coach, client, and parent plan to be on the lookout for as coaching unfolds?
22.
ADHD coaches combine knowledge of ADHD and its neurobiology with life coaching skills to help affected individuals set goals, acknowledge strengths, accept limitations, develop social skills, and create strategies that enable them to be more effective in managing their day-to-day lives. Coaches do this by partnering with the client to design an action plan for success. The coach establishes a pattern of frequent communication with clients to help them stay focused and working steadily toward their goals.
23.
Accountability is often put into practice through regular check-ins in between coaching sessions, whether through telephone calls, e-mails, text messages, or faxes. The coaching sessions themselves also provide opportunities for progress updates and regular accountability. Whatever the coach and client agree upon is to be carried out.
24.
It is helpful for the coach to offer information from a variety of sources (e.g., Internet, campus counseling services, books, support groups) so that the client can choose the format and location he or she prefers.
25.
employing a mindset of curiosity
26.
make no predictions and to assume that they don’t know any of the answers, regardless of how many hours of coaching experience or work with youth that the coach already has under his or her belt. This curiosity-based approach is not only respectful to the client as a unique person but also prepares the coach to hear what the young person and parent are really attempting to communicate.
27.
What is it that the young person would like to change or improve upon in his or her life? What’s working now? What might get in the way of progress? What are the goals of the young person?
28.
What is the young person’s favorite subject at school? What accomplishments is the young person proud of? Has anyone ever explained ADHD to the young person so that he or she really understands it? Has the young person ever worked with a coach or professional organizer to assist with ADHD or learning disability problems? If yes, when?
29.
what is their favorite food, band, or sports team? What do they enjoy doing in their free time? Do they have any free time? What’s their favorite movie or book? Last, how does the young person see the future and possibilities for change? Does the young person have an outlook that is conducive to self-growth? Is he or she ready and willing to give coaching a chance and work in partnership with the coach?
30.
When was the young person’s ADHD first diagnosed? Are there other family members with an ADHD diagnosis? Does the young person have any coexisting (comorbid) conditions or issues that need to be taken into consideration during coaching or that may impede the coaching process: depression; anxiety; substance abuse; or other mental, behavioral, or environmental conditions? Does the young person have special accommodations per an Individualized Education Program/504 plan? Has the young person worked with a tutor? If yes, in what subject(s)? Does the young person’s family use a calendar? Who maintains that calendar?
31.
there appears to be a connection between ADHD and learning disabilities, with research indicating that there is a 40-60% overlap between ADHD, learning disabilities, and giftedness, as noted by Dr. Susan D. Mayes, Dr. Susan L. Calhoun, and Dr. Errin W Crowell.
32.
according to Dr. Joanne Rand Whitmore and Dr. C. June Maker, “It is not unexpected, then, to find a significant discrepancy between the measured academic potential of these (gifted) students and their actual performance in the classroom.” This can be confusing and frustrating for parents and teachers, who expect high achievement from the gifted child and don’t see results because of the impact of ADHD and learning disability on the child’s ability to achieve.
33.
When a client comes to coaching and is consistently having problems in a specific subject in school or complains of being unable to understand what others are saying (missing bits and pieces of oral information), there may not be a diagnosed learning disability, but the ADHD is still having an impact on learning and on connection to others. As educated coaches have specific knowledge about ADHD and learning issues, coaches are advised to put on their “teacher” cap and explain to clients and parents that although there may not be a diagnosed learning disability, ADHD itself does create difficulty when it comes to staying on track, focusing, and taking in large amounts of information. The question becomes “How does ADHD impact the ability of the client to learn effectively?”
34.
I have learned over the years, however, that for young people with ADHD, having the will to do something is not always enough. These young people may have all of the will and desire in the world to accomplish something—what’s called motivation—but lack the skills needed to get from Point A to Point B. So they may appear unmotivated to the rest of us when really they just don’t know how to proceed. And for those who do lack motivation, it’s not simply a matter of these young people not caring. Something is actually happening in these young people’s brains (their neurobiology) and likely their life experiences, too, that makes motivation difficult, if not impossible.
35.
6.1. Cycle of Action © 2010 Jodi Sleeper-Triplett
36.
6.2. Cycle of Success
37.
Chris A. Zeigler Dendy notes frequently in her book Teenagers with ADD and ADHD that teens with ADHD often appear to be unmotivated and lazy to those around them. The low energy, daydreaming, or “spaciness” of an ADHD inattentive-type teen can appear to adults, peers, and others as disinterest, laziness, and lack of motivation. Sadly, these young people have often been told by others that they are ill-behaved, uncooperative, ungrateful, uncaring, or even stupid. Although it’s true that motivation to work is often a problem for young people with ADHD (as noted by Dr. Thomas E. Brown in his book Attention Deficit Disorder), a lack of apparent motivation in young people with ADHD does not equal laziness. Both Dendy and Dr. Brown stress the need to develop and strengthen executive functioning skills, which are necessary for goal-directed behavior, in young people with ADHD.
38.
a perceived lack of motivation in young people with ADHD pertains to the absence of momentum and drive to achieve their goals. This lack of momentum is often fostered by a lack of skill or other inability to achieve one’s goals and doesn’t mean that young people with ADHD are being obstinate, willfully disobedient, or inflexible.
39.
A youth with a prefrontal cortex that is asleep in some way because of a neurochemical imbalance related to the biology of ADHD can easily be mistaken for a young person who simply does not care or is unmotivated. For the young person to feel motivated, this part of his or her brain first needs to be sufficiently stimulated. Until then, we as coaches, parents, and adults can try to jumpstart these young people into action until we’re blue in the face, but we’re likely to see no tangible results if their brains are not sufficiently activated. Only when the young person’s brain is sufficiently activated (i.e., regulated to have the proper flow of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and epinephrine) can we even begin to hope to see motivation in the young person. Without this brain regulation, motivation is simply an unrealistic expectation.
40.
Because of the brain-based biology of ADHD, motivation is not about will or choice for many young people with ADHD; it is about a neurobiological condition that runs counter to natural feelings of motivation. If these young people could, they would choose to engage in actions to meet their goals. The problem is that these young people really and truly have trouble getting started—not because they don’t care, per se, but because they lack the physical sensation of “get up and go” that would exist if their brains were regulated properly.
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Over the course of the young person’s life, his or her imbalanced brain chemistry has led to weakened executive functioning skills, such that the young person may have trouble concentrating, focusing, organizing thoughts, sustaining effort, or utilizing working memory.
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Reliable executive functioning isn’t just needed to accomplish goals; it’s needed to acquire the skills used to accomplish goals. As a result, a lack of skills can lead to an adolescent who is frozen with uncertainty on how to proceed on a given task. The outward picture of a young person without skills may be an individual who doesn’t turn assignments in, who doesn’t study for tests, or who avoids writing college application essays. However, if we were privy to the young person’s internal world, we could see that he or she may actually feel trapped or paralyzed because of a lack of skills. The young person may be filled with the desire to be successful but be deficient in the skills needed to identify or engage in the action steps that will lead to success. The young person’s lack of skills inhibits him or her from taking action.
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a young person can care with all of his or her heart but, without the proper knowledge or skill set, be completely unable to take even a first step toward action. As indicated by renowned developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, if we want young people to be able to meet their goals, we have to first help them develop the skills and attitudes needed to work productively.
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If you are working with a young person with ADHD who seems to lack motivation, consider each of the following areas: degree of brain activation, sufficiency of skill set, and quality of thoughts and beliefs in regard to the young person’s ability to generate success from his or her efforts.
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setting goals, creating a step-by-step action plan to accomplish goals, and identifying desirable rewards and incentives.
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fostering confidence
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The action stage of the process is a time when very sincere intentions on the part of the young person with ADHD can easily break down.
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By helping clients think through the practical nuts and bolts of how they are going to accomplish a goal—by mapping out the individual steps needed for success—coaches can provide clients with an important motivational boost.
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the coach will guide the client through the process of developing a step-by-step plan and will support the client in creating his or her own plan, one that feels right and is based on personality, learning style, comfort level, and so forth. The coach can then jump in as needed along the way to offer specific strategies, support, and structure for constructing the plan. Coaches use their coaching skills to help the client stay focused, consider all perspectives, step back, look at the big-picture goal, and then zoom in on the specific action steps needed to accomplish the goal.
November 23, 2010
I have told you that College Girl has ADD. Now not ADHD, which does make it a lil easier on her. But many people do not realize that ADD is just as disrupting for a child and an adult. Sadly she was in college before it was discovered. We have taken the time to learn all we can to help her but knowing more hands on really does help. I have found out about Jodi Sleaper-Triplett who is the president of JST Coaching Training Program She helps others learn how to help Adolescents and Young Adults.
Now we are not able to go and learn directly from JST or Jodi. But we do have a great at home aid. Empowering Youth with ADHD is a book that Jodi wrote. Here we have all the tools to help kids (including mine) excel. Even if CG is in her early 20's we have found that many of the aids can be guided to her needs and learning skills. It was also nice to see that we had accomplished some of them on our own too. College Girl now lives her life on a schedule. It helps her reduce stress and keeps her focused better. She has also learned when to walk away from a project and regroup for a lil while. It always does better for her to get a break and then a fresh look at work. (I think we all need to take in that lesson at times.) She is still learning more on accountability, not looking at why others make it harder for her but what she does that makes life harder. And as her parents we have found many lessons on how to encourage her, not knock her back.
Now we are not able to go and learn directly from JST or Jodi. But we do have a great at home aid. Empowering Youth with ADHD is a book that Jodi wrote. Here we have all the tools to help kids (including mine) excel. Even if CG is in her early 20's we have found that many of the aids can be guided to her needs and learning skills. It was also nice to see that we had accomplished some of them on our own too. College Girl now lives her life on a schedule. It helps her reduce stress and keeps her focused better. She has also learned when to walk away from a project and regroup for a lil while. It always does better for her to get a break and then a fresh look at work. (I think we all need to take in that lesson at times.) She is still learning more on accountability, not looking at why others make it harder for her but what she does that makes life harder. And as her parents we have found many lessons on how to encourage her, not knock her back.
November 25, 2014
Now I Know!
I am a grandmother seeking help my 14 year old grandson who has adhd. A coach sounds like it might be helpful.This book is just as much for the person who is considering being an adhd coach. I recommend reading the whole if you have the time no matter which situation you are in because a lot of insight to both sides. A very good book.
I am a grandmother seeking help my 14 year old grandson who has adhd. A coach sounds like it might be helpful.This book is just as much for the person who is considering being an adhd coach. I recommend reading the whole if you have the time no matter which situation you are in because a lot of insight to both sides. A very good book.
May 4, 2013
This is a wonderful tool for both parents and coaches.
June 30, 2016
Introduction to the ideas of academic / life coaching. While it talks about youth, most of the theory are applicable to any age group, of any ability (not only with ADHD).
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