What is Student Coaching?

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Meet Jason.  At the end of his junior year of high school, Jason was struggling.  He was about to fail two classes, which put him at risk for losing his position on the lacrosse team.  He continually missed appointments with his tutor and couldn't manage to fit in time for after school help.  This stress greatly affected his mood and he was constantly snapping at family and friends.  His parents were frustrated with him and exacerbated with all of the extra support they were providing, none of which was working.  Jason knew that he had ADHD and was different from his peers, but he had no idea how it was actually affecting every area of his life.  He came to coaching desperate for help. 

 

Nine months later, Jason feels on top of his game. He is more organized, uses a daily planner, hands in his assignments on time and is becoming more responsible for himself. Jason is starting to understand how to work with his ADHD brain instead of against it. His parents have learned to stop nagging and are allowing him space to learn from his mistakes. Jason is feeling empowered to move forward and loves his new sense of independence.  

 

ADHD student coaching focuses on the whole person and the areas of life impacted by ADHD. Coaching helps students to identify goals, find their strengths, increase self-awareness, develop social skills, and create strategies and accountability that enable them to be more effective in managing their daily lives.

 

Coaching helps bridge the gap between being a kid and becoming an adult. Parents can take a deep breath, step back and allow the growth process to progress at a pace that is right for their child.  It can be very difficult for parents to understand and accept the emotional delay that comes with ADHD. Most parents expect their child to be mature enough to handle their lives. Maturity has a very different time frame for people with ADHD.  The coach’s role is to guide and support the client to be ready for the future at their own pace.

 

The coaching environment is one of structure, support, encouragement and acceptance.  Each person is coached on their most prominent issues. For some, it is academics, while others need more support with social skills or perhaps procrastination.

 

Once a student makes the decision to work with a coach, it is important to be patient. Coaching takes time and is a process. It is not a quick fix. It takes time to build new habits and there will be bumps along the way. However,  with the support of a coach, students have the unique opportunity to go after their goals and dreams with greater confidence and success.

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