We know how important education is. It’s part of the foundation that helps children build their future. With a supportive coach, your child can learn how to get better at studying, improve their grades and begin enjoying school. This article will give you some tips on how to choose the right coach for your child and explain why they may need one in the first place.
The symptoms of ADHD are different in different people. The impact of ADHD on your teenager’s life will depend on how many areas are impacted and how severely.
The age at which symptoms appear can vary greatly and may affect outcomes. Ideally, an early diagnosis would enable intervention strategies to be implemented during childhood development. However, most cases do not show up until adolescence, when teenagers start attending secondary school, where social pressures increase dramatically. Quite often, this is the time when children with ADHD start noticing differences with their peers, who may tease them about being “dumb” because they seem unable to keep up academically despite often excelling before entering high school.
ADHD in teenagers can be concerning. The disorder affects about 4% of children and teens, which is higher than many people realise. ADHD can be particularly challenging for adolescents trying to balance schoolwork with other responsibilities and activities, especially when preparing for college or university.
Structure and support, through a coach, specialised tutor, or another kind of mentor or teacher assistant, helps enormously
And the good news is that, with structure and support, many teens with ADHD can manage their symptoms and achieve high success. While it may seem like they have an unfair disadvantage over other students, they’re often just as capable of success as anyone else.
A coach can help you to identify your strengths and limitations. This could feel uncomfortable, because a good coach will encourage you to challenge your thinking.
A good coach will also challenge your thinking, which can be uncomfortable but is necessary to grow as a person.
But the results are worth it because knowing your strengths and limitations is an important step in setting goals, working towards them and deciding on a future life and career path that’s right for you.
A good coach will help your teen set achievable goals that are relevant to them as an individual – allowing them to progress at their own pace without fear of failure.
For example, let’s say that one of the things holding your teen back from excelling in school is difficulty with math equations. A good education coach would help them break down these problems into smaller parts so they can understand them better, then work with them on how best to approach solving each part individually until it becomes second nature for them.
Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable and realistic. They should also be time-bound. For example: “I will get an A in maths this term.” Or: “I will read 20 pages of a book every night before bedtime.”
These types of statements are much more likely to motivate an ADHD teen than vague statements such as “Do well in school” or “Try harder at school.” The reason? Everyone needs something tangible they can work towards; something concrete that shows progress has been made toward reaching that goal and something to be proud of.
ADHD coaches can also help your teen develop a plan for success. It’s much easier to stay motivated when you know what you need to do and when it needs to be done. The more specific the plan, the better. For example: “I will get an A in maths this term by studying for at least one hour every night after dinner.”
A coach can help a student set goals that are specific and achievable, such as finding the right career for them, attending university, or finding an area of study they enjoy. A coach may also help with time management skills so that a student can plan their work schedule better, which will in turn allow them to achieve their goals.
Finding an ideal ADHD coach can be a bit of a challenge, but it’s well worth the effort.
For example, you want to make sure that the coach has experience working with teenagers. The last thing you want is for your child to feel like they’re being talked down to by someone who doesn’t understand their perspective or situation. You also want someone who understands how ADHD affects learning and behaviour in school settings; this will allow them to make suggestions on how best to tackle these challenges as they arise during your sessions together. You also want someone who is familiar with the latest research and development in the field of ADHD.
If you are struggling at school or college, it may be time to seek the help of an ADHD coach. A good coach can help you identify your strengths and limitations, set achievable goals that are relevant to your individual needs and work at your own pace so that you can succeed at school and beyond