Services
ADHD COACHING FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS
Teenagers and young adults with ADHD can display several of the following symptoms more than neurotypicals their age: Distractibility and lack of focus, fidgeting, excessive talking, forgetfulness, poor concentration, disorganization, heightened emotionality or rejection sensitivity, poor decision making, poor time management skills, impulsivity, and trouble starting and finishing tasks. Most youth will struggle with these tasks at times, but those with ADHD (neurodiverse) will have chronic struggles with many of these tasks, impacting their daily functioning. Teenagers may be able to hyperfocus on something they love, but that is actually another symptom (hurdle to success) and ironically can be misinterpreted as proof they do not have ADHD. Coaching can help someone build on their strengths and find creative ways to improve executive functioning skills.
Parenting challenges
ADHD can look very different in a child's teen years than when they were younger. Puberty along with increased academic demands will challenge their executive functioning skills . A desire for increased independence can increase a parent's worries around your teenager driving, forming relationships, becoming sexually active, or even experimenting with drugs and alcohol. ADHD is a neuro-developmental disorder and your teen will struggle due to their ADHD symptoms, which include delays in judgement, emotional control, and impulse control. They are usually lagging in development behind their non-ADHD (neurotypical) peers by 3-5 years. When parenting a teen with ADHD, their chronological age does not match their capabilites. This discrepancy can often cause an incongruence between expectations and abilities, which leads to compounding frustrations. They look like their peers or siblings, but their disability is invisible. They might be 17 and look like a 17-year old, but their functioning level is more comparable to a 13-year old.
How can therapy and coaching help parents?
Parenting a teen is tough. Parenting a teenager with ADHD adds greater complexities, which can create frustrations, anger, and exhaustion. When you parent from a place of depletion, it is difficult to cope with all the challenges you face. It is important to regulate your emotions and find ways to recharge. Learning about ADHD and how it affects your teenager, as well as the entire family is the first step. Only then are you able to gain empathy and strengthen your relationship with your teen. This is accomplished through communication, consistency, and support with problem solving. All of your efforts require support, as well. You are not expected to know how to do all of this on your own. Give yourself permission to reach out and accept help with these difficult tasks.