Student Coaching - University and High School

I work with students to learn skills and set up structures and systems to help improve personal and academic achievement. Many students struggle with school not because they don’t know the material and don’t want to do well, but because they have various executive functioning skills deficits that create challenges (many ADHD challenges are from executive dysfunction). These can impact students through adolescence and into adulthood.

 

Executive functions are our brain’s ability to plan, organize, prioritize, sustain focus, maintain effort, manage frustration, self-monitor and self-regulate, and generally ‘get things done’. These enable us to hear a teacher give verbal instructions, write them down, look at those instructions at a later time, and prioritize and start the assignment before it’s overdue. There may be many steps and skills required for seemingly ‘simple tasks’, and these are often missed by otherwise bright, creative, and driven people. 

 

Students with ADHD or executive function challenges often experience the following:
 

• Late or missing assignments

• Get ‘stuck’ and ‘overwhelmed’ easily with school work

• Procrastination

• Impulsive actions

• Struggle with daily tasks

• Appear unmotivated 

• Distracted

• Scattered

• Forgetful

• Poor social skills

• Struggle with general ‘life skills’

 

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Coaching helps students work with their brains, not against them. Systems and skills are tailored to the needs, priorities, and specific challenges that each individual deals with. Coaching can therefore lead to improvements in:
 

• Focus

• Prioritization skills

• Perseverance

• Follow-through

• Self-starting

• Managing overwhelm

• Impulsivity

• Social Skills

• Emotional regulation

• Improved self-confidence

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A Note To Parents

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Coaching is not designed to ‘fix’ your child, and it usually takes time and work from all parties. I work with students who want to work with me, or, at the very least, recognize their challenges and aren’t resistant to help. Coaching is an investment and often takes time to achieve results (although many people see benefits quickly), and it often requires separate sessions with parents to determine how best to support your child. That being said, it can be a tremendously beneficial and rewarding experience for everyone involved.