Edge Foundation Blog

Dear Edge Coach,

I’ve decided that an ADHD coach sounds right for me. What do I look for when selecting a coach?

Signed, Ready to work

Dear Ready,

Coaching is a contract in which you and your coach define your goals and plan how to achieve those goals. You provide the goals, the coach provides structure, support and accountability. When selecting a coach look for someone who :

• Is certified through a reputable program that involves ADHD coach training geared toward students.

• Understands the unique challenges you face with your ADHD in a school environment and in your life.

• Is flexible and one you feel comfortable with (this is not a decision for your parents to make – the coach is working with you!).

• Offers the option of working by phone/Skype or in person if necessary.

• Is comfortable working, as needed, in coordination with your therapist, tutor, faculty advisor or other professionals for your best interest.

A good coach will help you identify and gravitate towards your strengths, while navigating around your weaknesses. Working with the right coach you soon find you’re stronger at advocating for yourself and your stress is dramatically reduced because you are on track and following a plan. Good luck!

Believe it or not, fall is a good time to think about money. Not only is it the beginning of a new school year – often accompanied by new levels of allowance and responsibilities – but just around the corner the holiday season with all of its temptation is coming.

Money management can be a serious issue for people with ADHD. A  UMASS study (2003/2004) found that 67% of adults with ADHD had trouble managing money. That’s compared to the control group where only 15% had money management problems. Why? CHADD (an ADHD advocacy and awareness nonprofit) reports that their research shows ADHD adults make more impulse purchases, have higher credit balances, are more often late on bill payments, had lower savings rates and bounced checks more often than others.

Impulse spending has a lot to do with ADHD money management issues. There are a number of things you can do to get on top of your impulse spending. (We’ve covered this topic before but it doesn’t hurt to pull out those tips and review them.)

1. Know the difference between “needs” and “wants”
2. Make a budget before you go into a store, and stick to it
3. Keep it in cash – use plastic for emergency use only (in fact put a sticker on your credit/debit card that says just that!)
4. Avoid the mall and browsing catalogs – they both are screaming “buy me”
5. Don’t borrow money from friends
6. Stay away from casinos

Are these all tips you are already doing? Do you feel like you’ve heard this all before? Yet you still feel like you can’t get your finances under control. You need an ADHD coach.

An ADHD coach can help you find a money management system that works for you.

See the problem is that for some people using their debit card for all purchases is the trick that works, and for others it’s never going shopping without a friend. ADHD is not a one-size-fits-all condition. Every person who has ADHD experiences it a bit differently. There is no magic cure. An ADHD coach can help you figure out what works with your style, your strengths, and you budget. It can feel like a big financial commitment to get a coach, but the long term payoff can mean getting control of your finances, saving for the future and no more sick feeling every time you get the mail.

What are your challenges with money? Let us know in the comments and we will do our best to address them!

Dear Edge Coach,

What makes your coaches different from the other coaches out there?

Signed,  Shopping around

Dear Shopping,

It’s great that you are exploring what makes one coach better than another before you sign up.  When you work with an Edge-approved coach, you can be sure that the individual is an experienced coach who has taken additional steps to learn about the specific needs and concerns of teens and young adults with ADHD.  Our coaches meet some of the most rigorous standards in the field.

All of the coaches who go through Edge’s training program are well-trained life coaches who have a minimum of two years experience as a coach.  The Edge Training Team brings over 25 years of experience working with youth and 15 years focused on coaching youth with ADHD.  Our coach training program is designed to ensure consistent use of  the Edge coaching model and to provide coaches with the necessary skills and tools to coach teens and young adults with ADHD.  All of our coaches also receive follow up supervision and support once they complete the program.

If you’d like more information about what coaching is like, we hope visit our sign up page and watch a quick video.  While you are there, feel free to sign up for a coach or just get more information.  You can also call us at 888-718-8886.  Leave a message and we’ll get back to you within the next business day.  There’s no obligation.  We are happy to answer your questions and support your efforts to find the best coach for you or your child.  We want you to feel comfortable that when you choose to work with an Edge Coach, you’ll know your be in good hands.

Once you sign up to get a coach, you will have the opportunity to interview the coach to find out if you “click”.  If not, let us know and we will match you with a different coach before you start the actual coaching process.

We hope you’ll decide that Edge is the last stop you’ll need to make in your research efforts.

Do you have a question for the Edge Coach.  Feel free to leave it in the comments, below.

In the next few days just about everyone will be back in school. Another new school year is underway, and just like January is a time for New Year’s resolutions, lots of students start the new school year with aspirations of it being their best year ever.

Have you promised yourself that this year it will be different?  This year…

• I’ll study every night
• I will do all my homework on time
• I will get serious about my classwork
• I won’t skip class
• I’ll exercise and eat right
• I’ll  go to bed on time the night before tests

If you find yourself making New School Year’s Resolutions, you may need some extra help to get them accomplished when you have ADHD.  For example, do you struggle with…

• Procrastination
• Getting organized
• Feeling overwhelmed or
• Finishing things you’ve started?

An ADHD coach can help you overcome the struggles of ADHD and keep on track with your goals.

We’d like to give you our FREE white paper, ADHD and College Success: Everything you need to know about ADHD, college, and living your dreams!, that can show you how a coach can help you get your edge for success.   It’s filled with practical solutions and proven tools you can start using today.  Highlights include…

• Using creative ways, like music, to keep yourself on schedule
• Working with your urge to procrastinate, not against it
• How to study smarter, not harder
• 4 student qualities for success
• And many more easy to try ideas!

If you have ADHD and are headed off to college, or are a college-bound high school senior (or know someone who is), you need to download this white paper. It’s free.  You won’t have to talk to anyone to get it.  And you’ll be under no obligation to buy anything or sign up for a coach.

We bet you’ll find at least one thing you can do in there that you can start using today to get your edge on ADHD.  What are you waiting for?

Yes, take me to the College White Paper download page. I want to keep my School Year’s Resolutions!