Edge Foundation Blog

Edge is pleased to present this guest post from Jodi Sleeper-Triplett.  Jodi has been a key partner in developing the founding principles of the Edge Foundation. She has trained all of our coaches in a method that has been proven to positively impact student  We thought you might like to hear how she got involved with ADHD coaching and what inspires her to keep spreading the news that ADHD coaching makes positive changes in the lives of young people with ADHD.

My inspiration:

When my son was in elementary school, I set aside one day a week to volunteer in his classroom.

In the third and fourth grades, children are told that they need to learn to pay attention, stay in their seats, behave appropriately, and follow instructions. It is considered grade appropriate and age appropriate to do so. Well, anyone who understands ADHD in children knows that this is not easily accomplished and that grade and age don’t equate to capability.

Many times, when I arrived at my son’s school to help out, certain students were identified for me to work with one-on-one outside the confines of the classroom. In effect, I was coaching the students with ADHD, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and the like, while supporting their learning. I found myself making a connection with those students who did not get the attention needed in the classroom to achieve at the level of their peers.

JST Coaching beginnings:

When I opened my coaching business in 1996, ADHD coaching for adults was still a new concept. In conversations with adult clients with ADHD, I repeatedly heard “I wish I had a coach in high school,” or “Where were you when I was in college?” That’s why I decided to focus my coaching on children, adolescents, and young adults with ADHD to help young people reach their potential with fewer struggles than the previous generations.

Within a few years, business was booming and I was receiving coaching requests from around the globe (no kidding)!  A few local coaches and educators asked me to train them in my coaching methodology for youth with ADHD; and JST Coaching coach training programs were born.

Creating the flagship course, Coaching Teens & College Students with ADHD, was a labor of love. I had learned so much about ADHD and related difficulties from my young clients and their families and had the privilege of watching my clients learn, grow and succeed after protestations of “I can’t do that!”

When it came time to create an official course manual (followed by my first book, Empowering Youth with ADHD) I had a huge amount of information at my fingertips:  ADHD, executive dysfunction, family dynamics, teen angst, college transition, life coaching, ADHD specific coaching skills, organizational tools, student and parent feedback and more.

Unique approach:

Coaching Teens & College Students with ADHD is a one-of-a-kind training program focusing on the intricacies of ADHD youth coaching. What makes it unique is that the coaching model is designed to coach the young person in all life areas, not just around academic issues. This is a critical distinction in this coach training program, in addition to the in-depth training around ADHD, EF and LD to help coaches understand how their clients learn most effectively and tailor the coaching to meet the needs of each client.

How it works:

JST trained youth coaches, including all Edge Foundation coaches, look to the young person to provide insight on what is and is not working for them in all life areas, including academics. In addition, they gather information from the parents and from the client’s professional team (with permission), before guiding the young person to set goals and create an individualized coaching plan, called a PCA (Personal Coaching Agreement).  By taking this global approach to youth coaching, we are able to help our clients see how their day-to-day life choices impact their ability to succeed in life.

One student may need to create a routine for taking his medication on a regular basis, while another may want to block out time for sports, friends and schoolwork each week.  Coaches trained in the JST coaching model have the tools and knowledge to effect positive change in the lives of young people with ADHD.  When you hire an Edge Foundation coach, you can rest assured that you are getting a well-trained coach for youth with ADHD.

Are there days that feel like ADHD is a burden holding you back from your dreams?  Don’t despair.  There are tons of successful people out there who have ADHD.  A recent article in Parenting listed 18 celebrities who are open with their ADHD.

• James Oliver, Star Chef
• Karina Smirnoff, Pro Ball-room  and Latin dancer
• Will Smith, Actor
• Michael Phelps, Olympic Gold Swimmer
• Jim Carrey, Funny Man and Comedian
• Ty Pennington,  Extreme Makeover Actor
• Richard Branson, Funder of Virgin Airlines
• Paris Hilton, Heiress/Socialite
• Christopher Knight, Actor
• Howie Mandel,  Comedian
• Terry Bradshaw, Former NFL Quarterback
• James Carville , Political Commentator
• Paul Orfalea, Kinko’s Founder
• Pete Rose, Baseball Star
• Michelle Rodriquez, LOST Star, Actor
• David Neeleman, Founder, Jet Blue Airways
• Bruce Jenner, Olympic Decathlon Athlete & Kim Kardashian’s dad
• Solange Knowles, Singer, Sister to Beyonce’

You know there’ve got to be countless other successful people out there besides them – so why not you include yourself on that list?  You might not be famous (yet) but you’ll never reach your dreams by telling yourself you can’t make it.

If you are discouraged, however, an ADHD coach can help you get back on track.  Today is a good day to start putting your application together for Shire’s ADHD coaching scholarship that includes a $2000 academic grant.

There may be reasons you aren’t on the ADHD A-List, but your ADHD isn’t one of them.  What are you waiting for?

Jesse (not his real name) was an average college student majoring in engineering major at a big university.  He lived in a dorm room, went to class during the week and partied on the weekends. But one thing about Jesse’s college experience set it apart from many others’:  he has ADHD.

Jesse told us he figured out he had ADHD when a friend was diagnosed.  “So I went to get screened. After what ended up being a three-month-long process of tests and doctor visits, I was diagnosed.”

College is a particularly difficult time for students with ADHD.  Academic demands, increased independence, more free time, and a distracting environment, creates an environment where many untreated ADHD students are likely to fail.

“If I hadn’t got treatment,” Jesse said, “I can basically guarantee that I would have flunked out.” Fortunately Jesse found a medication that helped with focus, accommodations that allowed him to take exams in less distracting environments, and, perhaps most importantly, he found an ADHD coach.

ADHD coaches are commonly used in ADHD treatment, and students who received ADHD coaching have been shown to show substantial gains in their overall approach to learning. Neil Peterson, founder of Edge Foundation explains, “Medications do not work for everybody. They are not ‘the’ answer because medications do not teach skills — but coaches do.”

Edge ADHD Coaches work by helping a person with ADHD to organize their life on their own, rather than telling them what to do. The coach meets with a student once or twice per week, and helps him or her with goal setting, prioritizing, focusing, confidence, etc. The students set weekly goals and action plans to meet those goals and have e-mail and phone support from their coaches to help keep them on track.

Now Edge is teaming up with the Shire foundation to offer 50 more scholarships for students with ADHD.  Students Shire Expands Scholarship Program for Individuals with ADHD.  The Shire ADHD Scholarship includes a $2,000 monetary award and offers a prepaid year of ADHD coaching services provided by the Edge Foundation. Fifty one-time scholarships will be awarded on June 12, 2012. The deadline to apply is March 30, 2012.

For information, including eligibility requirements and scholarship application, visit www.ShireADHDScholarship.com .

Don't get caught short without ADHD medication

It’s been nearly a year since we first started hearing about ADHD medication shortages and it looks like the end is not coming soon enough.

When the shortages were first reported, all parties thought it would be a short-term problem.  But now apparently the problem is getting bigger, not smaller.

Last week CHADD published an editorial outlining the reasons for the shortages (essentially the DEA makes a “guess” each year about how much production to allow of the controlled ingredients used in ADHD drugs.  Hint: they guessed wrong.)  Short acting ritalin prescriptions seem to be most at risk for shortages at this time.

Plan ahead!  The Short Term Outlook is not good:

The medication production cycle is 8 to 12 weeks long and on top of that the DEA application process is long and cumbersome.  Thus there is a significant time lag between the identification of a shortage and its correction.  This year it looks like the shortages will not be resolved until next spring.

According to CHADD, which has following this issue closely, “Many of the companies that manufacture the short acting stimulant medications report they have no inventory left or limited inventory… it is unlikely that the 2012 DEA approved medications will get to market until March at the earliest.”

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Be sure to order your medication early. Don’t wait until you take your last pill to take your prescription to the pharmacy.
2. Schedule a reminder for yourself to bring your prescription in for a renewal 1 week before it runs out.
3. Make friends with your pharmacist.  If you do they’ll give you tips about what works best for their particular pharmacy.
4. Need other ideas?  Check this article for more tips.
5. Take the CHADD medication survey.  CHADD has been organizing an advocacy group to address this issue with the FDA, DEA and Congress.  At this time the group includes  the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and patient advocacy, clinician and pharmacy related associations.  The information you provide on the survey will be helpful to this group as they work to help create a solution that avoids shortages in the future.

Many students with ADHD are familiar with receiving accommodations as part of their 504 plans.  You may not know that you can also request accommodations standardized college admissions. Many of the testing organizations have been accused of putting up barriers to receiving these accommodations.

Protecting Disabled Students’ Rights to Accomodations

The Government Accountability Office has studied this issue and issued a report earlier this week recommending that the Department of Justice become involved in ensuring the testing industry provides accommodations to all eligible individuals.

AHEAD (Association on Higher Education And Disability) is in the process of revising its guidance on best practice for testing accommodations to place less emphasis on diagnostic tests to determine eligibility and more focus on educational and accommodation histories of individuals.  They are a great resource if you need more information on this subject.

A complete copy of their press release on the subject follows:

GAO calls on the Department of Justice to protect students’ rights

Each year, millions of people take standardized tests in pursuit of a college education, graduate studies, and professional certification or licensure.  The Americans with Disabilities Act requires companies that administer these tests to provide test modifications to best ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities.  The high stakes testing industry has generated considerable controversy, a significant number of law suits and voluminous complaints to federal agencies and concerning who has a disability and how to determine what accommodations are necessary to provide equivalent access.

At the request of Representatives George Miller, Pete Stark and Cathy McMorris Rodgers the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined the process including the types of accommodations requested, factors companies consider when making decisions about requests, and how federal agencies enforce ADA compliance within the industry.

AHEAD (Association on Higher Education And Disability) and a number of its members participated in the GAO study’s interviews that helped provide a context for the GAO’s reviews of relevant laws and regulations, testing company policies, data provided by the testing industry, and federal complaint data.

The report recommends that the Department of Justice develop a strategic approach to enforcing the ADA in the high stakes testing industry to ensure the timely provision of accommodations to all eligible individuals. Justice has reviewed the report and agrees with its approach and conclusions.

This report, the amendments to the ADA, the regulations recently issued under Title I, II and III (particularly Section 309) along with a string of recent court cases clearly confirms an emerging approach to reviewing accommodations requests that is anchored to individual disability histories rather than the snap shots provided by diagnostic testing; more often asking “Why not” in response to a request for accommodation rather than “Why?”.  This approach will require a more thoughtful and commonsense approach to determining accommodations relying more heavily on unique experience of the individual and the  recommendations of clinicians and health care providers in order to achieve the broad goals of the ADA in connection with high stakes tests.

AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability http://www.ahead.org) has been revising its guidance on best practices in documentation and expects a Spring release.  The revisions will place less emphasis on diagnostic tests to determine eligibility; focusing instead on the educational and accommodation histories (formal and informal) of individuals, their supporting narratives and the surrounding context including the development of new technologies.  AHEAD encourages other organizations to review their practice and is happy to offer technical assistance; contact AHEAD via e-mail or call (704) 947-7779.

The full report Higher Education and Disability: Improved Federal Enforcement Needed to Better Protect Students’ Rights to Testing Accommodations (Report to Congressional Requesters AO-12-40 United States Government Accountability Office) can be found at http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-40.

One of the questions recently raised on Facebook was what is the difference between organizational and ADHD coaching.

Organizational and ADHD coaches do have a lot in common.  The best answer to this question comes in the form of a Tweet from professional organizer, Jeri Dansky:

Coaching is coaching, but not all organizing challenges come from ADHD, and not all ADHD challenges are organizing.

Yes, organizational issues are a hallmark of ADHD, however, there are many other executive functions that an ADHD coach also can help a person address including:

• Scheduling
• Goal Setting
• Focusing
• Prioritizing
• Sticking with it when it gets tough (a.k.a. persistence)
• Impulsiveness

An ADHD coach helps people with ADHD build strategies to work with their strengths to counter their weaknesses. You can’t organize yourself into focusing or being less impulsive. But most people with ADHD do need help getting organized.

Have you used an organizational coach for your ADHD?  Did it work for you? Let us know in the comments.

by Tim Kniffin, Edge ADHD Site Coordinator

Hector’s teacher was more than a little frustrated “Hector, I see you all around campus. I see you in classrooms, I see you out in the quad, and I see you playing basketball in the gym.  Where I never see you is at your desk, doing your work.  Can you help me understand this?”

“I just need to try harder to do my work,” Hector replied.

Better strategies for ADHD students

It was the “try harder” part that caught my attention.  Students with ADHD often think that their problem is they aren’t trying hard enough.  They think everyone around them has vastly superior levels of self-control, and if they just had more self discipline, they’d be able to get the work done.

They don’t realize is their ADHD brain is wired differently.  While effort is always necessary for every student, students with ADHD need better strategies — smart ways of dealing with difficulties.

That’s why I was glad Hector decided to join the Edge ADHD Coaching Program at Highline Big Picture High School in Burien, WA.  In our first meeting we talked about how Hector is plenty smart and has plenty of energy.  We also focused on a plan for what he needed to get done:

• I had him list three specific goals he wanted to get done by the end of the week.  I made sure they were specific goals -- chapters read, people  to talked to.
• We looked at his schedule for the week and found 3 different blocks of time in which he could get those things done.
• I texted him a few times during the week- “How is the reading coming along, Hector?”  He would tell me about his progress.

By the time I saw him the next week, he had two of his goals completed and the third he had a good start on.  He didn’t get everything done, but he got a lot more done than we would have without coaching.  With progress like this, week by week, I’m confident Hector can make significant gains in his schoolwork.

Smart, energetic AND focused with ADHD

The thing is, Hector is still very social and energetic.  He still talks to everyone on campus and still participates in multiple athletic activities.  But with a clear idea of specific steps to get his work done, he can also focus his attention on making progress towards his goals.

Just about everyone wants to hear “good job!” and “you did it!”  With an ADHD coach by his side to help him learn the strategies he needs to stay on top of his work, Hector is hearing those words more and more these days.

Tim Kniffin is an Edge ADHD site coordinator at Highline Big Picture High School in Burien, WA  The Highline program provides ADHD coaching to previously underserved students within a school-based setting.

Editor’s note:  This week Rob Tudisco shares some highlights from the 2011 CHADD annual conference.  Highlights include a summary of Ned Hallowell and Dr. Russel Barkley’s talk, Is ADHD a gift or a disability, and Dr. Tim Wilens’s perspective on ADHD coaching as an effective strategy for college students. Enjoy!

I recently returned from CHADD’s National Conference in Orlando and as always it was an inspiring experience.  Attending a large conference is a reminder of the extraordinary community I work within.  Organizations like CHADD and Edge are not websites or status updates, but people whose lives have been touched by ADHD.  Meeting with parents, educators, coaches and clinicians encourages the comfort of knowing that none of us are alone with living with the challenges that ADHD presents. 

 2011 CHADD National Conference Highlights

Dr. Timothy Willens, MD discussed his work with adolescents and college students.  He identified treatment options, behavioral support and exercise as a part of a multi-modal approach to addressing ADHD symptoms.  Dr. Willens also directly advocated for the importance of ADHD coaching for college age students, citing a body of growing research about its efficacy and capacity of  ADHD coaching to provide structure, support and accountability.  His report was a significant indicator that ADHD coaching is growing in popularity, understanding and legitimacy in the ADHD community.

Is ADHD a gift or a disability?

The closing plenary session was a co-presentation by Dr. Russell Barkley and Dr. Edward Hallowell. The two have long been rumored to have polarized views on the nature of ADHD and whether or not it is a gift of creativity or a completely debilitating disorder.  Barkley and Hallowell outlined their common understanding backed up by solid statistical evidence.

Barkley and Hallowell agree on the following points:

•  ADHD is a potentially disabling disorder that has very serious consequences if not treated.
• The mind of someone with ADHD is like having a “Ferrari for a brain, with bicycle brakes.”
• With proper treatment, individuals with ADHD are capable of amazing feats and accomplishments.
• With effective treatment includes therapy and (notably) coaching, individuals with ADHD can achieve their potential.
• Once the challenges of ADHD are addressed through treatment, the resilience that people have developed over years of dealing with their ADHD can help them accomplish great things.

Two final thoughts from Hallowell I found inspiring:

• ADHD is not necessarily a gift, but through treatment his patients unwrap the gifts of their own unique talents, while clearing away the distraction of their ADHD, so that their individual talents can shine through.
• The unique creative perspective of ADHD is “impulsivity gone right!”

The conference was a phenomenal experience that left me reenergized.  I strongly encourage all of you to look into attending conferences such as this in the future.

~Robert Tudisco, Edge Foundation Executive Director

Have you read a number of books about ADHD and they didn’t work?  Did you know there are over 6,000 ADHD books on Amazon.com; which one should you read first?  Don’t you wish someone would tell you the top three books you should read when you are diagnosed with ADHD?

We can tell you some books we’ve found helpful, but we also want you to know why coaching may be a better alternative to ADHD self help strategies, books, blogs or tip sheets.

• The ADHD brain isn’t wired for self-help. A hallmark of ADHD is inconsistency.  One day you can stay on track just fine and the next day you fall short.  For example, you don’t turn in assignments late because you are lazy.  You miss assignments because your brain is wired for distraction.
• People with ADHD usually already know what they need to do; they just have trouble getting it done.  Brain research shows that “what to do” resides in the back of the brain, while “getting it done” is in the front where ADHD brains are weaker.  When staying focused and on track is the problem, self-help books fail because they don’t provide the support you need to work with this weaknesses.
• ADHD symptoms are different for different people: that’s why it’s called AD/HD, ADD and ADHD.  Scientists are still figuring out the different ways ADHD manifests in different people. You don’t need to know all of that, what you need is a program tailor made for you.

An ADHD coach is your brain’s personal trainer

You already know how a personal trainer can take your workout to the next level.  They help you develop your workout plan, encourage you to push yourself and hold you accountable to show up!

Skills are teachable and need to be built from the ground up. An ADHD coach provides you with the support to explore your strengths and weaknesses, identify areas you need to develop, outline a plan of attack, give you feedback as you practice new skills, and hold you accountable to your goals.

Still want to read a book?  Here are a few we recommend.  But we also hope you’ll give ADHD coaching a try.  In just a few months you’ll have learned new skills and strategies that will benefit you for a lifetime!

 ADHD Self Help Book List 

Books for readers seeking to understand ADHD

• Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood, Edward Hallowell & John Ratey, 1994
• Answers to Distraction, Edward Hallowell & John Ratey
• Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults (Yale University Press Health & Wellness), Thomas Brown, 2005

Books for students with ADHD

• Empowering Youth with ADHD: Your Guide to Coaching Adolescents and Young Adults for Coaches, Parents, and Professionals, Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, 2010
• Coaching College Students with AD/HD : Issues and Answers, Patricia Quinn, Nancy Ratey and Theresa Maitland, 2000
• Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And ADHD Give You The Tools, Jonathan Mooney & David Cole, 2000
• Survival Guide for College Students with ADHD or LD, Kathleen Nadeau, 2006
• Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John Ratey with Eric Hagerman, 2008
•  Making the Grade With ADD: A Student’s Guide to Succeeding in College With Attention Deficit Disorder, Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, 2008

Books for parents of ADHD teens and college student

• Your Defiant Teen: 10 Steps to Resolve Conflict and Rebuild Your Relationship, Russell Barkley & Arthur Robin, 2008
• Help4ADD@High School, Kathleen Nadeau, 1998
• ADD and the College Student: A Guide for High School and College Students with Attention Deficit Disorder, Patricia Quinn, 2001
•  Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You’re Not a Straight-A Student, Lauren Pope, 2000

After working with lots of ADHD students just like you, we’ve found some students are more likely to succeed with coaching than others.