Edge Foundation Blog

Have you heard about ADHD coaching and wondered what it is? Really, it’s not so different from any other kind of coach.

Everyone knows a coach when they see one. There are football coaches, tennis coaches, dance coaches, voice coaches and executive coaches. And for the daily challenge of life itself there are life coaches. Put simply, a life coach helps people meet the challenges and opportunities life presents. An ADHD coach is a life coach who is specialized in the unique challenges of ADHD.

ADHD coaching works the same way as an athletic coach, only the game is life.

Your coach will work with you on the skills you may be missing and your game strategy,  Over time, you will get better at all the things that are hard for you right now. Things like planning, prioritizing, time management, and organization. Your Edge ADHD coach will also help you apply these new skills to achieving the things you want most. Check out some of our testimonials [link] to hear how coaching has helped real students achieve their goals.

People all over the world recognize the benefits of life coaching in their pursuit of career and life goals. Many CEOs and top business executives find that executive coaches can give them the edge necessary to manage successfully and effectively when the stakes are very high.  At the Edge Foundation we believe that if a coach is good enough for CEOs, then it is good enough for our young people who are learning to succeed with ADHD.

What’s special about an Edge ADHD Coach?

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 provides coaches with the necessary skills and tools to coach teens and young adults with ADHD. What’s more, 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.  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.

It’s not too late to sign up for the 2009 ADHD Family Summit. And now is a good time to do it because this Wednesday, June 17, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern (8:00 Central, 7:00 Mountain, and 6:00 Pacific) Edge Foundation Executive Director, Sarah Wright, will be talking about how coaching can help your ADHD teen be successful in school, at home and in life.  Did we mention that it’s FREE?

The ADHD Family Summit is organized by Rory Stern, a passionate advocate in the ADHD community. The teleseminars will be held throughout June on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 9:00 pm Eastern, and include access to a 24-hour replay line for people who aren’t able to listen in live.

Sign up today!

The statistics on ADHD teens and driving are scary. How do allow our teens to drive, but make it safer for our kids behind the wheel?

AD/HD & Driving – A Guild for parents of Teens with AD/HD, by J. Marlene Snyder  is the first and only book on ADHD, teens, and driving.  It is a must-read for all families who have or are contemplating having a teen with ADHD as a driver in the household.  (Note:  The book is out of print, but you can still find plenty of new and used copies on Amazon.com and other ADHD book selling sites.)

ADHD teens are neurologically more prone to speeding, and accidents.  And it’s critical that parents set clear expectations for ADHD teens when they get behind the wheel.

Chapter titles include:

When you have finished reading the book you will be armed with strategies to use to encourage safe driving behaviors in your teen — observation tools, topics to that require extra emphasis, work sheets and sample contracts.

An ADHD Coach can help your teen be a safer driver

Teaching your ADHD teen these new skills can be challenging.  We interviewed Marlene Snyder about the role of a coach in helping your ADHD teen be a safe driver.  Watch it here.  Next time we’ll outline some other tools that are on the market that can help you be sure your teen is driving safely – even when you aren’t in the car.

What have you done to keep your ADHD teen driver safe?  Here are a few ideas for your teen driver to consider.  Please leave us a comment and share what’s worked for you.

Did you know that you’re not fully grown up until you’re 25?

That’s right!  Your brain keeps growing well past the time you reach your full height.  Studies by the National Institute of Health and UCLA show that the risk assessment area of the brain isn’t fully developed until age 25.

Teen drivers at risk

So it shouldn’t be a surprise then, teen drivers are at risk when driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teens are only 7% of licensed drivers, yet they account for 14% of fatal collisions.  In 2003, 3,657 teen drivers were killed, and an additional 308,000 were injured in crashes (Source:  AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety).  Put another way,  that means a 16 year old is twice as likely to have an accident as someone in their 80s!

The property damage costs of teen driver accidents is staggering – over $31 billion each year.

ADHD teens – an even greater driving risk

A few sobering facts about ADHD teens and driving. When compared to other teens…

1. ADHD teen drivers are seven times as likely to have been in 2 or more accidents.
2. ADHD teen drivers are two times as likely to have a speeding ticket.
3. ADHD teen drivers are five times as likely to have a traffic citation.
4. ADHD teen drivers are four times as likely to have been in an injury accident.
5. ADHD teen drivers are four times as likely to have been at fault for the accident they were in.

Families of ADHD teen drivers have a higher risk of:

1. Serious injury or death of their child,
2. Property damage,
3. Higher health care costs,
4. More involvement with legal and liability issues, and
5. Higher motor vehicle insurance rates.

Do we keep ADHD teens from driving?

Of course not! Driving is an important rite of passage in this country. It gives freedom and responsibility to our young adults and helps families manage complicated schedules.  BUT…

There are things you can do to keep yourself (or your teen) safe in the early years of becoming a skilled driver.  Next time we’ll show you how.

Have questions about ADHD teens and driving?  Ask them here, and we’ll do our best to answer them in a future post.

A new study released by Massachusettes General Hospital shows that girls taking stimulants to treat their ADHD are signficantly less at risk to start smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs than girls with ADHD who don’t.

This study is one more in a series that show ADHD stimulants are not only effective at treating the symptoms of ADHD, but they have powerful, positive health benefits.

For more read: http://budurl.com/gcfq (Reuters) or http://budurl.com/xt45 (US News and World Report)

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and by the Lilly Foundation.  When you see a drug company listed as a funder of a study like this are you skeptical that it’s totally true?  We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.   Please leave a comment!