Some people with ADHD realize that they just cannot make it on their own and they need an ADHD coach. This occurs in students trying to get ready for exams or adults coping with challenging skills and situations in a new job.
The ADHD coach usually will help the patient to set or reset realistic goals. Then they work out how the ADHD patient is going to realize those goals step by step. They also talk a lot about the rewards at the end of it so that motivation is kept high. Very often, the old ADHD problems of distractability, multi tasking, inattention, forgetting things and being totally disorganized just seem like enormous obstacles to the patient realizing his or her goals. The coach can help you stay on track and be supportive.
They can also do very practical things to help you in the house. These could be as simple as organizing papers, helping with accounts and household bills and all the other things that can get on top of us. But they should be able to give you the skills to set up a system so that all your bills get paid on time, with no hassle. It is not much use if they just pay the bills for you!
A really good ADHD coach can help you to organize your physical space, help you with time management, how to plan strategically and how to get organized. They will also help you to get rid of multi tasking which is preventing you from meeting deadlines. They will also point out all the areas where you are wasting money through distraction and getting fined for them, such as video, parking fines and also impulsive buying. If he can teach you skills to avoid all those, it will pay for his fees!
Some people are not sure what the difference between a therapist and an ADHD coach is. They have separate functions but of course the work they do is intertwined in many ways. Usually though the therapist will deal with emotional and behavioral problems, while the coach will stick to goals, obstacles, motivation, organizational skills and rewards.
At the moment I do not think there are any official qualifications to become an ADHD coach. That means unfortunately that there may be unsuitable or unscrupulous people around, as in any area of life. The main thing is to get a recommendation of a reliable person from your therapist. You can also check about how much experience they have, satisfied clients and also what training in the field of psychology they may have.
Finally if your ADHD medication is upsetting your sleep and eating patterns, you will need advice on how and where to get alternative treatments which do not have any side effects. I have prepared a website explaining all these. Together with the help of your coach, you could soon be on top of your ADHD.