ADHD Coaching for High School Students

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High school students are encouraged to set long-term goals pertaining to life after high school. For example, what do you want to do after you graduate? Go to college, work? The more specific students can articulate their plan, whatever it is, the better. The next step is to help students think about what steps they will need to take to make that goal happen. For example, take certain classes, get certain grades, or perhaps simply graduate. The point of coaching at this age is to connect daily small/intermediate goals to their long-term goals that are too far away to maintain the students' motivation. Long-term goals are broken down into SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-limited) goals. Helping students link their daily intermediate goals to their long-term goal teaches students executive functioning skills in a real life hands on way that is both personally meaningful to them (they chose their own goal) and autonomy building.

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It is crucial that high school students are allowed to choose their own goal and are in the driver's seat (so to speak). Your student will develop the executive function skills needed to function in life, regardless of what his/her long-term goal is. Although parents may want their child to participate in coaching and recognize the benefits, the child must be willing to be involved.