ADHD Coaches Organization
    Promoting ADHD Coaches and Coaching Worldwide
ADHD Coaches Organization
     

Frequently asked questions about
ACO Professional Membership Criteria.

  1. I graduated from ADDCA, OFI or some other ADHD coach training school. Do I have to have 12 MORE hours in ADHD training?
  2. I don't have a certificate from the workshops I attended. Can they still count?
  3. I didn't study in any specific coach school. Can I still be a professional member?
  4. I didn't actually attend a certain conference, but I listened to the sessions on CD or tape. Does that count?
  5. What do I have to provide to show that I have an active practice?

  1. I graduated from ADDCA, OFI or some other ADHD coach training school. Do I have to have 12 MORE hours in ADHD training?

    ADHD Coach Training programs that are taught by MCC or PCC level ICF Coaches that include at least 72 hours of training will fulfill the requirement of 60 + 12 hours. Therefore, completion of ADDCA or OFI training programs would fulfill the full requirement.

  2. I don't have a certificate from the workshops I attended. Can they still count?

    Yes. You will need to provide the name of the session, the instructor including appropriate credentials, sponsoring organization, if appropriate, the date of session and the length of the class.

  3. I didn't study in any specific coach school. Can I still be a professional member?

    You may apply as a professional member of the ACO if you provide documentation outlining your training. That means you must show 60 hours of coach-specific training and an additional 12 hours of ADHD education. The training must be specifically provided for each category (coaching and ADHD education) and may not be part of some larger nonspecific coach training.

    This means, for example:

    • Coach training included in some larger course work in management training would not count because the class was not specifically provided as coach training.
    • Personal development courses such as Forum, Landmark, Lifespring, Life Training, Science of the Mind, etc., do not count as coach-specific training.
    • Likewise education in psychology, counseling, NLP, etc. does not count as coach-specific training.
    • ADHD training acquired as part of a college class in behavioral psychology would not count toward the 12 hours of ADHD education.

    So what counts?

    Specific training includes classroom work, direct observation and/or teleconferencing. It must be taught specifically for each category, coaching and ADHD education. Coach training must be provided by a PCC or MCC level ICF certified coach. ADHD education must be provided by a Masters or PhD level trainer with expertise in the field of ADHD. ADHD coach training must be provided by a PCC or MCC level ICF certified coach.

    Please provide a log listing each course you completed including dates, sponsoring organization (if applicable) instructor (including credentials) class description and training hours.

    If your training is not coach-specific, you may be an Associate Member of the ACO until you complete appropriate coach training.

  4. I didn't actually attend a certain conference, but I listened to the sessions on CD or tape. Does that count?

    Yes. ACO members ascribe to the ICF code of ethics. As such they do not misrepresent themselves or their training. If you listened to the session on CD or tape, you may claim the training time.

  5. What do I have to provide to show that I have an active practice?

    The primary reason for this criteria is to insure that people visiting our site and searching our "Find a Coach" database will be directed toward coaches who are actively practicing. We ask that you provide the URL of your website or an email address which refers to your business. e.g. Coachmary@xxx.com at least sounds like a coach; mary123@xxx.com does not. You may also provide a scanned copy of your business card.

If you have another question not listed here, please use the reply form to ask.
Thank you.