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?
6. What are the dues?

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.
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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.
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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.

   There is space on the membership form to list the courses you completed including the instructor’s name and 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.

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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.
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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.
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   • Coaches who join between December 1 and March 31 will pay the full year’s dues ($120 for professionals and $60 for associates) Members who join in December of any year will essentially be getting one month for free as their renewals will not be due until the following January 1.
   • Coaches who join between April 1 and June 30, will pay 75% of the total for that year ($90 for professionals and $45 for associates)
   • Coaches who join between July 1 and September 31, will pay 50% of the total ($60 for professionals and $30 for associates)
   • Coaches who join between October 1 and November 30, will pay 25% of the total ($30 for professionals and $15 for associates)
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6. What are the dues?
   New members pay a prorated fee in their first year based on the QUARTER in which they join. That means:
   • Coaches who join between December 1 and March 31 will pay the full year’s dues ($120 for professionals and $60 for associates) Members who join in December of any year will essentially be getting one month for free as their renewals will not be due until the following January 1.
   • Coaches who join between April 1 and June 30, will pay 75% of the total for that year ($90 for professionals and $45 for associates)
   • Coaches who join between July 1 and September 31, will pay 50% of the total ($60 for professionals and $30 for associates)
   • Coaches who join between October 1 and November 30, will pay 25% of the total ($30 for professionals and $15 for associates)

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

Thank you.