New Criteria for ACO Professional Membership
Announced June 1, 2006 by the ACO Board of Directors
Updated January 25, 2008
It’s not just ADHD coaches who are noticing the number of other professionals who are co-opting the title “coach.” Some management consultants, some therapists, some teachers and tutors, and a host of others in helping professions are calling themselves coaches.
According to the International Coach Federation (ICF)
Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.
Key in that definition is training: specific coach training. The ACO supports the value of coach-specific training, as well as education in the field of ADHD and ADHD coaching, as critical to the effective practice of ADHD coaching.
Therefore, because ACO Coaches are, first and foremost, coaches who endorse and accept the coaching paradigm of the ICF, and who additionally have specific training and expertise in coaching people and/or groups affected by ADHD, the ACO is implementing specific criteria for Professional Membership.
It is not the intent of the ACO to credential or certify any member’s qualifications or skill level. However, it is important to our mission of promoting ADHD coaches and coaching worldwide that we protect the integrity of the “Professional Member” designation of the ACO.
Therefore, beginning on July 1, 2006, in order to be listed as a Professional ACO Coach, new members will need to provide information declaring:
- evidence of an active coaching practice
and either - 72 hours of ADHD coach specific training taught by an ICF credentialed MCC or PCC coach
OR - 60 hours of coach specific training provided by an ICF approved school or taught by an ICF credentialed MCC or PCC coach, plus
- 12 hours of addition training about ADHD and/or ADHD Coaching provided by a Masters or PhD level expert or by an ICF credentialed MCC or PCC coach or by a specific source recognized by the ACO .
How will the organization find out what level of coach I am?
During the process of joining, prospective members are asked to self-determine if they are associate level participants. People wishing to be Professional Members will fill out a form which includes information about their training.
If you have a question about whether you qualify, you may submit that first form before completing the process and paying dues. If your are confident that your history meets our qualifications, you may pay the dues as a professional. In either case, the membership receives a copy of your form and will contact you if the information indicates that you do not meet Professional Member qualifications.
So what's the difference between a Professional Member and an Associate Member?
The only difference in benefits between the two levels is that Professional Members are listed in the publicly searchable "Find a Coach" directory. The entire database is available to all members after logging into the members-only portion of the website. This way members looking for others with particular skills, training, or for other information can find members who might fill a specific need.
Associate Members who wish to become Professional Members will be supported and encouraged by the ACO and its membership in their efforts to do so.
To support this new policy, members joining after July 1, 2006 will be listed as Associate until the membership committee completes an evaluation of the application. This should not take longer than 30 days. You will be contacted by a member of the ACO for a new-member or, in the future, for a renewing-member interview.
Additionally, the ACO will implement Continuing Education requirements. As of July 1st 2007, all renewing professional members must demonstrate 6 Continuing Education hours in the previous year. The membership renewal procedure will be described in more detail in next month's Circle.
For complete information, please check the FAQ online at www.adhdcoaches.org/content/FAQ.html