Does ADHD Coaching Work?
What the Research Says

Yes. A review of the published research shows that ADHD Coaching improves ADHD symptoms, executive functioning, self-esteem and quality of life across children, teens, college students and adults. Studies vary in size and design, and results differ from person to person, but the evidence consistently points in the same direction.

Jump to the Findings
Download the Research Review

What is ADHD Coaching?

ADHD Coaching is a collaborative, goal-oriented process that combines life coaching, skills coaching and education to help people with ADHD build the self-awareness, strategies and skills they need to reach their goals while managing the everyday realities of living with ADHD. Read more about what ADHD Coaching is and how it works." (link to /about-adhd-coaching)

Key findings at a glance

  • Better focus and executive functioning

    Studies show improvements in attention, distractibility, planning, organisation and goal attainment.

  • Better school and work outcomes

    Coached students earned higher grades and developed stronger learning and study skills.

  • Higher self-esteem and well-being

    Participants reported greater confidence, life satisfaction and well-being.

  • Results across the lifespan

    Positive outcomes were found in elementary students, teens, college students and adults, in both one-to-one and group coaching.

Findings by Age Group

Most ADHD Coaching research has focused on college students, but studies now cover a wide age range. Here is what has been found for each group.

Children (elementary school)

  • Improved social behaviours

  • Improved life satisfaction and well-being

Teens (high school)

  • Improved grades

  • Improved self-esteem and life satisfaction

College students

  • Improved grades, learning and study skills

  • Improved executive functioning and goal attainment

  • Improved self-esteem, well-being and life satisfaction

H3: Adults

  • Improvements in distractibility, inattention and related behaviours

  • Clinical, symptom and functional improvement

Some outcomes, such as well-being and executive functioning, have not yet been studied in every age group. Where that is the case, we say so rather than assume the results carry over.

Coaching alongside medication and therapy

ADHD Coaching is not a replacement for medical treatment and does not diagnose or treat ADHD. The research describes it as effective either on its own or as one part of a comprehensive, multimodal approach that may include medication, therapy and education.

Coaching focuses on what you do day to day: how you plan, start, follow through and adjust. Therapy typically focuses on understanding and processing emotions. Many people find the two work well together, and many ADHD Coaches work in partnership with their clients' clinicians.

“ADHD Coaching can be a stand-alone intervention or a component of comprehensive, multimodal treatment of ADHD.”

The limits of the evidence

We want you to make an informed decision, so it is worth being clear about what the research can and cannot say.

Many studies to date have had small numbers of participants, and study designs vary, which makes direct comparison difficult. There are fewer studies on adults than on college students, and some outcomes have only been measured in certain age groups. Results also depend on the fit between coach and client, and on the client's own goals and engagement.

What the research does show is that, across different ages, settings and coaching models, the outcomes point consistently in a positive direction. The ACO supports further research and updates this page as new studies are published.

Who reviewed the research

This summary is based on a review of the published ADHD Coaching literature prepared for the ACO in 2018 by Elizabeth Ahmann, ScD, RN; Micah Saviet, MSW; and Lisa Joy Tuttle, MA, PCC. The review was presented at the annual meeting of the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and received an Honorable Mention at the Institute of Coaching's Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare Conference at Harvard Medical School.

Download the Research Review

Research Supports ADHD Coaching©

ADHD Coaching has been defined as a collaborative, goal-oriented process that integrates life coaching, skills coaching, and education to assist individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in developing the self-awareness, strategies, and skills necessary to fulfill their potential while navigating the pragmatic realities of living with ADHD.1

A recent review of research on ADHD coaching indicates that ADHD coaching contributes positively to improved functioning in individuals with ADHD across the age span. 2,3  Download a PDF of this research review.

Numerous, varied studies examined diverse outcomes of coaching for ADHD. Findings include the following:

Improvements in ADHD symptoms and executive functioning related behaviors:

  • Improved social behaviors in elementary school students

  • Improved grades in high school and college students

  • Improvement in learning and study skills in college students

  • Improved executive functioning skills and/or goal attainment in college students (not studied in adults)

  • Improvements in distractibility, and inattentive, social, and behavioral factors in adults

  • Clinical, symptom and/or functional improvement in all age groups

Improvements in self-esteem, well-being and quality of life:

  • Improved self-esteem in teens and college students

  • Improved life satisfaction in elementary, high school and and college students

  • Improved wellbeing in elementary and college students (not studied in teens or adults)

Summary

While results for individuals may vary, the research suggests that, across differing age groups, study designs, and approaches to coaching, including both individual and group coaching models:

Coaching appears effective in supporting improvements in many realms of functioning for individuals with ADHD across the age span. ADHD coaching can be a stand-alone intervention or a component of comprehensive, multimodal treatment of ADHD.

Sources

  1. Wright, S. D. (2014). ADHD coaching matters: The definitive guide. College Station, TX: ACO Books.

  2. Tuttle, L. J., Ahmann, E., & Wright, S. D. (January, 2016). Emerging evidence for the efficacy of ADHD coaching. Poster presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of APSARD (The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders), Washington, DC.

  3. Ahmann, E., Saviet, M. & Tuttle, L. J. (October, 2017). Emerging evidence for the effectiveness of coaching for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Poster awarded Honorable Mention at the 2017 Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare Conference, Institute of Coaching/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

© 2018 Created for ACO by Ahman, E., Saviet, M. & Tuttle, L.J.

Want to learn more about ADHD Coaching Research?

ACO members can log on for more information and links to the following research resources:

  • Journal of Attention Disorders (JAD)

  • The ADHD Report

  • Attention Research Update

  • The Coaching Report

  • International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring

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