How to Coach College Students With ADD

Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, coaching is a method designed specifically for dealing with adults with ADD. Students with ADD are not unintelligent individuals, but they sometimes need to work harder to achieve things that may come naturally to students who don't suffer from this condition. Coaching teens and students with ADD differs from helping children of a younger age who also have the condition. However, be it a child or an adult with ADD, coaches need to realize that ADD is a condition that requires time and patience.

Instructions

• 1

  Befriend the student you are coaching. An established friendship and mutual respect between the coach and the student is important. A good relationship will create a more comfortable working environment for you both. If the student feels comfortable with you, he will not be embarrassed to ask questions or make a mistake, which will benefit his growth in the long run.

• 2

  Incite the student. Always try to make the student come up with her own way of doing things. She will know what works best for her, but may not be able to see it initially. Ask her questions about why she thinks she has problems with what she is doing and what would be a good way of fixing those problems.

• 3

  Create a plan and stick to it. Students with ADD have a hard time concentrating on one thing for longer periods of time, so you should create a goal-based plan with your student. This will remind him to finish the task before he moves on to something else.

• 4

  Break down the material. If there seems to be too much work,your student might get overwhelmed and discouraged so it's a good idea to do one thing at the time. In a similar manner, if your student will master one concept before moving on to a new one it will give her a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.