THE FOUR S'S: A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR COACHING PEOPLE
WITH ADD
Two ADD coaches, Sue Coleman and Susan Sussman, mapped out a
program that can be summarized in four words: structure,
support, skills and strategies.
Structure:
Structure is a framework within which an ADD individual
can live his/her life. This structure consists of creating
systems for managing daily life, including time management,
defining goals, and developing daily habits.
Support:
As individuals with ADHD have often felt blamed, criticized and
misunderstood. The ADD coach can provide needed support and
feedback, acknowledge successes, empathize with struggles,
help hold the individual's vision.
Skills:
Skill building helps create a world that becomes more consistent
and predictable. The first step is to help identify strengths
and weaknesses and then build skills that work with the
individual's strengths. The skill building areas are:
goal setting, time management, setting boundaries, dealing
with transitions, listening skills, social skills and
organizational skills.
Strategies:
Strategiew are tools that coaches use to help individuals
navigate their lives more effectively and efficiently.
These include finding ways to corral energy, create pattern
learning, set start and stop times for projects, identify
blocks, establish markers for success for each step of a
project, set up rewards.
By addressing these four areas, a coach can help an ADHD
individual learn, grow and feel success.
program that can be summarized in four words: structure,
support, skills and strategies.
Structure:
Structure is a framework within which an ADD individual
can live his/her life. This structure consists of creating
systems for managing daily life, including time management,
defining goals, and developing daily habits.
Support:
As individuals with ADHD have often felt blamed, criticized and
misunderstood. The ADD coach can provide needed support and
feedback, acknowledge successes, empathize with struggles,
help hold the individual's vision.
Skills:
Skill building helps create a world that becomes more consistent
and predictable. The first step is to help identify strengths
and weaknesses and then build skills that work with the
individual's strengths. The skill building areas are:
goal setting, time management, setting boundaries, dealing
with transitions, listening skills, social skills and
organizational skills.
Strategies:
Strategiew are tools that coaches use to help individuals
navigate their lives more effectively and efficiently.
These include finding ways to corral energy, create pattern
learning, set start and stop times for projects, identify
blocks, establish markers for success for each step of a
project, set up rewards.
By addressing these four areas, a coach can help an ADHD
individual learn, grow and feel success.
