As a professional working with mostly ADHD clients, it is my responsibility to educate and deliver accurate, reliable information to my clients along with the coaching I provide. I never forget that behind the time struggles, the overwhelm and frustration, there is a creative and resourceful person who can flourish with the right amount of information and coaching support. As an ADHD coach I attend coaching conferences to sharpen my coaching skills and ADHD conferences to stay current with the latest research and information.

At the end of April, The International ADHD Professionals Conference hosted by ACO will be held in Reston, VA. It is an opportunity to hone both my coaching and ADHD skill sets. Along with CHADD, it is the best place to learn, connect and create community with other ADHD coaches. I'm honored to be giving a keynote address and related breakout at this event -- but despite all that, I still wouldn't miss it.

Why?

This conference is a celebration of the marriage of ADHD education and professional coaching. Coaching is such a complementary fit for effective ADHD management for several reasons:

• ADHD and a sense of urgency disrupts one's ability to take effective action in a consistent fashion. With an emphasis on empowering the client to be a full partner in the relationship, coaching creates a safe place to practice engaging and reengaging the most important stuff shifting the daily practices into new and powerful habits.

• With a focus on building relevant awareness and learning through a proven action-learning model, coaching links independent 'thought bubbles' of awareness that are disrupted by memory and attention challenges into continuous relatable lessons in useful learning.

• With a context of non-judgmental support and a focus on optimizing strengths, coaching helps clients rewrite the old negative tapes of self doubt into new relevant stories based on personal values, passions and mission.

I have to admit I am astounded at the number of people who call themselves ADHD coaches but only have training in either coaching or ADHD (and alarmed by those 'coaches' who have neither but don't get me started!). If you work with people with ADHD, educating is one of the key areas to employ beyond the standard coaching repertoire. CHADD may be the go-to center for ADHD education and is an excellent source to learn about ADHD and connect with a group with a singular mission. In ACO, I see a group also dedicated to educating and informing the public around the facts of ADHD but through a coaching lens.

The public at large is inundated by a plethora of inaccurate ADHD information spewed forth from ignorant and misinformed mouths. CHADD stands tall on the front-line pushing back this tide with an approach based on irrefutable truth and unrelenting compassion.  ACO champions the science of ADHD with the proven effectiveness of a strength-based coaching model based in partnership, action and learning.

If you work with ADHD clients or if you have ADHD, tap CHADD as a resource.

If you are a coach working with ADHD clients or are intrigued about a coaching model then you'll want to make an effort to come to Reston on April 28th and tap ACO as a resource.

Hope to see you there!