Hear it from Them
Our ACCESS pilot launch participants tell experiences (see below) of resilience, powerful shifts toward adaptive thinking, and new levels of self-awareness that contributed to better grades and gains in social and emotional growth.
How Do I Decide What my Student Needs?
The choice between individual and group coaching depends largely based on your student’s readiness for coaching and their experience and insight into their own executive function challenges. A student diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school who had accommodations and took medication throughout high school will come to coaching with a different attitude toward an ADHD intervention than a student who has been recently evaluated for ADHD and is exploring treatment options for the first time.
In general, we recommend our ACCESS: Cognitive Behavioral Training for College Students with ADHD group coaching for students who suspect they may have ADHD but have not pursued an evaluation, those who have a recent diagnosis, or those who have had a diagnosis but never explored treatment options or supportive interventions.
The ACCESS (Accessing Campus Connections and Empowering Student Success) program includes a weekly 90-minute interactive small group psychoeducational session with approximately 6 - 8 students representing campuses across the US led by a professional facilitator. In between the weekly group sessions, each participant meets individually with a peer mentor to tailor the concepts and strategies learned in the group to meet their own needs and goals. After the group sessions end, the student continues to meet weekly with their ACCESS Peer Mentor until the end of the semester for continued support and accountability as they implement their new knowledge and strategies.
The program strategically weaves together three components:
ADHD Knowledge that is research-based and presented in a neuro-friendly and engaging format
Behavioral Strategies designed to maximize learning, enhance executive function skills, and utilize their campus resources
Adaptive Thinking techniques based on cognitive behavioral principles which helps students shift from negative thinking patterns to more positive and productive attitudes
Individual coaching is especially well suited to students who have already transitioned to college and have identified how their ADHD/EF challenges may have negatively affected their academic performance and overall college adjustment. They may be further into their degree curriculum and need more individualized support. These students are sometimes on academic recovery plans, or after experiencing a setback, they are sincerely ready for some help and relief. They want to build skills, learn more about themselves, and create a plan to live with more ease, and less anxiety. They are often fueled by a sincere desire to meet their potential. Check out the graphic below to see how coaching gradually moves a client from learning, adapting mindset, identifying external and internal motivators, practicing strategies, and shifting from maladaptive habits and thoughts to healthier, more adaptive ways of thinking and behaving.
The best way to find out the right fit for your student is to schedule a call with Lynn now. Her higher education expertise, extensive work coaching college students exclusively, her own lived experience as a person with ADD, and her role as a parent to two young adults with ADHD will point you and your student toward solutions that help them succeed and thrive in college. Lynn has found that for most of her client families, coaching creates space for hope so the parent/student relationship can flourish. It’s a gift to you and your college student.
From parents who witnessed the changes in their students…
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your work with Elyssa this semester, Lynn. Her confidence has grown so much with your support. I know she has gained tools that she can come back to again and again in her professional life after college. You have truly impacted her life in a way that went far beyond academic tutoring. My only regret is that we didn’t find you her freshman year in college.”
“Will has become a lot calmer. We don’t have the ups and downs like we had. I think it is because he knows now that there are other students like him who struggle with ADHD. He always felt like he was singled out and isolated. Now, to know that there are other students like him, and to be open to being with those other students; it’s growth. it’s like a door opened, and once he was more at ease with himself, he became much more proactive with his studies.”
Coaching sessions are an energizing combination of:
Learning about ADHD and Executive Function Challenges
Exploring and clarifying the client's values and goals
Troubleshooting challenges and creating a plan of action to address them
Learning effective study strategies, time management skills & procrastination avoidance
Creating accountability plans and discovering the rewards of follow through
Practicing resilience and reframing
Preparation and planning
Layering the learning with consistent motivation through the rigors of the college semester