I’ve been receiving many messages regarding this: where to find a good or the best ADHD coach training course. And you guys have put me in a difficult position here, because my ADHD brain was not interested at all in writing about this. In fact, I believe I’ve developed some sort of allergy to this whole “ADHD Coach Training Courses” thing.
At the “Simply ADHD” course given by ADDCA, I felt I had been scammed. Then, seeking at other places and asking for information, I felt I was about to be scammed. And also, I felt they thought I would be stupid enough to fall for the “click now and save.” Another example? Laurie Dupar and her inspiring and compelling “Julien Mussi Scholarship” made me feel that the marketing around it appealed too strongly to our emotions — our calling, our hope, and even our grief for a fellow neurodivergent.[1]
But hey, there are good ADHD coaches out there helping neurodivergents to thrive.
So here’s what I’ve got for you today: how this business came to be, how it works, and where you can find some of the institutions that provide credentials so you can find ADHD training courses.
It goes without saying: I don’t encourage you to take any. Instead, I encourage you to get as much information as you can before choosing where or how to study.
How to Become an ADHD Coach
Grab some (many) books and research, and learn about ADHD, neuroscience, psychology, pedagogy. Then, set up a website or an Instagram account, and just start working.
You need knowledge and a true calling to start this journey. If you do well, your clients will support you, and your business will grow.
“But Laly, can I just go for it? Without having taken a course? Without having a credential?”
Yes, you can.
Why? How? Allow me to explain…
The History of the ADHD Coaches
“ADHD coaches” became a thing when Edward Hallowell, M.D., published Driven to Distraction in 1994. Hallowell is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist, a graduate of Harvard College and Tulane Medical School.[i]
Over the following years, a few training academies were founded. But they couldn’t agree on what an ADHD coach should be.
Hence, in 2005 ACO (a worldwide organization) and IAAC (a training institute) were founded, defining the ADHD coaching profession: “life coaches” who then specialize in ADHD.[i]
So, first a book appeared with the phrase “ADHD Coach.” Then some people said, “Hey, let’s make training academies.”
And then some other people (some of whom were members of those academies) said, “Hey, let’s control those academies; let’s make people seek credentials too.”
Money, money, money.
The ADHD Coach Training Schema: Overview
On one hand, there are “training places” that offer courses. On the other hand, there are “organizations” that issue certificates.
“Organizations,” for the purpose of this post, are associations, federations, centers, etc.
And, read this carefully:
- Some organizations endorse certain training places. For example, the ICF endorses ADDCA, among others.
- One (as far as I know) doesn’t endorse any, nor asks for you to have taken courses.
It’s important to bear in mind that this whole schema is outside the formal education system.
As I will explain in detail later on, for you to become a “certified” coach, you’ll need:
- To prove your knowledge of ADHD
– with courses (aka “training hours”) or
– with tests (no matter where you’ve studied; no matter if you’ve learned on your own) - To prove you are already a good coach (aka “coaching hours”)
Ergo:
- You don’t need a credential to work as an ADHD coach.
- Furthermore, you don’t even need those courses to prove your knowledge or to work as an ADHD coach (at some places).
How to Become a “Certified” ADHD Coach, in Detail
First, you look up an organization that provides certification. Then, you study: on your own, or at one of the training places recommended by the organization you’ve chosen.
Here is an example with four:
| Organizations that Provides Certification | Offers Courses / Programs? | Where to Study? |
|---|---|---|
| PAAC. Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (Est. 2009) [2] | No (nor does it refer to training academies) | On your own; take courses; simply, “learn about ADHD” |
| ICF. International Coaching Federation(Est. 1995) [3] | Refers to a list of training academies (a) | At one of the referred academies |
| IAC. iACTcenter Associate Coach [4] | Yes | Please don’t…(b) |
| CCE. Center for Credentialing & Education [5] | Refers to a list of training academies | At one of the referred academies |
Notes: (a) ADDCA is one the academies the ICF recommends; (b) IAC is the one by Laurie Dupar…
Source: Based on personal research
All the links are in the footnotes. Stay with me — I know it’s a lot!
Next, we’ll look at three things:
- Why I chose those organizations
- Getting certified without taking courses
- Getting certified after having taken courses
Why Did I Choose Those Four Organizations? ACO
There’s an organization named ACO (ADHD Coaches Organization, est. 2005) that presents itself as “the” worldwide professional membership organization for ADHD coaches. They state that they are “committed to serving as a resource for ADHD coaches, its members, and the public.”[ii]
ACO endorses and supports certification for coaches that have been already certified by the organizations I mentioned in the table.
Out of its board of directors, Joyce Kubik caught my attention; her introduction mentions her having published “the award-winning and first ADHD Coach study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.” But the study, Efficacy of ADHD Coaching for Adults With ADHD, concludes that “ADHD coaching had a positive impact on the lives of people with ADHD”[iii] — after having studied forty-five adults.
It seems like there’s a hierarchy, but there isn’t. Supposedly:
- ACO guarantees us that the ICF certifies those who come from good academies (like ADDCA).
- But ICF — who certifies those coming from ADDCA — should be making sure it’s giving us proper education.
…And it’s not happening.
Getting Certified Without Taking Courses: PAAC
Basically, here’s how it goes with them:
Step 1: Learn on your own all things ADHD (they provide a list of recommended resources).[6]
Step 2: Start working as an ADHD coach.
Step 3: Go to them, apply, and:
- Take a couple of tests
- Get observed as you work
- Observe coaching sessions
Step 4: Get certified.
The cost is $300 USD (to this date), and you have six months to complete the process from the date of your acceptance. Upon successful completion, this fee also includes one year as a member of PAAC (a $100 value).
Getting Certified After Having Taken Courses / Followed Programs
Put a mortgage on your house!
Seriously, though… the courses cost thousands of dollars, and we’re not even sure we’ll be properly educated. Back when I was pursuing this path, I chose ADDCA because all the websites said it was the best, and it had become painful to search how to follow a program, where to study, and so on.
Basically, here’s how it goes:
Step 1: Select where you want to get certified and which “master of the universe’s” credential you wish to pay for.
Step 2: Gain “hours of training.” You can do so by taking courses or by following a program at one place. (You can follow a full program at one academy, or you can take one course here and another there.)
Step 3: Gain “coaching hours” (working hours as an ADHD coach).
Step 4: Go through a process to get certified.
Here is an example. The ICF offers three credentials:
| Credential / Requirements | Training Hours | Coaching Hours |
| Associate Certified Coach | 60+ | 100+ |
| Professional Certified Coach | 125+ | 500+ |
| Master (OMG) Certified Coach | 200+ | 2,500+ |
Based on “Credentials and Standards”, by ICF https://coachingfederation.org/credentials-and-standards
“Laly, For the Love of 80’s Pop Music Help Me Decide”
Check your dopamine status. (Seriously.) Now, check your focus.
All checked? Awesome. I bet your interest is off the charts; so, here we go! Reflect upon the following:
- The “teachers” of those courses — where do you think they learned about ADHD? From books and research.
- But hey, they say that they also offer knowledge that comes from their experience in coaching. There are books about that too.
Check your dopamine status. (Seriously)
Now, check your focus.
All checked? Awesome. I bet your interest is off the charts; so, here we go!
Reflect upon the following:
- The “teachers” 🤦🏻♀️ of those courses, where do you think they have learned about ADHD? From books, and research.
- But hey, they say that they also offer knowledge that comes from their experience in coaching. There are books about that too.
Wrapping It Up
Can I recommend an ADHD Coach training place? No.
How do I learn about all things ADHD? From books and research. I used to work as ghost writer writing thesis for professionals, including psychiatrists, so I’m familiar with this path.
How did I start learning? “Googling”. Then, when I realized it was insane to do so, I asked Dr. K to guide me. He has given me lessons to understand how the brain works; then I read books on ADHD (some of which you’ll find in the Toolkit) and I continued (and continue) doing so every day.
I am not looking forward to become a “certified ADHD coach” anymore; but if I were, I would read all the recommended books by PAAC [6], and then take the tests and else with them.
I am, however, looking forward to becoming an “ADHD professional.” And there are great courses — by truly renowned specialists — that even give you a credential after completion. Huh? Stay tuned. 😉
And listen, at the end of the day, a good ADHD coach – from my point of view, today – must have four things: great knowledge, cool tools, charisma and a true calling. If you’ve got that covered, “go for it.”
Footnotes
[1] Regarding Laurie Dupar and her iACTcenter Associate Coach, I’ll write another post.
[2] The PAAC is available at https://paaccoaches.org.
The credential requirements are available at https://paaccoaches.org/become-a-certified-coach/.
[3] The ICF is available at https://coachingfederation.org.
The ADHD Coach Training places it endorses can be found by using the EES (Education Search Service) at https://apps.coachingfederation.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=ESS
[4] IAC is available at https://www.iactcenter.com.
The programs it offers are at https://www.iactcenter.com/coach-training/. Please note that what you’ll see as “discounts” have been there for two years.🤦🏻♀️
[5] The CCE is available at https://www.cce-global.org/.
The ADHD Coach Training places it endorses are at https://www.cce-global.org/credentialing/bcc/training. Please note there are a couple of “universities” which are private; they are not related with the governmental schema.
[6] Recommended Books by PAAC are available at https://paaccoaches.org/resources-recommended-books/
References
[I] ACO. “History”. URL: https://www.adhdcoaches.org/history [Retrieved: Jan 2021]
[ii] ACO’s Website. URL: https://www.adhdcoaches.org. [Retrieved: Jan 2021]
[iii] Kubik J A. Efficacy of ADHD Coaching for Adults With ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 2010;13(5):442-453. doi:10.1177/1087054708329960
So what do you think?