Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Coaching for ADHD Students

A new study on personal coaching aims to scientifically prove the effectiveness of coaching techniques for ADHD students.

The Edge Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides personal coaching for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), announced a $1 million research study to determine the effectiveness of personal coaching on the academic and social performance of students with ADHD.

The 27-month study, led by a faculty team from the Center for Self-Determination and Transition in the College of Education at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, is the first study of its kind. Though there is substantial anecdotal evidence that ADHD coaching is effective, the value of personal coaching has never been subjected to a scientific study.

The research's purpose is to determine the effect of the Edge Foundation's personal- coaching strategies on academic and social factors associated with success of students with ADHD in college and university settings. The study will examine coaching's impact on student retention rates; the number of withdrawals from classes; grade-point average; organizational and study skills; and students' perceived sense of well-being, social adjustment and adaptation to college life.

The Edge foundation trains professional life coaches in ADHD-management techniques and connects them with students in cities across the nation for weekly telephone sessions during the academic year.

Read more about the Edge Foundation.