When it comes to coaching individuals with ADHD, it’s not about trying harder—it’s about coaching smarter. As an ADHD coach, former assistant special education director, and someone who speaks and lives this work every day, I’ve seen the difference that aligned, strengths-based coaching can make.
Here are five key insights to help you understand how to coach someone with ADHD effectively, compassionately, and creatively.
1. Start with A.I.R.™ – Acknowledge, Integrate, Release
Before diving into goals or action steps, ADHD clients often need a moment to breathe. Their minds might be racing, their emotions heightened, or their focus scattered from everything else going on in life.
That’s why I created the A.I.R.™ Method—a short emotional reset that grounds the coaching session.
Acknowledge what’s on their mind—without judgment.
Integrate those thoughts or emotions into context, helping them feel seen and connected.
Release the tension through breathwork, a short reframe, or a small ritual, clearing space for clarity and action.
This process builds trust, emotional safety, and nervous system regulation. It’s not a detour—it’s a launchpad.
2. Use the B.O.U.N.C.E.™ Method to Drive Motivation
ADHD brains don’t respond well to pressure or willpower—they respond to interest. That’s why I teach the B.O.U.N.C.E. framework:
Belief
Opportunity
Urgency
Novelty
Challenge
Excitement
Instead of saying “just do it,” we make tasks more engaging. Whether it’s turning boring paperwork into a race-against-the-clock challenge or creating artificial urgency with a fun deadline, we find ways to make things feel fresh, meaningful, or exciting. When it feels good, it gets done.
3. Rethink Accountability (It’s Not Just Checklists!)
ADHD coaching calls for creative, flexible accountability strategies. Traditional check-ins and to-do lists don’t always cut it. Some of my clients thrive with:
Body doubling (working alongside someone, virtually or in person)
External reminders (alarms, texts, sticky notes)
Visual systems (color-coded calendars, trackers)
Frequent micro-check-ins
And most importantly, we celebrate progress. Coaching ADHD clients is about making accountability feel encouraging, not shameful. It’s less “Why didn’t you do it?” and more “What’s the next tiny step that feels doable right now?”
4. Address Emotional Sensitivity & Rejection Sensitivity (RSD)
Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) is real—and it’s intense. A client can go from a minor critique to a full-on shame spiral in seconds. That’s why emotional regulation is a huge piece of ADHD coaching.
We work on:
Naming the emotion (awareness = power)
Reframing the story (“This doesn’t mean I’m a failure.”)
Nervous system resets (like breathwork or movement)
And we make the coaching space safe. Encouragement is not a “bonus”—it’s essential for growth. Clients need to know they can show up messy and still be accepted. That’s when they become willing to take risks and try again.
5. Lead with Strengths, Not Fixes
This one is my favorite. So many ADHDers come into coaching carrying years of messaging about what they’re “bad at.” A strengths-based approach flips the script.
Instead of forcing neurotypical strategies, we build systems around:
Creativity
Hyperfocus
Intuition
Energy surges
Out-of-the-box thinking
If lists don’t work, but color-coded sticky notes do? Awesome. If they do their best thinking at 10 p.m.? Let’s work with that.
We’re not trying to make ADHDers more “neurotypical.” We’re helping them become more themselves—with tools that fit.
Conclusion
Coaching someone with ADHD isn’t about making them fit into a box. It’s about seeing their brilliance, understanding how their brain works, and building a supportive, customized path forward.
If you’re a coach, educator, leader—or just someone who loves an ADHDer—this is your invitation to coach with curiosity, compassion, and creativity. ADHD is not a deficit in character. It's a difference in wiring.
If you are interested in learning more about how to coach someone with ADHD I invite you to join my ADHD Coach Training Q & A HERE.
All my best,
Coach Brooke
