Supporting a teenager with ADHD can feel like navigating constant change. At Pandion Health, we’ve seen how collaborative, strengths-based coaching helps families grow together—not apart.
Parenting children with ADHD is challenging, especially during the teenage years when the academic, organisational and social demands on young people increase considerably. It is also a time when teenagers become more self-conscious about peer relationships and begin to crave their independence. This impacts the dynamics in all families—especially in those with ADHD teens; they often become aware of their difference in relation to their peers, including the amount of parental supports they have been relying on to function in many aspects of their daily lives.
If you would like to support your teen to thrive academically and socially, you may have considered ADHD coaching. Read on to find out about my favourite coaching approach when supporting teens, an approach where I have witnessed the best outcomes: Parent–Teen ADHD Coaching.
Looking back on what it was like to raise our three children—the teen years were tough to navigate! Receiving their diagnoses only brought temporary relief because we got very little guidance for what to do next. I wish that Parent–Teen Coaching had been available at that time; it would have saved much heartache.
Whilst many families have more resources available today and there is a wider acceptance of neurodiversity, the daily reality of raising teens with ADHD remains very challenging and often leaves families feeling helpless and isolated. Many parents are worried about their child’s future. Subsequently, supportive parents easily slip into a habit of over-managing every aspect of their child’s life and, at some point, becoming frustrated with the lack of progress. Many parents scale back their hands-on support for their teen altogether if their well-meaning behaviour creates too much push-back from their child.
These approaches are very natural parenting responses and they mainly focus on the visible struggles (missed homework, forgotten assignments, procrastination) without examining the underlying causes of the behaviour. Both approaches strain family relationships and are not efficient ways to build the teen’s skills and capacity to succeed.
From Symptom Management to Strengths-Based Solutions
Sustainable change for individuals with ADHD is not about fixing symptoms or correcting behaviour. Real change begins with understanding the problem, the root causes and its effects. In coaching we provide clients with evidence-based education so that they understand the ADHD brain, and especially the role executive function plays in ADHD. They can then separate cause and effect: what may look like lack of motivation or laziness can be traced back to specific executive function difficulties like task initiation, prioritisation, time management or others.
Understanding their ADHD allows individuals to identify specific skills that they need to develop and also the strengths that come with their ADHD. Combining natural strengths with new skill sets, ADHD-specific strategies and tools improves confidence and boosts performance significantly. It shifts focus from a problem-solving mindset to solution-oriented creativity. This mindset is more engaging and provides deeper insights, leading to sustained motivation for change.
Why Have the Parent in the Coaching Session?
Parents are their teen’s biggest fans and most dedicated supporters, so it only makes sense to activate this invaluable resource which is available seven days a week. When parents understand their child’s ADHD, they can adjust their expectations accordingly and see their child’s behaviour in a different light. This journey allows them to support their child effectively.
We start Parent–Teen Coaching with a shared inventory of the teen and their parents:
- What are the teen’s natural strengths? What are their challenges? What do they enjoy and find fulfilling? What do they struggle to engage with?
- What are the parent’s worries and concerns? What are the core family values and expectations? How do they support the teen and what happens when they step back? Where does the most friction appear?
This process is completely non-judgmental and no one is on trial and nobody is put on the spot. It’s about discovering together, building empathy on both sides and learning about ADHD.
What Happens in a Session: Curiosity, Clarity, Collaboration
Each session starts with a celebration of progress, however small. We view setbacks as neutral “data,” never as “failure,” and we revisit what was tried, what was learned, and where new skills are needed. Parent and teen jointly identify fresh challenges to tackle, clarify roles, and write an agreement—an act of shared commitment that brings clarity and accountability.
When parent, teen and coach collaboratively design strategies with realistic steps and all the supports that the teen needs to succeed, the teen can then be held responsible for the outcome achieved. They will own their successes proudly and can learn from their mistakes in a secure learning environment.
The Long-Term Payoff: Confidence, Autonomy, and Connection
This collaborative, strengths-based coaching model does more than solve homework battles. It builds self-awareness and confidence for all family members; it strengthens their relationships and builds a growth mindset for everyone.
Families exit coaching with practical tools and a new perspective, empowered to face challenges as a team. Most importantly, teens gradually learn to accept and embrace their ADHD and that they are neither “broken” nor alone. This allows the ownership for growth to gently shift into their hands.
Parent–Teen ADHD coaching creates lasting change by fostering growth, confidence, and connection within the family.
Ready to explore what ADHD coaching could look like for you? Book a free Discovery Call with a certified ADHD Coach at Pandion Health and start building strategies.