(PS1-72) ADHD Coaching Since the COVID-19 Pandemic: Is There a New Wave of ADHD Coaches?

According to the ADHD Life Transition Model, individuals with ADHD receive little support despite increasing environmental demands as they transition to young adulthood (Turgay et al., 2012). The increased demand for ADHD treatment over the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue and opened the door to more individuals receiving support from ADHD coaches (Ahmann & Saviet, 2021). We do not fully understand who these new ADHD coaches are and the scope of their practices. In response, we created the U.S. National ADHD Coaching Survey to examine ADHD coaching practices in the US and differences in practices among ADHD coaches who began their practice prior to and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We distributed this survey to self-identified ADHD coaches through ADHD coaching professional organizations and businesses, at professional meetings, and through targeted invitations based on online searches for ADHD coaches. We received responses from 372 ADHD coaches from a diverse population (83.1% women, 64.5% identified as having lived experience with ADHD) across the United States, representing 39 states and over 145 professional backgrounds. Further, most coaches (62.1%) joined the profession following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. To characterize coaching practices we examined descriptive statistics and conducted two-tailed t-tests and chi-square difference tests to examine coaching practices among ADHD coaches who began their practice prior to and after the onset of COVID-19. Only 7.0% of coaches reported that most of their clients do not receive formal ADHD treatment (e.g., medication, psychotherapy). Over 90% of ADHD coaches report referring clients to mental health supports and over half (51.1%) report specifically referring clients to a cognitive-behavioral therapy provider. Regarding supervision and consultation, only 9.1% of coaches report receiving supervision and 31.7% receiving consultation from a licensed mental healthcare provider, whereas 65.1% report receiving consultation from another ADHD coach. When comparing differences in coaching practices, post-pandemic coaches had a lower education level (t = 2.35, p = .019), however were more likely to use manualized treatments (t = 3.34, p < .001), encourage clients to complete homework (t = 2.25, p = .013), and use motivational interviewing strategies (t = 2.66, p = .008). They were less likely to discuss nutrition (t = 2.41 p = .017), staying consistent with medication (t = 4.05; p < .001), managing sleep difficulties (t = 2.21; p = .028), coping with substance use/addiction (t = 3.05; p = .002), and coping with past trauma (t = 2.04, p = .040). Further, post-pandemic coaches reported consulting with other coaches more often (X2 = 4.38; p =.036). The majority of ADHD coaches provide referrals to mental health therapy, but receive professional support from other coaches rather than mental health professionals. Our discussion will draw connections to evidence-based psychosocial treatment of ADHD, including organizational skills training and cognitive behavioral therapies and highlight how ADHD coaching might impact the current landscape of ADHD treatment and services.