Research On the Effectiveness of ADHD Coaching

Coaching for Adults With ADHD: A Prospective Study
Released first online 3/27/2026
Ahmann E, Saviet M, Otto M. Coaching for Adults With ADHD: A Prospective Study. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2026;0(0). doi:10.1177/15598276261432960

Abstract
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) persists into adulthood for many and can also be newly diagnosed in adults. ADHD coaching is a form of support that can be used independently or integrated into a multimodal treatment approach. This report presents pre-post intervention findings from a single-arm mixed-methods study of a 12-session individual ADHD coaching engagement for adults. Coaches meeting defined criteria recruited clients through their private practices, screening for study eligibility. The coaching engagement followed a manualized approach, and coach-client working alliance was high. Goal attainment yielded positive results; and from pre- to post-test, statistically significant improvements, with medium to large effect sizes, were found using validated instruments measuring ADHD symptoms, executive functioning (EF), and functional impairment. The training, credentialing, and experience of coaches and the fairly homogenous client sample (e.g., gender, race, and education) must be considered in generalizing the results.

Flourishing with Adult ADHD: The Evidence-Based Guide to Client Well-Being for Therapists and Coaches. E Ahmann, M Saviet - NEW RELEASE 2026
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In focus groups with experienced ADHD coaches, one coach remarked that "…coaches agreed, alluding to feelings of "shame" commonly experienced by adults with ADHD.... Ahmann, E., & Saviet, M. (2026). CITATION: Flourishing with Adult ADHD: The Evidence-based Guide to Client Well-being for Therapists and Coaches (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003631996