ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, USA, October 23, 2014 /EINPresswire.com/ -- According to the most recent estimates from the Center for Disease Control, approximately 6.4 million children between the ages of 4-17 years have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a child’s ability to learn. Children who suffer from ADHD often display an inability to focus and experience difficulty completing tasks.

Still ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence. It’s all about how the brain processes information. Unfortunately, there exists a great disconnect. Many teachers don’t fully understand ADHD and lack the skills to effectively educate students who struggle with this disorder.

Jodi Sleeper-Triplett is the founder of JST Coaching, which offers coach training specifically focused on young people with ADHD, executive functioning difficulties and learning disabilities.

“We look at kids as little human beings who simply don’t have the skills to do certain things yet,” explains Jodi. “We have to develop those skills to sharpen their ability to retain what’s being taught. We take things a little bit slower but we make sure to identify their strengths and how can we use those strengths to improve their weaknesses. It’s important for children with a learning disability to understand there are things they can do really well.”

Jodi is the first person in the world to develop coach training focused on children, teens and college students struggling with ADHD. She says part of the reason she’s dedicated her life to this work is because of the level of shame, embarrassment and frustration associated with ADHD. Kids feel as though they’re never going to get it right. All they hear is negative messages from parents, teachers, relatives and friends.

“What I find makes the biggest difference as a coach is being able to sit with a young person and explain to them it’s not about what you can’t do, it’s about what you can do,” says Jodi. “We’re shifting their perspective and having them look at the world from a place of believing they have skills, abilities, interests and talents. Not all of those skills are learned overnight. The process can be frustrating, but your coach will support you through the process and you do have the ability to learn.”

JST Coaching’s training philosophy is to teach the whole child. Parents are typically concerned with academics and understandably so, but these issues must be addressed from the perspective of the child’s happiness and wellbeing.

“I believe if we don’t look at the whole child, and all the parts that make them a wonderful human being, we’re missing out,” says Jodi. “Research has shown it’s made a big difference in the work we do.”

The training programs offered by JST Coaching are not limited to people who want to be coaches full-time. JST Coaching works with college staff and disability support services personnel as well as with K-12 teachers who want to know how best to communicate with students. Anyone going through a course with JST will learn about ADHD, executive functioning and learning disabilities in addition to the core competencies of life coaching, to prepare them to understand the unique needs of young people with ADHD.

JST Coaching’s model is based on setting goals, choosing action steps to meet those goals, creating a structure and setting up a plan for success with rewards included. This model is outlined in Jodi’s book Empowering Youth with ADHD, a guide for coaches, parents and professionals to help them understand what’s happening with children as they struggle with these issues and how coaching can help.

Says Jodi: “I’m most proud that I have found a way to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults whose voices can’t be heard unless we help them self-advocate for their needs.”

Close-Up Talk Radio will feature Jodi Sleeper-Triplett in an interview with Doug Llewelyn on October 27th at 9am EST.

Listen to the show http://www.blogtalkradio.com/closeuptalkradio. If you have a question for our guest, call (347) 996-3389.

For more information on Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, visit http://www.jstcoach.com

Lou Ceparano
Close-Up TV News
(631) 421-8500
email us here