Published in the CADDAC (Centre for ADHD Awareness - Canada) blog on 10/10/24:

Academic Coaching and Other Resources for Non-Traditional College Students

I have worked in American higher education for twenty years and counting. For the first eleven years, I was an Academic Success Coach for “nontraditional” students (those who don’t follow the “traditional” path of completing a four-year college degree program immediately after finishing high school “on time”). My specialization was coaching nontraditional students on academic probation.

I found that most of these students cared very much about their education. They often appeared to exert at least as much effort as their more successful counterparts, if not more. But too many had also come to believe (to varying extents) that they must not be cut out for college, and being directed to services like mine was their confirmation. Others uncomfortably confessed that they always thought “special” resources (like tutoring, coaching, and academic accommodations) were for other people - whoever they were. And there was always someone who masked frustration or embarrassment with defensiveness, even declaring coaching services to be infantilizing and unnecessary.

In an attempt to ease students’ fear of judgment and failure, I would sometimes divulge that I became an academic coach because of the constant academic struggles and related frustrations I experienced in my own formal education. While it seemed many of my colleagues were in the work because of their strong academic history, I was there because I knew what it felt like to barely make it. I would also mention that I had not been successful with my master’s degree. I dropped out before completing my thesis (but remained responsible for a large amount of student loan debt for the credits I managed to complete).

I sensed from the start of my academic coaching career that our understanding and approach were incomplete when it came to key themes like motivation and resilience. I was dubious of an underlying attitude in adult student services at the time, that good old-fashioned grit was all that was truly needed to succeed. I knew that much of what these students (and I) battled could not simply be attributed to insufficient “grit” any more than it could to inadequate intelligence. I intuitively began focusing on what I began to view as the invisible scaffolding for good learning and performance. It took me a long time to be able to articulate what it was, but today I can do just that.

The puzzle finally came fully together for me after I received my ADHD diagnosis three years ago. Since then, I have been voraciously self-educating (can you say special interest and hyperfixation?) on the insidious and invisible ways ADHD can impact our daily lives. We even have a fun buzz term for the collection of skills affected: executive functioning (or executive skills). Currently, there is no single universal definition for this term, but many find the general idea helpful for conceptualizing the meta stuff in our day-to-day functioning.

It’s probably no surprise to you that executive dysfunction can be present in varying degrees with anyone, however, we’re finding that it’s prominent with neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Autism, PTSD, and traumatic brain injuries (among others). Executive dysfunction was likely the saboteur for myself and many of my students, and the changes I made in my coaching over time involved focusing on executive skills development.

These days I’m passionate about the importance of consistent executive skills development along with other more traditional academic tools. Executive functioning is involved in such things as effective organization, managing limited time, identifying unnecessary distractions, navigating multiple priorities at once, anticipating potential issues ahead, and communicating needs and questions appropriately (before it’s too late). Well-developed executive skills lead directly to better learning experiences and more successful results.

Resources like academic coaching are often severely under-utilized, even when free, discreet, and available virtually or in-person. But fortunately, we’re seeing more and more of American higher ed more visibly offering free academic coaching for their entire student populations. And the field of academic coaching is adapting and providing more targeted and inclusive approaches, making it a major potential resource for richer learning. Likewise, federally regulated academic accommodations like assistive technology, extended test-taking time, recorded lectures, flexible attendance policies, earlier access to future assignments, or noise reduction headsets, for example, are now sometimes informally granted by request without a diagnosis.

We are on a hopeful trajectory of better recognizing and supporting nontraditional adult learners (with or without diagnosed disabilities) who struggle with executive challenges. This may contribute to the potential (eventual?) reduction of harmful stigmas and misinformation, or lack of information, blocking too many nontraditional students from academic success. And if we’re lucky, this will lend to increased cultural normalization of services like coaching and formal accommodations in higher ed.

Not yet familiar with academic success coaching? Here are some things a skilled academic coach can do:

• Provide a judgment-free environment to identify and address individual academic concerns and obstacles.

• Collaboratively problem solve.

• Be a trusted insider guide, advocate, and liaison.

• Introduce the best individually tailored resources and benefits.

• Teach and reinforce good academic-focused executive skills.

• Tailor coaching content to address specific concerns and play up personal strengths.

• Foster best practices for reaching academic goals.

• Believe in you and help you rightfully believe in yourself!

• And so much more…

If you or someone you care about is attending college or university and in need of additional support, find out what supplemental options the institution offers. And if academic coaching is provided as part and parcel of your enrollment (especially if it’s free!), try it out. It truly does take a village for most of us to manage our stressful adult lives and succeed at school, simultaneously. With a good coach, you’ll likely begin seeing positive results immediately and wonder what took you so long! Good luck.