ADHD Teens and Career Exploration Tips

Tips To Help With Figuring Out The Options

As our young adults near independence and start to figure out what their futures might look like – the student may become overwhelmed with choices.

Do I go to college? Do I go to trade school? Do I take a gap year? What do I want to be when I grown up? What college? What program? Do I just go out into the workforce? Do I even want to go to school? The Army?

On the other hand, they also may either feel as if they have no or limited options – OR they also may just feel like they don’t know or understand what the options are. Here are a couple of tips that might help. 

• Meet Your Young Adult Where They Are – your student may be early in their discovery process or they may know a whole lot about what they want already. If they want to start at the very beginning of exploring, join them there. If they have a firm idea of what they want to do but maybe need help figuring out where and how, join them there.
• Identify The Good and The Bad – by this I mean – from your student’s point of view, what is the “good” – the things they are they looking forward to, think they are good at, are interested in, and what tools and resources they already have at their disposal. Also look from your student’s point of view what is “the bad” – what they are worried about, what they don’t want, what they think they might not be able to accomplish, what they think are there weaknesses.  This will help you both form a path forward that works for them.
• Learn The Options – Depending on what stage of career exploration your student is in, make sure you both explore all the options. If they are deciding school, trade school, other training – make sure they know all of the options available. If they are deciding what career path – discuss as many options as possible. If they are looking to determine what school to attend or what program to take – make sure you look with them at as many options as you can research.  Making decisions becomes easier when we know all the options.

Tips To Help With Time Management, Time Blindness, and Task Initiation.

As our young adults begin to make decisions, they may struggle with these executive function challenges. Here are some tips for helping with those!

• Time Lines – Set up time lines with your student IF there are time-bound restrictions. For example if your student has firmly decided to attend college, then you may need to break down tasks based on the deadlines for applications, etc.
• Visual Aids – Using things like calendars, planners, apps, phone alarms, etc. can help your young adult/teen to keep track of appointments and deadlines.  Breaking down bigger projects down to smaller tasks with deadlines may also help.
• Incentivize – If your teen is struggling to get started on step – find a way to incentivize them. Can you make it fun? Can you give them seomething they’d enjoy if they complete it? Can you make it a game?

Tips To Help With Emotional Regulation and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria

People with ADHD often struggle with both Emotional Regulation and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (read more about RSD HERE).  If your student struggles to keep their emotions in check, or flies off the handle easily, or seems to take everything personally, these tips might help you.

• Open Communication and Safe Space – create an environment where you student feels safe talking to you about their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and fears. This includes being careful not to make your child feel as if any choice they consider is “wrong” or “bad.” 
• Be Curious – always, always, always get curious with your student and ask questions about their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
• Encourage and Model Positive Self Talk and challenge negative thoughts related to fear, rejection, or criticism.
• Identify Strengths as a wiay to build self confidence – try highlighting past achievements.

Reach Out For Help

There are many resources available to help. Here are a few options.

• Free Assessments – There are assessments that can help you or child teen consider things like their personality and their strengths and career interests.
• Utilize Guidance Counselors – if your student has a guidance counseler or therapist they may be a good source of help.
• Programs or Coaches. There are courses and programs available for career exploration and discovery of all types as well as both ADHD Coaches and Career Coaches who are trained to help.  (Especially if your teen thinks parents aren’t helpful!)
• Other People – look at what resources you already have available. Are there family members who’s careers your student admires? Let them ask questions or go to work with them. Maybe you have access to a mentor. Or – if your student has an IEP or other type of plan in place, they may have other resources available.

⁠ Don’t Delay Joy ⁠⁠

Kat Sweeney, MCLC