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by Melissa Lambert
LPC, M.Ed, YFS1, YNS, HSSCS
Child and Adolescent Therapist
Child Coaching
As a coach, you have taken the time necessary to prepare and structure practice ahead of time. You know everything from the theme of practice, whether it’s set plays in football or defense in soccer. You feel you know the sport inside and out, but are you ready to take on the child who rebels because there are no boundaries set at home or the child who is constantly talking over you due to poor impulse control?
Current research estimates that 3 to 7 percent of all school-age children have attention deficit disorders and one in every six children has a form of anxiety. In addition, children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may also have comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and approximately 50 percent of youth diagnosed with ADHD are also abusing substances (Wilson & Levine, 2001). Given these statistics there is a guarantee you will be faced with children struggling with emotional disturbance and behavioral problems.