ADHD Coaching In Chicago, IL
Helping Students and Adults Build the Skills They Need to Succeed
At The Ladder Method (TLM), we provide Executive Function Coaching that helps people build the real-world skills they need to do well in school, at work, and in everyday life. Our coaching programs are built around four core groups: middle schoolers, high schoolers, college students, and adults. If you or your child struggles with staying organized, managing time, keeping focus, or studying effectively, our coaches create a step-by-step plan that fits your specific needs. About 70% of our clients are neurodivergent, including those with ADHD, so our methods are designed with diverse learning styles in mind. Whether you are looking for ADHD coaching in Chicago, IL or need hands-on support with executive functioning challenges, we are here to help at every stage.
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Middle School
building strong foundations
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High School
academic optimization & independence
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University
mastering college success
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Adult
professional & personal success
How The Ladder Method Works
Intake & Assessment
Everything starts with a phone consultation with one of our enrollment coordinators. During this call, we learn about your specific challenges and goals. From there, an assessment coach meets directly with the student and their family to get a full picture of what support is needed. This step helps us match each client with the coach best suited to their personality and objectives, setting the foundation for real progress.
Implementation
After the assessment, our Student Success team builds a personalized coaching plan. Weekly sessions begin based on that plan, with the right session length and frequency chosen to fit each individual. Every session focuses on practical skill-building in areas like time management, organization, and task initiation, so progress shows up in daily life, not just on paper.
Ongoing Evaluation
Your assigned coach works closely with the Student Success team to review progress on a regular basis. These check-ins help us spot the right moments to introduce new strategies or adjust existing ones. Coaching continues until the client shows consistent independence and mastery of the skills they have been working on. If you are looking for ADHD coaching in Chicago, IL, this approach means your support stays flexible and grows with you every step of the way.
What Makes The Ladder Method Different?
What makes learning executive functioning through The Ladder Method different from tutoring, therapy, or other coaching programs?
A Proven Coaching Framework
TLM uses a proprietary curriculum and coaching method built by our founder. Unlike traditional tutoring, which focuses on subject matter, we teach students how to learn, plan, and organize. Unlike therapy, which centers on emotional processing, we focus on practical skill-building and goal execution. Every coach completes specialized training in this framework, which combines executive functioning techniques, evidence-based learning strategies, and emotional awareness. That consistency is what drives real, repeatable results for every client.
Measurable Outcomes
We do not just believe our system works. We track it. Using performance metrics and progress data, we measure each client's growth over time. Most clients start seeing improvements within 4 to 8 weeks, including better grades, stronger organization, and reduced procrastination. If you are exploring ADHD coaching in Chicago, IL, you can expect a results-driven approach where your progress is always visible.
Collaborative Coaching Model
What also sets us apart is our team-based approach. Rather than relying on one tutor or therapist, each client is supported by a full team, including their assigned coach and our Student Success department. This collaborative model means no detail gets missed and every client stays on track toward their goals. Regular check-ins between coaches, students, and families keep everyone aligned and moving forward.
What Every Program Includes
Personalized Coaching - Every program is shaped around your specific strengths, challenges, and goals. Sessions are customized based on your learning style, whether you are a middle schooler building foundational habits or an adult looking to manage a busy workload.
Research-Based Tools - Our exclusive curriculum gives clients practical executive functioning strategies they can use for life. These include visual planners, time-blocking techniques, note-taking frameworks, and structured accountability systems designed to stick.
Highly Trained Coaches - Our coaches have backgrounds in education, psychology, and learning science. Each one completes specialized training in The Ladder Method framework, and many hold master's degrees or teaching credentials. You are working with professionals who understand both the theory and the day-to-day reality of executive functioning challenges.
Accountability and Support - Regular check-ins with coaches, families, and our Student Success team keep progress on track. These ongoing touchpoints help us adjust strategies when needed and make sure no one falls through the cracks.
From students working to improve their grades to adults looking for better focus and productivity, our executive function coaching programs provide the structure, skills, and support to help you succeed. If you are searching for ADHD coaching in Chicago, IL, The Ladder Method gives you a clear path forward at every stage of life.
Meet Noah Donner Klein
Noah started working with The Ladder Method in the spring of 2019. When he began coaching, he needed support building the executive functioning skills required to stay on top of college-level demands. Through weekly sessions focused on time management, planning, and breaking large projects into manageable steps, Noah developed the habits and confidence he needed to succeed on his own. He went on to finish his degree at USC and landed a career just one month after graduation. Noah's story shows what becomes possible when students get the right structure and support at the right time.
Executive Functioning FAQ
What is Executive Functioning?
Executive functioning is a set of 8 to 12 mental skills that help people plan, start, and complete tasks. These skills apply to everything from simple daily routines like setting the table to bigger responsibilities like managing schoolwork or holding down a job. When these skills are underdeveloped, everyday life can feel overwhelming. That is why executive function coaching, especially for those with ADHD, focuses on strengthening these areas one step at a time.
Here are the core skills we work on in our coaching programs.
Organization
Organization is the ability to create systems that keep your space, materials, and information in order so you can find what you need when you need it.
In Real Life: A student might shove papers into their backpack without any system. An adult might regularly lose their keys, wallet, or important documents. Our coaches use tools like visual planners, digital systems, and workspace setups to build lasting habits.
Time Management
Time management is the ability to estimate how long tasks will take and plan your schedule around them.
In Real Life: You might notice procrastination, rushed homework, or surprise when deadlines arrive. These are signs that someone has trouble breaking tasks into realistic time blocks. We teach time-blocking techniques and realistic scheduling to help clients take control of their day.
Working Memory
Working memory is the ability to hold and use information in your mind long enough to complete a task or follow directions.
In Real Life: If someone forgets instructions right after hearing them or needs things repeated often, working memory may be the issue. It can look like forgetfulness or zoning out. We build this skill through note-taking frameworks and recall techniques.
Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring is the ability to check your own work and evaluate how you are doing during or after a task.
In Real Life: A student might not understand why they got a bad grade. An adult might struggle to see how their work compares to expectations. Coaching helps clients learn to pause, reflect, and self-correct.
Planning
Planning is the ability to map out the steps needed to reach a goal and figure out what to do first.
In Real Life: Someone who cannot break a research paper or work project into clear steps is likely struggling with planning. We teach clients how to turn big goals into smaller, manageable pieces they can act on right away.
Focus/ Attention
Focus is the ability to stay locked in on a task or conversation and shift smoothly between activities when needed.
In Real Life: A person may lose track during lessons, interrupt with unrelated thoughts, or jump between tasks too quickly. For those seeking ADHD coaching in Chicago, IL, building stronger attention skills is often one of the first areas we address.
Task Initiation
Task initiation is the ability to start work independently, without external motivation or prompts.
In Real Life: Difficulty starting tasks without reminders or adult involvement, or appearing stuck on how to begin the next step in a sequence, are common signs of trouble with task initiation.
Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation is the ability to manage your reactions to both good and bad feedback in a calm, balanced way.
In Real Life: A child might have a meltdown over a small setback. An adult might snap under minor pressure at work. We apply mindfulness and reflection techniques to help clients reduce overwhelm and respond more evenly.
Task Management
Task management is the ability to break a big goal into smaller parts and organize them in the right order.
In Real Life: This might look like confusion about how to start a long-term project, poor time allocation across steps, or doing things out of order. Our coaches help clients build clear, logical workflows they can follow independently.
Meta-Cognition
Meta-cognition is knowing how you learn best and using that awareness to pick up new information more effectively.
In Real Life: A student might study for hours using methods that do not work for them and still bomb the test. We help clients identify their learning style and match it with strategies that actually stick, like adapting study methods based on feedback.
Goal-Directed Perseverance
Perseverance is the ability to stay focused and keep going when a task gets hard, instead of giving up or switching to something easier.
In Real Life: You might see someone abandon a project halfway through or leave multiple tasks unfinished. Coaching builds the habits and mindset needed to push through obstacles and finish what you start.
Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to adapt when things do not go as planned, like a change in deadlines, routines, or expectations.
In Real Life: A person might have a strong emotional reaction to a schedule change or become stuck when a plan falls apart. We help clients develop cognitive flexibility so they can adjust, problem-solve, and keep moving forward.
The Cost of Waiting
Executive functioning challenges do not go away on their own. Without the right support, they tend to grow alongside the demands of school, work, and life.
A middle schooler who cannot stay organized becomes a high schooler buried under missed assignments. A high schooler who struggles with time management becomes a college student pulling all-nighters and failing classes. An adult who never learned to plan and prioritize carries that weight into their career, their relationships, and their sense of self-worth.
The longer these patterns go unaddressed, the harder they become to break, and the more they chip away at confidence. Many of the families we work with say the same thing: they wish they had started sooner.
The good news is that executive functioning skills can be developed at any age. Our coaches have helped elementary students build foundational habits, college students take control of their academics for the first time, and adults finally create systems that bring order to their daily lives. With a proven framework, a dedicated coaching team, and results that show up within 4 to 8 weeks, there is no reason to wait for things to get worse before getting help.
If you have been thinking about ADHD coaching in Chicago, IL, now is the right time to start. One phone call can change the direction of everything that comes next.
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