Job coaches help train employees with many different types of disabilities, including individuals with autism and persons with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Employers should be aware of and not be influenced by myths about job coaches.
Job Coach's Role
Job coaches are trained professionals who specialize in helping individuals with disabilities learn and successfully perform job duties, according to Melanie Whetzel, a principal consultant and team lead for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). JAN, a service provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, is based in Morgantown, W.Va.
Job coaches provide one-on-one training tailored to the needs of the employee. They may start by doing a job analysis to identify the position's job duties. Then job coaches may develop a plan for how they can best train the employee to work more independently until the worker is able to perform job duties accurately and effectively without assistance, Whetzel said.
Nancy Ratey, owner of Strategic Life Coach LLC for Professionals with ADHD in the Columbus, Ohio area and with a virtual practice around the world, said her goal is to try to get her clients to the point where they can "self-observe, stop, pause and reconsider" in order to avoid procrastination. People with ADHD sometimes get "stuck in the moment and do something else," she said. As a job coach, she can help the employer understand the individual's patterns and what the person...
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