Meet Sharon, Founder Of The Functional Family And ADHD Coach Empowering Women
Children With ADHD, Parents With ADHD, Parents Of Children With ADHD; This Experienced Coach Gives Support In All The Right Ways
Sharon, Founder Of The Functional Family And ADHD Coach Empowering Women
Sharon Collon knew that her eldest son had severe ADHD from the time he was very young. As does her husband, and now, her second and third sons. However, as her business name implies, her family is fun and functional. But it was no accident or miracle.
After trying every diet, medication and therapy under the sun, Sharon was left feeling hopeless for her child. “Everything helped to a certain degree but our home life was chaotic and exhausting! It was not sustainable.” It’s a story many parents will feel is all too familiar, and unfortunately, one lived by Sharon’s husband too; “I listened to his horrific stories of growing up misunderstood with ADHD,” she tells.
So, instead of letting history repeat or the storyline be written for her boys (and herself as a parent), Sharon entered over 13 years of research and study, which she uses now in her career as an ADHD coach, podcaster and author; a practice that has helped over 30,000 families and individuals.
“We needed to tailor the environment to better work with the ADHD brain,” she says. Despite the many treatment plans available, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, and that’s exactly what her life changing strategies and support systems are all about.
All of that considered, it’s fair to say that Sharon more than understands the pressures and challenges of raising children and teens diagnosed with ADHD, and equally, of raising children as a parent diagnosed with ADHD. Yes, that’s right. While ADHD is now one of the most commonly seen neurodevelopmental disorders in children, it can go - and typically has gone until recent years - undiagnosed in many adults, especially women.
Anxiety, difficulty paying attention, restlessness, impulsivity, forgetfulness and risk-taking are just a few of the combined symptoms experienced by those with ADHD - now imagine throwing in the trials and tribulations of adulthood, and maybe even parenthood. It’s a lot for anyone to manage between paying bills, holding a 9-5 and school drop offs.
“There is a surge of women getting late diagnoses and not knowing what to do,” says Sharon. “Often women are seeking support for their child who is suspected of having ADHD. They begin researching and start to think.. ‘Uh… this sounds like me!’”
“Being a mum is hard, but being a mum with ADHD (often with kids with ADHD too - as it is largely genetic) leaves women burnt out, exhausted and not coping,” she continues, listing the executive functional struggles experienced as working memory, initiation of tasks (aka procrastination), time management, emotional regulation, decision making and stress management.
“The hyperactivity ADHD stereotype of little boys running around causing mayhem can, in girls and women, be a hyperactive brain; it can look like anxiety,” she explains. Women also learn to mask their symptoms, working hard to look neurotypical and “keep it all together”, says Sharon. “They berate themselves, thinking ‘just try harder’, when really, they are trying harder than most. What they need to be doing is trying differently, they need support to work with their incredible ADHD brain, rather than against it.”
For adult women with a brand new understanding of their brain, a diagnosis is filled with a variety of emotions - and Sharon says a primary one is relief. “They now have an explanation for why their brain works differently. They often reflect back on their formative years and wish they could have viewed it with a different lens and a bit more self-compassion.”
So, what is the journey for someone who suspects they, or their child, might have ADHD? And how can an ADHD coach help?
“The first step is a visit to the GP. They will refer you to a psychiatrist, who will begin the comprehensive diagnostic process.” Sharon says that the reason she offers a ‘next step’ in the form of ADHD coaching is because she recognises the potential for self-education and a “change in lens” to be nothing short of life-changing. “Coaching is a partnership; it’s the process of uncovering and exploring the client’s strengths, looking at the challenges they may face, and together, as a team, exploring tools and strategies that will work,” she says, adding that hers is an incredibly tailored approach.
When asked to impart her golden words of advice for an adult with ADHD, Sharon had this to say: “Get to know how your brain works. Having a great ADHD coach in your corner is your best weapon - medication is awesome but pills do not give you the skills you need to work out how you can ‘try differently’.”
And for all the parents of children with an ADHD diagnosis out there: “Praise, praise praise. Kids with ADHD get so much more negative feedback than their neurotypical peers. There is a developmental maturity delay with ADHD of around 30%. That means, if your child is 10, you are actually dealing with a 7 year old. Your child is trying really hard. Balance out the world’s sharp corners with positive feedback.”
Sharon offers a number of services for those seeking support, including the low cost ADHD Families Membership which involves monthly recordings, masterclasses and access to a private community, to ongoing, one-on-one coaching and mentoring. If you’re still dipping your toes into the neurodiversity pool, you can get to know Sharon’s approach by participating in her free, four day ‘Easier ADHD’ challenge, which starts on the 6th of June 2023. Great for those still exploring what ADHD means for them and their family, it involves easy-to-digest, 40 minute training sessions, as well as workbooks and templates.
For more information on Sharon and The Functional Family, you can head to www.thefunctionalfamily.com. To sign up to the Easier ADHD Challenge, visit www.thefunctionalfamily.com/challenge.