Neurodiversity Celebration Week 16th - 20th March 2026
Raising the Standard in Neurodiversity-Informed Coaching
Neurodiversity Celebration Week – Day Five
What Does High-Quality Neurodiversity Coach Training Really Look Like?
Today we join , Esther Barrett and Kate Jenkinson, exploring ADHD and neurodiversity coach training through the lens of lived experience, professionalism, and standards. Kate is a creative executive coach, coach trainer on the UCA Accredited AACT & ACCT: Barrett ADHD Coach Programmes, and (as you’ll discover) a rather brilliant poet too. But in this conversation, the focus is clear: How do you know what good neurodiversity coach training looks like?
Training must be experiential
Coaching is a conversation, so training should mirror that.
The best programmes:
- Create space to practise tools and techniques
- Allow you to “get it wrong” safely
- Blend learning with real-time application
- Mimic the coaching process itself
Because reading about coaching isn’t the same as being in it.
Lived experience matters
You don’t have to be neurodivergent to coach in this space.
But trainers should understand the nuance, whether through:
- Their own neurodivergence
- Family or workplace experience
- Or extensive practice with neurodivergent clients
Holding space in this area requires depth, sensitivity, and the ability to manage complexity, both in training rooms and coaching conversations
Watch the video to hear Esther and Kate explore what confident, ethical, neurodiversity-informed practice really requires.
Ask the questions most people forget
Kate highlights something crucial:
- What qualifications does the provider hold?
- What accreditations do they hold?
- Are they supervised?
- Are they members of a professional body?
Qualification ≠ Accreditation.
Accreditation signals experience, supervision, and adherence to professional standards.
Accessibility and flexibility aren’t “nice to haves”
Particularly in neurodiversity-focused training, accessibility matters.
Ask:
- What happens if life interrupts the programme?
- Is there flexibility?
- Is peer support built in?
- Is supervision embedded into the learning?
Supervision, especially in ADHD and neurodiversity coaching, isn’t optional. It’s vital.
This is exactly why ANUCA exists.
As the neurodiversity-focused arm of the UCA, ANUCA provides:
✔ A professional home for neurodiversity-informed coaches
✔ Shared learning and reflective dialogue
✔ Clear standards around supervision and accreditation
✔ Community with depth — not just interest
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is about recognition and advocacy – yes.
But it’s also about raising the bar.