ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO)

What ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) does

The ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 2005 and headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, operating with a 7-person staff and an elected volunteer board of directors. ACO is the only worldwide professional membership organization dedicated specifically to ADHD coaches, and its core function is to serve as the central convening body for the ADHD coaching profession — setting standards, recognizing training programs, and providing infrastructure that connects practicing coaches with clients and continuing education.

ACO's core product is the Directory of ADHD Coaches (directory.adhdcoaches.org), described as the largest directory of vetted ADHD coaches, which functions as the primary organic client-referral channel for members. Surrounding products include ACO Membership (Regular $160/year, Introductory Student $80/year) granting directory listing, forum access, and CEU-earning webinars; the annual International Conference on ADHD co-hosted with ADDA and CHADD (the largest multidisciplinary ADHD conference in North America); member-only Community Forums hosted on MemberClicks; a Public Support Groups & Workshops listing; an ADHD Coaching Research Resources library; ACO Committee Programs (Case Collaboration, Coaching Enrichment, Research Collaboration); an Annual Awards recognition program; a newsletter distributed via MailChimp; and a Conference Scholarship Fund. The technology stack is entirely off-the-shelf SaaS: MemberClicks for member management and authentication, WordPress for the directory site, Payscape for payment processing, MailChimp for email, and Squarespace for the public website.

ACO's business model is subscription-membership revenue (annual dues) supplemented by directory listing fees, conference registration revenue, and professional services/event fees. GTM is community-led and directory-led: organic search, member word-of-mouth, and the annual conference drive both member acquisition and end-user (ADHD consumer) discovery of coaches. ACO does not sell to enterprise customers — its paying base is the long-tail of individual ADHD coach members, with the public directory serving as the consumer-facing distribution channel for connecting members to individuals and families affected by ADHD.

Name

ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO)

Legal name

ADHD Coaches Organization, Inc.

Website

https://adhdcoaches.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) is the worldwide 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association for ADHD coaches, founded in 2005. It operates the largest vetted ADHD coach directory and annual International Conference on ADHD to connect practicing coaches with clients and continuing education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services (ADHD Coaching Membership)

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

ADHD/Executive Function & Organization Coaching (Academic) (EDANAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Function Coaching (Planning, Organization, Time Management) (EDAMAIAB), Executive Function & Learning Coaching (Organization/ADHD Coaching) (EDAJALAI)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• ADHD coach directory
• Executive functioning coaching
• ADHD coach training
• Professional development webinars

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: ACO's primary revenue stream is annual membership dues. Regular membership costs $160 per year (approximately $13.33/month). An Introductory Student Membership is available for $80/year for first-time members who are current students or recent graduates (within 6 months) of approved ADHD Coach Training Programs. Membership provides access to community forums, professional development resources, directory listing, conference discounts, and CEU-earning webinar opportunities.
2. Directory Listing Fees: ACO members who meet eligibility criteria (trained coach, professional experience with ADHD clients, ADHD-specific training) can be listed in the ACO Directory of ADHD Coaches. Non-member coaches cannot be listed. Members can also pay a small fee to list public support groups, classes, and workshops on the ACO website. The directory is described as a key client referral source for members.
3. Conference Registration Revenue: ACO co-hosts the annual International Conference on ADHD with ADDA and CHADD. Revenue is generated through conference registration fees. ACO members receive a discount on registration. The conference is held annually in different cities, with the 2026 edition scheduled for Baltimore, Maryland.
4. Professional Services and Event Fees: ACO collects fees for various professional development activities, workshops, and events. The organization's privacy policy indicates it processes payments for purchases made through its website, including event registrations and potential merchandise. Membership fees are described as non-refundable unless otherwise stated in writing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) is the worldwide professional membership organization for ADHD coaches, operating as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association. Its core offering centers on the ACO Directory of ADHD Coaches—the largest directory of vetted ADHD coaches—paired with annual professional membership ($160/year regular, $80/year student), community forums, continuing education webinars, research resources, and co-hosting of the annual International Conference on ADHD. Members gain professional credibility, client referrals through the directory, and access to a multi-stakeholder ADHD coaching ecosystem.

Product overview

The ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) is a worldwide professional membership organization for ADHD coaches operating as a 501(c)(6) non-profit association. The core offering is the ACO Directory of ADHD Coaches, the largest directory of vetted ADHD coaches, paired with ACO Membership that provides professional development, community forums, CE credits, and research access. Related offerings include the annual International Conference on ADHD (co-hosted with ADDA and CHADD), Public Support Groups & Workshops listing, ADHD Coach Training Programs directory, Research Resources access, Committee Programs (Case Collaboration, Coaching Enrichment, Research Collaboration), Annual Awards recognition, Newsletter, and Conference Scholarship Fund. The portfolio functions as a unified professional ecosystem supporting ADHD coaches from training through practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACO Directory of ADHD Coaches

Quantifiable outcome

• ADHD coaching improves social behaviors in elementary school students
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerACO and ADDA are co-hosts of the annual International Conference on ADHD, described as the largest multidisciplinary ADHD conference in North America. Both organizations share the mission of supporting individuals with ADHD and promoting ADHD awareness. ADDA's role includes conference programming, speaker coordination, and joint marketing of the conference to their respective communities.
• CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerACO and CHADD are co-hosts of the annual International Conference on ADHD. CHADD is one of the leading organizations in ADHD support, research, and professional development. Together with ACO and ADDA, CHADD coordinates the largest multidisciplinary ADHD conference in North America, which serves coaches, clinicians, researchers, educators, parents, and adults with ADHD.
• MemberClicks (Platform Provider)coreTechnology or IntegrationMemberClicks provides the web-based member management platform for ACO, including membership applications, renewals, authentication for the members-only website section, community forums, and directory listing management. ACO's directory login uses the MemberClicks OAuth authentication system. MemberClicks has committed to resolving complaints about Personal Data processing in accordance with the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Principles.
• Payscape (Payment Processor)coreTechnology or IntegrationPayscape is used as the payment processor for ACO's website, handling payment transactions for membership dues, event registrations, and other purchases. ACO's privacy policy states that payment data (including payment instrument numbers and security codes) is stored by Payscape.
• PAAC (Professional Association of ADHD Coaches)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACO endorses and supports PAAC certification for ADHD coaches. PAAC offers an ADHD Coaching Specialty certification more closely aligned with the International Coach Federation (ICF) model. PAAC began certifying ADHD coaches in 2012 and is now the sole organization offering ADHD Coach certification. ACO's values statement explicitly endorses certification through PAAC, ICF, IAC, and CCE.
• ICF (International Coach Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACO endorses and supports ICF certification for coaches. ADHD Coaches are defined as trained coaches who endorse and accept the coaching paradigm of the ICF. ACO's recognized training programs are ICF-accredited or approved. ACO's Professional ADHD Coach Designation recognizes coaches with verified advanced training and education aligned with ICF standards.
• ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADDCA is one of ACO's recognized ADHD coach training programs. Founded by David Giwerc in 1998, ADDCA has trained more ADHD coaches than any other program and is described as the gold standard for ADHD coach training. David Giwerc serves as an instructor. ACO recognizes ADDCA as an accepted source of ADHD Coach training.
• Coach Approach Training InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoach Approach Training Institute is one of ACO's accepted ADHD coach training programs. Instructors include Sara Skillen, Cameron Gott, and faculty. ACO recognizes this program as fully accredited by ICF and offering at least 35 hours of ADHD-specific training.
• International ADHD Coach Training Center (iACTCenter)minorStrategic or Co-development PartneriACTCenter is one of ACO's accepted ADHD coach training programs, instructed by Laurie Dupar and team. ACO recognizes it as fully ICF-accredited and offering at least 35 hours of ADHD-specific training.
• JST Coaching & TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJST Coaching & Training is one of ACO's accepted ADHD coach training programs, founded by Jodi Sleeper-Triplett. It is fully ICF-accredited and offers at least 35 hours of ADHD-specific training. Jodi Sleeper-Triplett founded the first ADHD coach training program focused on training life coaches to work with ADHD youth.
• Mentor CoachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentor Coach is one of ACO's accepted ADHD coach training programs, with Alan Graham and faculty as instructors. ACO recognizes it as fully ICF-accredited and offering at least 35 hours of ADHD-specific training.
• Gold Mind AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold Mind Academy is one of ACO's accepted ADHD coach training programs, with Alex Campbell, Katie Friedman and faculty as instructors. ACO recognizes it as fully ICF-accredited and offering at least 35 hours of ADHD-specific training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Inflow: A digital ADHD coaching and therapy platform that offers integrated matching, telehealth, and app-based support. It competes with ACO's directory as a consumer-facing entry point for finding ADHD support, representing a newer model of ADHD coaching distribution.
• ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA): ACO's recognized flagship ADHD coach training program and the largest single training pipeline into ACO membership. While ACO does not endorse any single training school, ADDCA's graduates disproportionately feed ACO's member base, making it a strategically adjacent peer.
• Done (ADHD telehealth platform): A digital ADHD care platform that provides telehealth diagnosis and coaching support. While clinically rather than coach-association focused, it competes for the same end consumer searching for ADHD support online that ACO's directory serves.

Broad incumbents

• International Coach Federation (ICF): The dominant global professional association for coaches. ACO endorses ICF coaching paradigms and aligns its training-program standards to ICF accreditation, making ICF the umbrella professional body of which ADHD coaching is a specialty segment.
• International Association of Coaching (IAC): A global coaching standards body whose certifications ACO endorses alongside ICF and PAAC. IAC competes for the same coach-membership mindshare that ACO draws from for its own membership base.

Direct peers

• Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA): A peer ADHD-focused nonprofit and ACO's co-host of the International Conference on ADHD. ADDA serves adults with ADHD while ACO serves ADHD coaches, so their audiences are complementary and they operate as the closest organizational analog in the ADHD professional space.
• CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD): A leading ADHD nonprofit that co-hosts the International Conference on ADHD with ACO. CHADD spans research, education, and advocacy, making it one of the three dominant ADHD organizations alongside ACO and ADDA.
• Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC): The ADHD-specific certification body ACO endorses for ADHD Coach Specialty certification. PAAC and ACO have overlapping membership and a co-branded professional-development role in the ADHD coaching ecosystem.

Regional players

• National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC): A national certification body for health and wellness coaches that overlaps with ACO's coach-development mission. ADHD coaches may pursue NBHWC credentials, putting it in a complementary-but-overlapping space with ACO's recognized training programs.

Others

• Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE): An organization that issues board-certified credentials referenced by ACO for CEU programs. It is an adjacent credentialing body that supports ACO's professional development offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ADHDCoachesOrganization
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adhd-coaches-organization

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO)