The In Place

Matt Reid is the creator of The In Place, where he takes a behavioral approach to ADHD and Executive Functioning Management. He is a Certified ADHD Coach (AACC), Certified Life Coach (ACC), Professional Organizer, Executive Function Specialist, and a Speaker & Teacher. He works with parents of 9-12 year olds, with the whole family for 12-15 year olds, and one-on-one with students 15 and up. He spoke with us about his services and his success working with students to manage their ADHD and Executive Functioning needs.

Matt was diagnosed with ADHD at 10, 27 years ago. Now, when working with kids and teens, he is greatly aided by still remembering how tough it was for him at that age. Matt feels it is this ability to relate to his clients’ struggles that allows him to connect with them in a very meaningful way. When he was a child, he felt there was no one to guide him and understand him through the stress and challenges of his ADHD diagnosis. He wants to be that person today for the families with which he works, to save them years of frustration.

In his work with children, his main goals are to help them develop time management and organization skills, and avoid the breakdowns that are a common side effect of the stress of dealing with ADHD on a daily basis. He explains to children and their parents what ADHD means on the chemical level of the brain, as well as what they can do as a family within a behavioral approach. He supports families from both an academic and behavioral system of strategies, and specifically coaches practical approaches, such as how to manage anxiety, develop routines, become more organized and be more efficient throughout daily life. He also works on modifying behavior to get better results, such as learning how to study and hopefully receive better grades as a result.

He uses the term “scaffold,” which means to provide enough support to the child to bring them one step further than they could go on their own. His role is to make sure they don’t fail, and support and modify skills along the way. In his work with families, he meets with both the children and their parents, including offering parents support around their child’s independence; as children grow, they want to push away, but may not be ready, which can create conflict at home.

Perhaps most importantly, he provides a buffer and support system between parents and children, by establishing a mentor role so that he can step in and take some of the pressure off of parents when it comes to the daily tasks of life. Children are often more willing to accept life skill instruction from someone who is not their parent. When he can reduce fighting between children and parents over the typical battles that occur when it comes to managing and organizing their lives, everyone in the family can breathe more easily.

For students on IEPs, he can help families with IEP meetings, reviewing IEPs, recommending accommodatIons, and discussing appropriate goals to set. Though Matt is not a doctor or a diagnostician, he is well-versed in most pharmacological treatments for ADHD. As such, he may be able to help families navigate finding the right doctor, process how the medication is working, and understand how the medication works. He can also refer recommended doctors to discuss medications, and can spend more time with families around the medication process than doctors frequently have time to do. He provides a valuable resource around the communication between all of these service providers.