Intrepid Young Adults

Utilizing a Life Coaching Framework for Neurodivergent Young Adults

Utilizing a Life Coaching Framework for
Neurodivergent Young Adults

At Intrepid Young Adults, our life coaching framework provides personalized, goal-oriented support tailored to each individual—never a one-size-fits-all approach. We take a forward-focused perspective, helping young adults develop skills, set meaningful goals, and take actionable steps toward success.

Utilizing motivational interviewing, we empower young adults to navigate obstacles and define their own version of adulthood. Our team is trained to use a life coaching framework so that our approach supports each young adult in a personal and meaningful way. Each day, our clinical director and program director collaborate with staff to ensure each young adult is reflecting upon and actively pursuing their goals.

Core Elements of Life Coaching with Young Adults

1. Strengths-Based Individualized Planning

At enrollment, we work with each young adult and their family to set goals. Being a young adult can mean a lot of different things: in school full time (finishing high school, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or just trying to figure out a major), taking on internships or a skills trade, or trying to find a full-time job to support themselves financially for the first time.

For many neurodiverse young adults, any of these steps might be challenging but having to choose one and commit can be overwhelming and daunting. We talk about their goals and then integrate those as the framework for our program to work towards throughout their stay. This approach ensures that they are working towards goals that they value and find important to them.

2. Executive Function Coaching

Many neurodivergent individuals struggle with executive function skills, such as time management, organization, and task initiation. Our coaching-based model provides structured support in developing these skills through real-life applications, such as managing daily routines, budgeting, and maintaining employment.

Our team practices these skills alongside them on a daily basis both on campus and out in our vibrant community. Often the learning process is learning directly from one of our life coach staff, doing the task with help, and working towards doing the task on their own over time. 

3. Social & Emotional Growth

Life coaching also aims to integrate social and emotional growth into the daily routine.

Every week, collaborating with each young adult, we update their personal calendar to ensure weekly routines are in alignment with their goals and a healthy life. Updating their weekly calendar is a visual way to explore, self-reflect, and improve habits. One of our life coaches may ask “Does this routine look like it keeps your body healthy? Maybe we’ll do another day at the gym?” “Does this routine give you enough time to keep up with homework? Maybe we set a few more times to focus on school?” “Does this routine connect us to the community and keep us social? Maybe we will go to a Dungeons and Dragons event/an Axe throwing league/go to a movie with a friend?”

Intentional self-reflection is a way to develop insight into what is working, what needs improvement, and where our young adults are being successful.

4. Career and Academic Readiness

A critical part of a life coaching model is to help each young adult evaluate their educational and career goals. We work with young adults who are finishing high school as well as those who are exploring college or evaluating a particular career and job they want to pursue. We help young adults identify their goals, strengths, and areas for growth while exploring their academic and career paths.

Whether determining a college major or choosing a job that aligns with their long-term aspirations, our approach keeps their goals and values at the forefront. We guide them in recognizing when certain choices move them closer to or further from their objectives—such as balancing work and school or reassessing their academic direction.

Through structured routines and goal setting, we teach essential study skills, career development strategies, interview techniques, résumé writing, and more.

5. Supported Independence & Life Skills

When you ask most of our neurodivergent young adults what independence is, many times they will say they get to do what they want without being bothered. And yet, if we stop there, “independence” could quickly mean gravitating to an interest and difficulty managing life’s demands.

At Intrepid, our focus is on what we call supported independence versus “doing everything myself” which can feel lonely or lead to struggling alone.

By reminding our young adults of their goals we get to work through obstacles with them that build healthy independence at school, in their jobs, in daily household chores, their diet and fitness, as well as self-care and hygiene. We can help them understand that as an adult, responsibilities happen before and always alongside doing what we love.

Our goal of partnering as a life coach teaches them it is okay and necessary to have mentors, friends, and support systems to help them with these things and still be independent. We teach that it is better to develop support systems that they can work with when it comes to complex tasks like how to do taxes, how to navigate a complex dynamic in a friendship, be vulnerable, or wrestle with the hard questions that emerge at this critical time of life. None of us are so independent that we aren’t asking for help when we get overwhelmed and stuck. 

6. Building a Supportive Community

Intrepid values belonging and finding one’s community on the path to independence. While our young adults need time alone or time without too much stimulus, we also focus on getting them out into the community to find support systems that bolster long-term connectedness.

Finding hobbies like pickup basketball at the YMCA, Magic The Gathering at a local card shop, or going to the movies foster connections and friendships. At school, we encourage our young adults to find study groups and connect with their advisors and professors to help them when they get stuck in school.

We also incorporate outpatient therapy as this parallels how many adults work and engage in individual support in their lives. When we get stuck as humans, our support system and community help us navigate the ups and downs of life, move forward, and thrive.

Why a Life Coaching Approach Works

Utilizing a life coaching model aligns well with neurodivergent young adults because we:

  • Focus on strengths and solutions, rather than limitations.

  • Encourage self-determination, curiosity, courage and autonomy.

  • Provide structured, actionable steps rather than abstract advice.

  • Build long-term skills rather than temporary interventions.

Integrating life coaching at Intrepid is an important part of supporting our neurodivergent young adults with structure and flexibility that supports individualized growth, independence, and long-term success. By focusing on personalized coaching, executive function development, and real-world applications, our incredible young adults can transition into adulthood with confidence and competence.

David Chandler

Intrepid Program Director

David is a Certified Professional Coach through North Carolina Central University, a IAPRC accredited program.