On behalf of the Board and everyone at AADPA, congratulations to Dr Michele Toner on recently being awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to community health. We are thrilled that Michele has received this prestigious award, which she so greatly deserves.
Michele, who lives in Western Australia, started supporting people with ADHD and their families in a part-time capacity over 25 years ago and is passionate about helping people of all ages with ADHD to achieve their goals and live better lives.
Michele was the first credentialed ADHD coach in Australia. Aside from her private coaching practice, she trains and mentors new coaches in order to promote ADHD coaching in Australasia.
She is a member of the teaching faculty at the ADD Coach Academy, and a registered mentor coach with the International Coach Federation and the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches. She also works hard to educate others about ADHD. She is frequently sought after as a speaker at conferences and public functions, Michele inspires professionals and members of the general public to both learn more about ADHD and to support those with the diagnosis.
Respect for the people she works with drives Michele to have the best possible qualifications required to serve them. Michele has a PhD and a Master of Special Education in the area of ADHD.
Her Master’s thesis, entitled “Adults with ADHD; Living in Chaos and Striving for Control”, explored the lives of adults with ADHD who were undiagnosed as children, and identified strategies to help them with their studies and personal lives as they went through various “Stages of Developing Empowerment”.
Aside from her academic achievements and hands-on ADHD experience, Michele’s coach training is extensive. She completed her basic studies with CoachU in 2009 and was awarded the credential of Associate Certified Coach (ACC) by the International Coach Federation (ICF) in 2010. She then went on to study advanced coaching techniques with the ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA) and was awarded the credential of Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the ICF in 2013. In addition, she holds the credential of Professional Certified ADHD Coach (PCAC) with the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC).
Michele has worked in various roles over 25 years with the Learning and Attentional Disorders Society (now called ADHD WA), Australia’s leading support group for people with ADHD. She is currently Chairperson of their Board of Management, a member of their Professional Advisory Body and coordinator of the monthly adult support group.
Michele was also key figure on AADPA’s board of Directors from 2017 – 2019. She was also an inaugural Board member of ADHD Australia – and walked 65km to raise funds for that organisation.
