How To Help Your ADHD Child
With Social Skills
And Peer Relationships
It’s
heartbreaking for the parent of an ADHD child to watch as
the child has trouble making friends. While ADHD does not
always affect peer relationships, more than half of ADHD children
say they experience difficulty getting along with others.
Thankfully,
some social skills can be learned. The earlier a parent notices
social skills deficits,
ADHD setbacks in relationships are able to be fixed. Through
proper training and intervention, parents can work to improve
their child’s interactions with others. The following
tips will help the ADHD child to strengthen his or her social
skills:
Make peer relationships
a priority for the child. For a happy future, peer relationships
are equally as important as academic skills.
Encourage the child
to play with one peer at a time. Invite the child’s
friend over so that he or she gets more practice interacting
with others.
Involve the child in
activities with his or her peers. Talk with parents, teachers,
leaders, counselors, and coaches to find out how the child
is interacting with others.
Teach the child social
skills like being friendly, watching what you say, thinking
before you speak, observing others, going with the flow,
asking questions, and listening to others instead of interrupting.
Tell the child to refrain
from teasing, bragging, criticizing, and disrupting his
or her peers.
Parents should
remember that ADHD children are easily overwhelmed. Where
ADHD behavior modification
is concerned, it’s best to work on only one social skill
at a time. A parent might try role-playing at home to practice
social skills. Some parents also find professional help—such
as a counselor or charm school—is beneficial for their
children.
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It’s
heartbreaking for the parent of an ADHD child to watch as
the child has trouble making friends. While ADHD does not
always affect peer relationships, more than half of ADHD children
say they experience difficulty getting along with others.
