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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