ADHD children lacking social skills can find themselves friendless and rejected by their peers. ADHD symptoms that challenge children in social situations include impulsive actions, non-stop activity, aggression, failure to listen to others, unwillingness to share, and a lack of awareness of others’ feelings. Children with the inattentive form of ADHD may appear withdrawn and uninterested

The solution for social skill s is therapy and coaching in social skills, and continued interaction with other children so that the ADHD child can practice social skills. In therapy, ADHD children can practice social interaction through role play.

Parents can give feedback and positive reinforcement to their children in social situations. It is often better to focus on developing one-on-one friendships at first rather than trying to integrate an ADHD child into a social group.

ADHD children with poor social skills can be taught acceptable behavior in theory but they must put it into action in social situations. Parents can then give gentle guidance and feedback about how the playdate or social interaction went.

Social Skills Deficits in Kids with ADHD

Children with a deficit in social skills can be taught appropriate social behavior. The therapist will focus on one particular social skill and explain it in words. Then they will have the ADHD child practice the social skill in a role-play situation. Social skill strategies often taught to ADHD children include being aware of body language and looking around for clues of the appropriate behavior in a particular situation. Finally, ADHD children need to take their new skills out into the world and implement them in social situations. After trying to use newly-learned social skills ADHD children can get feedback, guidance, and encouragement from their therapist or parent.

FAQ

Do kids with ADHD have friends?

Kids with ADHD often have difficulty making and keeping friends. However, it is definitely possible for ADHD kids to have friends. Often it is recommended that ADHD children focus on having one or two good friends at first, as they hone their social skills before trying to integrate into a large group of friends.

Why does my ADHD child lack social skills?

The symptoms of ADHD can make social situations difficult. Social skills often don’t come naturally to ADHD kids. ADHD symptoms such as inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity can cause ADHD kids to have poor social skills such as listening, sharing, staying on topic, empathy, controlling emotional outbursts, and aggression. It often comes down to difficulty monitoring their own behavior and being aware of the effect they have on others in social situations. For example if an ADHD child is inattentive because of his ADHD, this could be interpreted by his peers as disinterest in social interaction.