Excited and Engaged: Strategies and Solutions for Social Anxiety in Children and Teens with ADHDAsk The Expert
Join the “Three Micro-Connections a Day” Challenge
Being “social” can be hard for those of us with ADHD, regardless of our age. We often feel like ghosts, lonely and left out. Trying to be social can feel like an epic quest as we cloak ourselves in armor and draft battle plans to defend against the “just in case” instances that might come…
Read MoreMaintaining Friendships
Social Guidance for Adults with ADHD Maintaining friendships can be a struggle for those with ADHD, but positive relationships are important. Without them, we can feel isolated and alone. With them, we feel connected and valued. How can ADHD negatively affect social relationships? Recently, the headline on a news site listed the five best ways…
Read MoreWhen Your Teen Lacks Self-Confidence
You overhear YOUR TEEN’S FRIEND TREAT HER BADLY, yet when you inquire about the friendship, she retaliates against you. You are her cheerleader, advocate, and role model, yet she rarely listens to you, even after she admits her dismay. Often, as parents, we witness our teenager being treated badly, choosing the wrong friends, or trying so…
Read MoreEight Ways to Stop Taking Things So Personally
It’s hard not to take things personally. When someone shouts at you on the road, you feel the sting of their anger. When scrolling through social media, you see a picture of a friend out with your other friends—and wonder why you were not invited. When you write a friend or relative to get together,…
Read MoreImproving Social Executive Function Skills | Parents Ask The Expert
How to Say the Right Thing at the Right Time
Often people with ADHD have a history of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Maybe we make a cringe-worthy comment we wish we could immediately take back. Other times we don’t know what to say and we just fumble along. Or we monologue and stumble into inappropriate comments. This history makes us afraid…
Read MoreBomb-Proof Your Jokes
Humor can be tricky. With ADHD, it can be even trickier. If your joke won’t land or you can’t hit the punch line, the awkward silence that follows can be deafening. Jokes change depending on the group, the situation, and the people. Humor is largely about timing, intention, and reading the room. Is your joke…
Read MoreFriendship Problems? How Parents Can Help
“Your son is getting better at turning in his homework,” said Spencer’s fourth grade teacher. “However, the other students don’t want to sit at his table. I notice that at recess he is often alone, and I worry about him socially.” Spencer’s parents reflect on this statement. Indeed, they have noticed that invitations to birthday…
Read MoreTen Ways You Can Help Your Child Succeed Socially When They Return to School
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone other than people who enjoy misery. At this point, though, even they may be getting fed up. One of the hardest hit groups are kids who have ADHD and also struggle with social interaction. In addition to the difficulty in reading faces that wearing masks causes, online…
Read MorePre-Game Your Social Strategy
Want to improve your social network? “Just showing up” is rarely a good plan, especially for adults with ADHD in social situations. Bombarded by stimulation, swamped with anticipatory anxiety, flooded with emotions, and feeling you have lost the ability to self-regulate can make socializing both draining and overwhelming for people with ADHD. For many of…
Read MoreI’m Fine, Thank You Very Much!
“My daughter is so sassy! I try to help her make friends, but she will not take my advice.” Many parents of tweens and teens with ADHD struggle as they watch their child ignore overtures of friendship, cling to friends who don’t treat them well, or ignore advice and make mistakes that ultimately leave them…
Read More