I Can’t Make Friends By Myself: How to Improve Social Interaction for Teenagers with ADHDAsk The Expert

Original Air Date September 2, 2020 | 7:00 PM, EDT


Caroline Maguire, MEd, ACCG, PCC

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Teens are a unique subset of the population, just ask any parent! Add ADHD to the mix, and you have your hands full. Is your teen with ADHD spending too much time in his room? Is she becoming sullen, anxious, defiant? Does he have little to no friends, or are the ones he does have not to your liking? Though this is a difficult time, social interaction is not only possible; but it is even more important than ever. In this one-hour webinar, Caroline Maguire, M.Ed, ACCG,PCCC, will guide parents and anyone who works with teens on how to first connect with them to gain both their attention and their buy-in. Next, she will offer concrete, actionable advice on how to work with teens on social skills which includes Reading the Room, recognizing their contributions, empathizing with others, starting and keeping conversations, and more. For immediate advice from Caroline, please visit https://www.carolinemaguireauthor.com/ for free resources.

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain why some children struggle with social skills and how weak executive function often leads to social challenges.
  • Discuss the common problems parents face when they attempt to help their child improve their social skills.
  • Identify how to engage kids in the social skills coaching process.
  • Create a collaborative dialogue between parent and child about social dilemmas.
  • Demonstrate how to communicate or coach the child through social dilemmas using open-ended questions, reflective listening, and praise and prompts.