Child Has No Friends? Friendship Help for Children With ADHD, Special Needs

Does your child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), learning disabilities (LD), or other special needs have trouble making friends or have no friends? SpecialPlayDate.com may solve the problem.

The site was founded by Jane Hsu, a special-education teacher in the New York City public school system. "It breaks my heart when the children in my classes say they have no friends to play with," says Hsu, who has a master's degree in elementary education and special education from New York University.

A parent creates a profile of her child, searches for matches (you can narrow results by age, gender, disability, and location), and messages the resulting friend choices. Personal information is not shared until the child is ready to meet her friend.

SpecialPlayDate.com, which is free, also gives parents tips about behavior management techniques, and a forum to discuss their experiences with other parents of special-needs kids.

More on Children With No Friends, Challenges Making Friends

Help ADD/AHD Children Make Friends
Help Special Needs Children Make Friends at School
Playdate Do's and Don'ts
Why ADD/ADHD Children Have a Hard Time Making Friends
Help ADD/ADHD Kids Make Friends: Parents Share Their Advice
Help for Children With Social Problems, No Friends

This article appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of ADDitude. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to ensure you don't miss a single issue.