Hi there:

And welcome to the ADDitude forums. Lots of children with ADHD struggle to make friends because attention deficit impacts their ability to get and give accurate social cues - skills like listening, sharing, and respecting personal space do not necessarily come naturally. But there's a lot you can do at home - from role-playing to coaching - that can help your daughter turn over a new leaf this year at school. Here are some of ADDitude's most popular articles on the subject...

Building Social Skills for ADHD Children

Friendship 101: Helping ADHD Children Make Friends

Tease-Proof Your Preteen with ADHD

How to Bully-Proof Your Child with ADHD

And more articles about social skills for ADHD kids...

I hope that helps!

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thanks ever so much, thats great info to help me!

i have been talking with family and they have said maybe my daughter would be happier at a special school??? what do you think??????

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Try finding friends outside of school. Find something she enjoys, a girls club, something that is active where she can fit in. My daughter found friends at church with a youth group, some of the girls are a little older but it did wonders for her. I also put her in cheerleading and she does well with that also. I think in these activities she isn't known for the school type problems that she has and it is somewhere she can really be a part of the group. She isn't required to sit still and focus on learning so it give her the room to make friends.

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My daughter is 8 yo and is in the same situation. She is very active and thus involved in many sports and that seems to make a big difference. When is involved in a sport she has friends from the team and many are also in school with her. I think the involvement helps her in other settings b/c they get to know her on a different level. She may be the girl that doesn't listen in the class, but she is also the girl that scores goals and runs really fast in soccer. That sports team-spirit carries over to the school setting. It is not perfect, but at least she has a leg to stand on.

We're on a relatively low dose of Ritilin and although I did not want to do it; it has made a big difference academically. Although most of her friends are outside of school, she does have some. I know she feels pressure to have "better" friends but I think sports and the YMCA are giving us a chance to develop social skills.

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