Hi lulu:

Thanks for your post. I haven't ever read anything linking overly affectionate/touchy behavior to ADHD, either. But I have read tons and heard loads of stories about ADHD children and teens who have trouble reading social cues. It sounds like your son has never learned to reign in his 'touchy' behavior because he just doesn't pick up on the body language and facial expressions that could be telling him to stop...

One idea would be to brainstorm the number of ways someone might respond to being touched if they didn't like it - tensing up, slinking away, grimacing, etc. Then you could role play those body signals - showing your son exactly what they look like - so that he can be on the look out.

Let us know if this helps at all. It's an interesting topic...

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Most likely his behavior is a symptom of ADHD. I have ADHD and I work with special ed. high school students. Many have ADHD. Some of my students have had similar issues. Impulse control and personal space are skills I work on with my students constantly. Consistency is the key. I’m guessing that although your son is 17, socially he’s still in grade school where hugging teachers and horseplay with peers was more socially acceptable. At a certain height/age that behavior becomes inappropriate. In our program, we start to prepare students as early as kindergarten. They are taught “no hands on” and to ask for hugs from teachers (and each other). As they age they are slowly transitioned to high fives. Your son will learn. It will take time and practice but maturity and impulse control will come- eventually. Hang in there!

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Thank you both for your replies. He has always been a tall kid that has looked much older. He is very good looking, and can be very likable. I think that is a problem. He can get such a different response from different people. He has an IEP in school and I would really like them to work on this issue more, in that setting. We talk with him a lot about this. He has received quite a few 'referrals/infractions' for this (among many other things) and has been suspended so much that now they are recommending expulsion.

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