   
My Son Thinks He's Gay
Q:
"My 16-year-old son is severely lacking social skills. He has no friends, makes inappropriate, embarrassing comments and has no athletic interests. Recently, he has been chatting online to a teenager in the UK. The problem is that now my son thinks that he is gay like the teen. Should I let him continue this interchange or cut it off?" 
A:
Rather than emphasizing whether or not to try to cut off his interchange, an important, longer-term question would be, "How can I help him improve his social skills?" Social competence is one of the primary determinants of adult success. Many with poor social skills find the Internet a great source of social interaction because it provides access to a wide range of people, and you have the ability to take your time to formulate responses. Some also find comfort in the acceptance they find on the net. I recommend that you try to identify the social skills that he is lacking and work with him on gaining the needed skills or obtain the help of a psychologist or coach to help him improve his social skills. He may also benefit from the help of a psychologist in sorting out his social difficulties and his questions regarding his sexual orientation. By improving his social skills, he would be able to open a wider range of options for friends and he may not see homosexuality as his only form of social connection. This strategy would hopefully provide a long-term solution to the problem.
Dr. Michele Novotni is an internationally recognized expert in the field of ADHD. She is the former president and CEO of the national Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), an inspiring speaker, best selling author, psychologist, coach and parent of a young adult with AD/HD. She is author of Adult AD/HD and What Does Everybody Else Know That I Don't?.
Michele was the lead facilitator and lobbyist in the creation of national ADD Awareness Day (the third Wednesday in September). She was awarded the national "Make a Difference Award" by the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) in 2005 and ADDA originated The Novotni Scholarship Fund to assist college students with AD/HD in her honor.
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