Q: How Can My Child Scale the Friendship Pyramid from Acquaintance to Buddy?
Does your child with ADHD conflate acquaintances with friends? Teach him how to climb the friendship pyramid — from activity partner to buddy — with these specific steps and strategies.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW FOR THE FULL ANSWER
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR RYAN WEXELBLATT?
Ask your question about ADHD in boys here!
Q: “How do you recommend we address our son’s inability to properly decipher social cues from classroom peers or teammates? For example, our son says he is ‘friends’ with his teammates, and he plays with them on the court, but at games I see those teammates do not interact with our son.”
A: “Boys with ADHD have difficulty understanding the different levels of friendship and what is required to work up those levels of friendship. They have a tendency to call classmates or acquaintances ‘friends,’ so we need to help teach them context within relationships. I have created a graphic to help illustrate the work involved in moving up the friendship pyramid. From there, I help them understand how to be more relatable to their peers by…
”
Climbing the Friendship Pyramid with ADHD: Next Steps
1. Watch This Free Webinar: Strategies to Improve Your Child’s Social Skills
2. Download: 14 Ways to Help Your Child with ADHD Make Friends
3. Read This: How to Make Friends: A Guide for Kids with ADHD
Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW is the facilitator of the ADHD Dude Facebook Group and YouTube channel.
