ADHD
      Back to home
      1. Care Library
      2. Childcare
      3. ADHD

      Helping Kids with ADHD Build Social Skills

      Learn strategies to help children with ADHD improve social skills, including reading body language, respecting personal space, and understanding social cues.

      Key Concepts:

      • Social skills are the skills that help us connect with other people. We do this through the use of both non-verbal communication (eye contact, facial expressions, body language) and verbal communication (volume, speed, tone of voice).
      • Children with ADHD often have challenges  when it comes to understanding and implementing these social skills.  They have trouble picking up on social cues and following social rules, which can make it hard for them to fit in, form friendships, and get along with others.
      • It is estimated 50 to 60 percent of children with ADHD have difficulty connecting with peers.
      • Some common social skill difficulties you might see:
        • Talking too much
        • Interrupting or talking over others
        • Not listening or seeming interested in what others have to say
        • Not recognizing when people look or sound annoyed
        • Not recognizing when a conversation has changed course
        • Not respecting personal space
      • Reading social cues is important because it lets us know how others might be feeling, so we can adjust our behavior accordingly. Not being able to read those cues, or make those judgments quickly, can set our kids up for situations where the other person might begin to feel annoyed or upset.

      What to Try:

      • When you are watching shows or movies - turn the sound off and see if your child can identify how characters are feeling just from their body language and facial expressions.
      • When reading books with pictures - ask them how they think a character is feeling based on how they are drawn and why.
      • Role play - for example, if your child was invited to a birthday party, walk through and practice with them different situations that might come up. Ex. What will they do when they see the birthday boy or girl? What will they do when it’s time to leave?
      • Praise your child for successful social interactions, no matter how small. Be specific with what you noticed and why.
      • Model thinking about someone else’s perspective by sharing your own internal dialogue, and what it sounds like, to think about others to help your child develop their own self-talk.