ADHD and Your Child's Social Life

A child that has been diagnosed with ADHD is affected by the disorder on many levels. One of the ways a child can be affected by ADHD is in his or her social life. ADHD causes a child to behave differently than many other children. The child with ADHD may be very impatient, interrupting, and pushy. When a child does these things on a daily basis it can cause a strain on his or her social relationships.

Persons with ADHD demonstrate actions that are commonly seen as disorganized, aggressive, impulsive, disruptive, and/or forceful. The social relationships between these individuals and others who they come in contact with on a daily basis are often filled with miscommunication, misinterpretation and frustration.

The symptoms of ADHD can cause shouting matches, pushing or even fighting between your child and another. Since it is difficult for a child to suppress the impulsiveness that comes with this disorder, he or she can be involved in frequent incidents that anger or socially push away other children. Naturally, this can develop into a long term social problem for a child.

A child with ADHD may do things that call negative attention to him/herself by acting in a way that might be viewed as “silly” or “abnormal” by other children. During puberty this problem can accelerate as the child may drift farther away from his or her peers. This is especially true at the time where long term friendships and cliques are being formed. A child with ADHD, if left untreated, can cause long-term damage to his or her social life during the pre-teen years.

Not everyone with ADHD has difficulty getting along with others. But for parents of those children who have these problems, there are some things you can do to assist your child. The earlier a child’s social problems are noticed, the better the chances that the parent can help him or her manage.

3 Things a Parent Can Do

• Understand how important it is for a child to have a healthy social life. Your child’s social life can be a large factor in his/her success in school.
• Stay in communication with adults that are around your child when the child is in his/her social environment. These can be teachers, coaches, counselors, and others.
• Keep your child involved in activities like sports where social interactions are unavoidable. Here you will be able to see the child’s interactions for yourself.
  

Author: Kurt Robinson