ADHD, the challenge of making friends
What is different always causes something of fear. Leaving the comfort zone and knowing something different costs a lot and that is why when a child does not adjust to the normal canon, he can be rejected by the rest of his classmates. An example is children with Attention Deficit Disorder, ADHD, who may encounter problems when making friends and strengthen them.
Not only because being different provokes the rejection of others, but because of the problems of the ADHD. Therefore, Mark Griffin, founder and director of Eagle Hill School, a school for children with specific learning disabilities, explains some basic notions for parents of children with these disorders. Some tips with which aims to promote the social development of these children.
Difficulties of ADHD
A child with ADHD has difficulties making friends because these children may lack self-control and be extremely assets. These small can cause a fatigue in their interlocutors to talk a lot and say things without thinking. At the same time they can also provoke the anger of their peers by not paying attention to what other people are saying and for example not knowing the rules of a game and doing it wrong.
In addition these students have more likely of:
- Not to be accepted easily by their peers
- Being socially left out by their teachers and classmates
- Being seen by their teachers as lacking in social skills
- Not being chosen for school plays or to join group activities
- Be more willing to give in to the pressure that their colleagues impose
However, these difficulties do not mean that they can not have friends. Simply that children with ADHD need more time to adapt in this regard and support from parents and educators. In this way you will contribute to your self-esteem to be maintained and also learn to deal with the problems related to this disorder.
Help the child with ADHD
The first step to help a child with ADHD is to talk with the children's teachers. Teachers spend many hours with children in a social environment such as school, where the child with this disorder is related to other companions. Therefore they can find ways to create groups where this student feels integrated, in addition to explaining to the rest that this is one more and someone to have fun with if given the opportunity.
At home the parents of the child with ADHD can work to change the behavior of these children to teach them how to maintain the calm and to be able to maintain the attention in the moments of game with his companions. They can also encourage children to create social events such as snacks at home or trips to the movies with their classmates.
Parents also have to teach their children to deal with their emotions and the feelings that cause them to see themselves without friends. Encouraging children to talk about these topics will help to reinforce the children's confidence and encourage them to seek new friendships, not to give up because they feel different.
Damián Montero
