What to do when your autistic/ADHD child doesn't have friends

The number one reason parents register their kids for either the group program here at Starfish Social Club or my 1/1 support is because they recognize their child doesn't have friends. This can be a very emotional and pivotal point for parents.

But you know what event may be even more important? When kids recognize this for themselves. When our kids first start to realize they don't have anyone to play with. Or that other kids avoid them. Or that no one ever asks for their number or invites them places.

This time in the lives of our kids is important for two reasons: It means our kiddos are developing their senses of self- and social awareness, and it also means they are more likely to be open and receptive to strategies and solutions.

In this week's podcast/YouTube episode, I'm sharing my strategies and suggestions for what to do when your kid doesn't have friends. More specifically, those moments when they start to recognize that this is the case.

Here's a clip from the episode:

Usually this is triggered by an incident. And even if we think about us in our lives, usually behavior change is triggered by an incident. There's usually not just a time where we're sitting on the couch and just decide we're going to start doing something differently.

For our kiddos when it comes to relationships, it could be triggered by recognizing that they weren't invited to something. It could be triggered by doing what they feel like will help them make friends, and recognizing that it's making things worse. It could be triggered by just an awkward social encounter where they realize they're really struggling with relating to other kids or other teenagers. Usually, there's something that happens. Sometimes it's our kids getting in trouble for something they've said or done. It's usually triggered by something that has happened, that has caused them to really recognize that they're struggling socially. 

Listen to the podcast episode. 

Watch on YouTube.