Social skills
Find out why people struggle with social skills, and get advice for social conversations and making friends. Learn about the link between ADHD and social skills.
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Strategies and tips
- Quick tipFind new kids to meet.
Sometimes, kids get stuck in a rut in their own neighborhood. Offer a fresh start by introducing them to new kids. Try a library, a park, or another spot you haven’t been to.
- Quick tipRole-play conversations.
Some people need more practice with conversations. Role-play different scenarios to help make conversations easier.
Podcast
The social lives of our kids: When to worry, when to let go
Many families worry about their kids’ social lives. But when your child has a learning difference, you might worry even more. Hear one mom’s story.
More resources
All articles
- Social and emotional skills at different ages
- Trouble making conversation: Why it happens
- 5 ways dyslexia can affect kids socially
- 4 ways dyscalculia can affect social skills
- Video: A young woman opens up about growing up with NVLD
- 8 ways to help teens with ADHD avoid dating trouble spots
- How to talk with your child about social and emotional issues
- Fortnite and kids with ADHD or social skills challenges: 7 things I tell parents
- No playdate invite? My advice to parents of kids with ADHD
- Multiplayer online video games and kids who struggle with social skills
- ADHD and trouble with personal boundaries in kids
- What to do when your grade-schooler is lonely
- 8 ways to help your middle-schooler connect with other kids
- Social Thinking: What you need to know
- 8 tips for helping kids with social skills challenges cope with the holiday season
- What to do when your tween or teen is lonely
- Conversation tips for kids who struggle with social skills
- 5 social-emotional learning games to play with your child
- 7 study group tips for kids with social skills challenges
- ADHD and oversharing
- 7 ways to help your students make friends
- How to help your high-schooler handle school cliques
- Impatient child? Why some kids can’t wait their turn
- 5 reasons why kids with ADHD get bullied
- 5 tips to help kids with ADHD handle peer pressure
- 10 ways to help your grade-schooler connect with other kids
- 5 ways social challenges can play out at recess
- What are nonverbal learning disabilities?
- How to help your grade-schooler handle school cliques
- Why “stranger safety” can be tricky for kids who learn and think differently
- 4 ways to help your child build a support network
- Checklist: Is your child ready for a sleepover?
- 6 benefits of afterschool programs
- 5 “unwritten” social rules that some kids miss
- How to help your child learn to read facial expressions
- 8 ways to help your grade-schooler learn social cues
- How to help your child notice voice pitch and tone
- How to help your child understand body language
- 10 ways to help shy kids speak up for what they need
- 6 back-to-school challenges for impulsive kids
- Why some kids with ADHD are very popular
- How to teach your child about personal safety
- My child likes being alone. Does this mean he’s lonely?
- The difference between teasing and bullying
- Why kids who learn and think differently might feel lonely
- 5 ways to teach your child about personal space
- Should I force my child to socialize more?
- Why I’m torn about letting my son with ADHD play video games like Fortnite
- 5 “Big Bang Theory” quotes that make me a better parent
- 6 ways to help your preschooler connect with other kids
- 8 ways to teach empathy to your child
- What is social-emotional learning?
- 4 types of social cues
- What is cyberbullying?
- 4 playdate problems and how to handle them
- Video: My experience with ADHD and feeling misunderstood
- Video: My experience with learning disabilities and social challenges
- 3 reasons kids may struggle with birthday parties
- Social problems at school: How and when to jump in
- Download: Holiday behavior worksheet for your child
- Why some kids clown around in class
- Social anxiety and kids with learning and thinking differences
- 4 social situations to role-play with your grade-schooler
- Video: How kids can use online connections to make friends in real life
- Video: Pros and cons of video games for kids with ADHD
- 12 movies to help kids learn empathy
- 5 ways ADHD can affect social skills
- 7 social situations to practice with your teen
- Why some kids have trouble making friends
- When kids grab, push, and play too rough: What it can mean
- Understanding trouble with social skills
- 8 social situations to role-play with your middle-schooler
- Video: Watching TV to improve social skills
- Why some kids talk nonstop
- Video: How to know if your child is oversharing on social media
- What to do when kids say “no one will play with me”
- 4 skills for making friends
- How to tell if your child is being bullied online
- What to do when your child is the bully