| Social Thinking: Why Does Someone Who Talks So Much Struggle So Much Socially?Flexiture* for Student Success!

Social Thinking: Why Does Someone Who Talks So Much Struggle So Much Socially?

by Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D. in Social Thinking and tagged ADHD Social Thinking

For some children with attention and executive functioning difficulties, their challenges not only include impulsivity, distractibility, inconsistent self-monitoring, and variable mental effort: they also suffer from a handicap that isolates them from other children. Boys and girls with social skills weaknesses seem immature and seem to lack good judgment at times. They may less sensitive to the needs of others. As a result, some children with attention challenges are rejected by their peers, and their social relationships seem “out of synch.”

Social difficulties can become far more anxiety provoking for a struggling child than problems with reading or math. A child can carry a calculator to help with arithmetic and a computer can help with spelling and writing, but there is no mechanical or computerized invention that can take her successfully through a classmate’s birthday party or any other social situation. At times, she may be much more worried about being left out of activities with friends on Friday night than failing a spelling test on Friday morning.

The goal of the Social Skills articles on this site is to suggest ways parents and teachers can help children with attention difficulties improve their skills in five different social areas:

Starting Up Relationships

Making Friendships

What does it take to be a friend?

Keeping up relationships

Maintaining Friendships

Self Disclosure

Active Listening: Part I , Part II

Asking Questions

Manners Matter

Parties and Other Social Situations

Talking too much or too little

Manners in the Classroom