Making Friends with ADHD: Social Struggles, Rejection Sensitivity & Real-World Strategies

If watching your ADHD child struggle to make friends feels like emotional whiplash, this episode is your lifeline. In this raw and radically helpful deep-dive, Danielle unpacks the heartbreaking reality of social struggles in ADHD kids—from impulsivity and rejection sensitivity to emotional dysregulation and executive function gaps.

You’ll learn what’s actually happening in your child’s brain during playdates, why they miss social cues, and how to support them with real-world, science-backed tools. This isn’t just another “get them out there” pep talk. It’s a masterclass in raising emotionally safe, socially connected, and authentically confident neurodivergent kids.

Plus: practical tips, social scripts, parent confessions, expert insights, and the ONE strategy that changed everything in Danielle’s own ADHD parenting journey.

This Month’s Sponsors:

Dr. Laura

A licensed psychologist and Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider who works virtually with kids, teens, and adults in NY, DE, VA, and FL. She specializes in anxiety, OCD, ADHD, stress, tics, and insomnia—and offers parent support that actually supports you. Dr. Laura is also a homeschooling mom of two, so yes, she gets it. Explore her children’s book, audio workshops (hello, Behavior Change Ahead!), and therapy services.

💊 NeuroNeeds

A science-backed supplement line created by Dr. Richard Boles, a geneticist and ADHD dad who walked this exact road. These all-natural formulas were developed to support focus, mood, and brain health—and they helped his own son transition off stimulants and thrive in college. So if you’ve ever wished you had a scientist in your back pocket, this is it. 

📱 Goally

Screens aren’t the enemy—lack of support is. That’s why I’m obsessed with Goally, the tablet built specifically for neurodivergent kids. It’s distraction-free (no YouTube, no internet rabbit holes) and comes loaded with visual schedules, routines, AAC, timers, and even behavior tracking tools. 

💌 The Unfiltered ADHD Mom’s Club Newsletter

Welcome to The Unfiltered ADHD Mom’s Club, my no-BS weekly newsletter where we talk meltdowns, school drama, sensory hellscapes, and the real wins—like brushing teeth without tears. 

📱 Aura Parental Controls

We can’t uninstall TikTok from the internet, but we can create boundaries that don’t make our kids feel like we’re tracking their every swipe.

Parenting Simply by Adina Soclof 

A gentle, doable intro to positive parenting with rave reviews from parents, bloggers, and experts alike. Check the show notes for the link and why I recommend it to every ADHD parent I coach.

📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [e-mail].

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