“Mom, I Made a New Friend!”

Demonstrate and rehearse social skills with your child. Cover everything from maintaining eye contact, to interrupting, to saying harsh things at a play date. Instead of, "This is boring," teach him to say, "Can we play something else for a little while?" Instead of, "That's a stupid game you picked," teach him to say, "How about we play Chutes and Ladders?" Progress often comes slowly, so praise him for every effort in learning how to make friends.

Kids make new acquaintances by joining others who are playing:

• Stand near two people you might be interested in meeting at a party who are talking to each other. Look at them and say nothing, just listen. If you are interested in what they are saying, stick around. If not, move on.
• If you are still hanging around, notice if the two children start looking at you. If they do, they have invited you into the conversation. If they don't look at you, they want to be alone. Just walk away.

Talk to your child about what makes a good friend, and which behaviors are, and are not, appropriate. Coach your child on how to behave during a play date—say hello, don't interrupt, etc. Make an excuse to hang around in a nearby room to see how things go. Parents who get the best results intervene at the "point of performance"—in the setting where and when the skill is required. As your child gets older, it's best to let him handle social situations on his own, but be available to talk.

[Free Download: 14 Ways to Help Your Child With ADHD Make Friends]

Because many kids with ADHD lag behind their peers in social skills and maturity, they may feel more comfortable playing with younger children. Your child will be able to practice her friendship skills without being made fun of. As a bonus, the younger friend will most likely look up to her older buddy, instilling self-esteem and confidence in her. As your child masters social skills, chances are she will make friends with peers.

Talk with the teacher and ask if she can pair up students to tackle some classwork and projects together. Your child won't get lost in the chaotic process of picking partners and feel left out and unconnected. Plus, working with a classmate will strongly encourage your child to practice his social skills.

Girls with ADHD have more trouble with relationships than do boys. They feel the sting of peer rejection more than their counterparts. A girl with ADHD may be slow to pick up on social cues and may even be verbally aggressive when she feels frustrated. Try stoking the sparks of friendship by volunteering to take your daughter and one friend on a fun outing—the amusement park or to the beach. If you take two friends, there is a chance that they might pair off and exclude your daughter.

Invite three or four friends to your house to do something your child enjoys—having pizza or playing a video game. Plan special events around special holidays: You could have a Halloween or MTV Video Award party. If your child shies away from groups, as do many children with ADHD, invite just one or two friends over.

[The Friendship Guide for Kids with ADHD (and Their Parents, Too)]

Teachers can help children make friends by taking playground breaks from the classroom routine whenever possible. Children relax when they play games that everyone knows—and they forget their differences. Weakness that may show up in the classroom may disappear on the playground. Choose noncompetitive games, like "Amoeba Tag," in which the goal is for everyone to be "It."

As your child learns new social skills, don't blast him when he makes missteps. Be patient and pick up a cue from your child to gently suggest advice. If your child complains that no one likes her or she doesn't have any friends, hear her out. Then say, "Sometimes kids with ADHD have trouble getting along with friends. There are some things you can do to get along better. Want to hear about them?" At this point, she will be all ears.

Plan 15 minutes of quality time with your child several times each week. Do fun things together, just the two of you, without directing or criticizing his behavior. If you're at a baseball game, talk about his favorite player or whether the team has a chance of winning the World Series. Building a relationship with your child pays off in terms of friendships. Some studies show that, when parents work on relationship-building at home, they see better behavior in a child's peer relationships right away.

Sometimes the direct approach works best. Sign up your child for a social skills program outside of school or talk with the guidance counselor or special needs teacher in your school to form a social skills group. Educational experts highly recommend the following programs: Project ACHIEVE's Stop & Think Social Skills Program; Skillstreaming the Adolescent, developed by Arnold Goldstein and Ellen McGinnis; and "Social Skills Autopsy," developed by Rick Lavoie.

Some children benefit from team sports; others prefer solo activities. Team sports and activities can teach your child skills that often lead to friendships off the field. Before signing your child up, talk to the coach or teacher. Have a frank discussion about whether your child with ADHD would be welcome. Go with your child to meet the coach and other teammates before the first practice. Determine if the coach encourages fun and praises their efforts—or if he would be too competitive.

The simple acts of making friends with other parents, having relatives over for dinner, and keeping in touch with friends through PTO or church groups teaches your child about social skills. Showing your child how you make friends may give him clues on how he can do it. Plus, telling other parents about your child's social issues makes them more likely to take an interest. They might encourage other children to include your child in activities.

Good social skills can help fend off a bully. The most effective technique for deflecting teasing is humor. Rehearse humorous comebacks to classmates who tease your child. He should never tease back. Some examples include: "Boo-hoo" (said half-heartedly and pretending to rub one eye with a closed fist), "So what?", "I heard that one in kindergarten," "Tell me when you get to the funny part," "And your point is...," "Talk to the hand ‘cause the face ain't listening."

If your child's impulsive behavior— interrupting or constantly jumping from one thing to the next—gets in the way of his making friends, ADHD medication can help. Work with your child's doctor to find the right dosage, keeping in mind that the hormonal changes caused by puberty can change how children metabolize medication.

Not every child with ADHD will be a social butterfly—and that's OK. Studies show that having one close friend is enough to develop self-confidence. Most socially isolated children will eventually learn how to handle their behaviors and establish friendships on their own. Once adolescence hits, kids tend to act on the urge to fit in.

[Will My Child Ever Have a Best Friend?]