The symptoms of ADHD are difficult enough for children without one more sad reality: children with ADHD have a difficult time forming friendships and real relationships with their peers.

There are many reasons for this — most of them relating to ADHD symptoms in many children. Other children often consider children with ADHD to be intrusive or annoying. And children with ADHD sometimes have difficulty in paying attention or listening to others.

All of this means other children consider children with ADHD to be “weird” and ostracize them. They also sometimes bully them. A 2022 study in the Journal of Attention Disorders found that nearly half of children with ADHD are victims of bullying — more than double the amount of bullying experienced by their peers without ADHD. (The study also found that 16% of children with ADHD bullied other children — also double the rate of children without ADHD.)

But there are ways to deal with all of these issues, and help children with ADHD to develop caring and beneficial relationships in school. ADHD Online has talked with experts to explore all of these issues — and found some tools that can help. Read about tools and tips we found that can help parents help their children.