[Sharon]

I can definitely relate to MNlady; my son will be 12 in two weeks and has ADHD. He has friends, but not the friends I would've chosen for him. He seems attracted/ attractive to other kids with issues. I have tried the "wholesome activities" route... he spent the summer in a karate daycamp, and met some nice kids; but now that he's back in school he's hanging out with the same troubled group. This hurts me because although I see my son's wonderful qualities, I am aware that his behavior and attitude make it difficult for others to recognize what a special person he is. I can only hope that as he gets older, he will branch out socially and meet some other kinds of people. Meanwhile, I try to keep a close eye on his activities. I've learned from experience that forbidding him to hang out with this friend or that friend is more or less futile, but at this point I still have some control over where he goes and what he does. I can sympathize with any parent raising a child with ADD/ ADHD... my only advice is to encourage any and all friendships, because in my opinion almost ANY friend is better than none. Predators generally target lone children.
Best of luck to all of you, ~ Shar