If you read our last blog, you know we’ve been on a journey. I left my daughter playing ping pong with kids at her after-school program — but she told me she didn’t know when to talk because she was afraid to interrupt.
That led us to create more social stories. We practiced. We role-played. We kept going.
Friday, something happened that I’m still processing.
The Cafeteria Moment
It was the last day before the snow storm. I arrived early to pick her up from MS Cafe and couldn’t find her in the usual spot. A boy pointed me to another room. And there she was.
My daughter — sitting across from another girl, in deep conversation. No laptop open. Just her, playing with her hair, making eye contact, talking. I walked over and said hi. She looked at me and asked, “Can I stay more?”
I said yes. Then I stepped away to talk to the chaperones, trying not to cry.
What the Chaperones Told Me
They said the girls came in together from the cafeteria. My daughter was asking questions. Answering questions. A real get-to-know-you conversation. Then she asked if she could give her new friend my phone number. She initiated that. On her own.
If you’re a parent who’s been working on social skills with your child, you know what that means. Years of social stories. Practicing “just say hi.” Acting out scenarios at the kitchen table. All of it — leading to this moment.
The New Challenge
In the car, she couldn’t stop talking about her new friend. Once home, she asked to call her. I suggested texting first: “It was nice chatting with you.” She sent it. Then asked me every few minutes if there was a reply. That’s when I realized — we’d unlocked a new level, and now she needed new tools. How do you maintain a friendship without overwhelming the other person? How do you wait patiently? How do you balance excitement with giving space?
So we did what we always do. We created social stories together.
Free Social Story Downloads
These are the stories we built for this next chapter. I’m sharing them because I know some of you are walking this same path:
1. Navigating New Friendships — The excitement of making a new friend and what to do after exchanging numbers.
Social Story: Navigating New Friendships – Making Friends for Autism & ADHD
2. Checking In Successfully — How to follow up without being overwhelming.
Social Story: Checking In Successfully – Communication Skills for Autism & ADHD
3. Understanding Why Answers Matter — Why genuine listening matters more than just asking questions.
Social Story: Understanding Why Answers Matter – Active Listening for Autism & ADHD
4. Navigating Group Conversations — Taking turns, staying engaged, and including others.
Social Story: Navigating Group Conversations – Social Skills for Autism & ADHD
5. The Art of Patience in Friendship — Managing frustration when friends don’t respond right away.
Social Story: The Art of Patience in Friendship – Maintaining Friendships for Autism & ADHD
Each one addresses something real we’ve faced — and something your child might face too.
To the Parents Still Waiting
I know some of you are still in the “just say hi” phase. Some of you are watching your child on the edges of groups, unsure how to break in. I see you. I was you. I am still you.
Keep going. The work adds up — even when you can’t see it yet.
Friday, I watched my daughter have a real conversation, ask for a phone number, and text a friend on her own. It wasn’t magic. It was years of practice meeting one moment of readiness.
Your moment is coming too.
Leave a Comment