How Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Affects Neurodivergent Students Social Skills

But what if they don’t like me…

In school, it is not uncommon for children, teens, and young adults to face the feeling of rejection, yet, for neurodivergent students, they can take it exceptionally hard, especially in social situations if they have Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). They may feel as if their peers are rejecting them simply because they do not want to play the same game as them or like something they like. Even if their peers still invite them to play a different game or share their own likes and interest, they may be deterred from joining because their perception makes them believe they have been rejected by them. This can then prevent them from wanting to socialize in general since the feelings their RSD give them are too painful or embarrassing, causing them to struggle to make friends in and out of school settings.

RSD traits can cause students to react harshly, causing them to scream, hit, or act irrationally with their peers, which can cause making and maintaining friendships to become difficult since friends typically do not want to be yelled at because of a disagreement. Although RSD can make children, teens, and young adults feel as if a situation is much more negative than it is, as they may not be able to manage it, they can become isolated and have a hard time socializing while growing up. This can then cause other issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness and much more, but The Support for Students Growth Center is equipped to help them manage their RSD traits.

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we provide the social, behavioral, educational, emotional, and executive functioning skills children, teens, young adults, and their families who may be Neurodivergent or not need for a happy and successful life in and out of school settings. Our team of professionals offers individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as how to manage RSD to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a functioning independent life on their own as they grow up. So, if your child is struggling with skills like the ones listed above and much more, the SSGC is equipped with the tools to help.

Click here and call now to schedule your FREE 20-minute individualized screening

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the Support for Students Growth Center and College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of children, teens, young adults and college students and those high school students preparing for college.

/by

What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

But what if they reject me?

For one neurodivergent young boy, his transition into middle school was causing him some issues. In such a new place with so many new kids, his inability to fit in at his new school was only adding to his stress. He felt as if he was constantly being rejected by his peers, whether it be in class, at lunch, or at after school clubs and activities, causing his self-esteem to become lower by the day. Yet, as he spoke to his parents about his issues, they realized that maybe their son had Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), which made him think that some things his peers were saying/doing were them rejecting him, when in reality, they were not.

The young boy would think that when his friends wouldn’t want to do his idea for a project or play the video games he wanted to play, that they were rejecting him. However, they still invited the boy to do what they all agreed on, but instead of compromising, the young boy would act irrationally due to the embarrassment he was feeling after thinking he was being rejected. This then also made it hard for him to control his emotions and behaviors, and as time went on, he began drifting apart from his friends, causing middle school to become lonely for him. He would also react this way when teachers were trying to give him constructive criticism, his peers would have a different opinion than him, and even at home with his parents who were trying to help him, causing this time in his life, as well as his transition into middle school, to become exceptionally hard for the boy because of characteristics of RSD.

According to some researchers RSD can be found in both boys and girls. For them, it causes “significantly heightened intense negative feelings, and severe emotional pain that is difficult to control.” (Bhandari, 2023). This can then cause further issues down the line, such as the inability to control their behavior and emotions because of characteristics of RSD, becoming exceptionally embarrassed in situations that are not as dramatic as they may be seeing them, avoidance due to the fear of rejection, low-self-esteem, and so much more (clevelandclinic, 2022). RSD can make life harder for individuals, especially those with neurodivergent traits, but the Support for Students Growth Center is equipped with the tools to help them manage these thoughts and emotions.

At SSGC, we provide the social, behavioral, educational, emotional, and executive functioning skills children, teens, young adults, and their families need for a happy and successful life in and out of school settings. Our team of professionals offers individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as how to manage characteristics of RSD to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a wonderful life on their own. So, if your child is struggling with skills like the ones listed above and much more, the SSGC is equipped with the experience and tools to help.


Click here and call now to schedule your FREE 20-minute individualized screening

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the Support for Students Growth Center and College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of children, teens, young adults and college students and those high school students preparing for college.

professional, C. C. medical. (2022). Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD): Symptoms & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24099-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-rsd 

WebMD. (n.d.). Rejection sensitive dysphoria: Causes and treatment. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria 

/by

Ensuring Neurodivergent Students are Maintaining Their Hygiene

Did I remember to brush my teeth?

As we get older, it is important that we remind ourselves to maintain basic hygiene every day, but for neurodivergent individuals, this can be difficult. Making sure that they take a shower, brush their teeth, wear deodorant, and other daily hygienic things that other people make a part of their routine can be a daunting task for them. Yet, if they do not ensure that they are doing it anyway, children, teens, and young adults may struggle to not only make and maintain friendships but socialize in general.

Especially as children begin going through puberty, keeping up with their hygiene is very important. If they do not, their peers may not want to be around them because they may smell or be unclean due to their inability to keep up with a healthy routine, causing them to become shunned by peers. Since most other children, teens, and young adults do not want to be constantly around someone who is unable to maintain proper hygiene, they will begin to stray away from being friends or socializing with them, making their youthful years a lonely time. They also may find it harder to socialize since they will be too anxious about their poor hygiene, causing a vicious cycle that ends in loneliness and isolation, however, at the Support for Students Growth Center, we can help them learn the skills and behaviors needed to maintain proper hygiene.

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we provide the social, behavioral, educational, emotional, and executive functioning skills children, teens, young adults, and their families who may be Neurodivergent or not need for a happy and successful life in and out of school settings. Our team of professionals offers individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as how to maintain proper hygiene to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a functioning independent life on their own. So, if your child is struggling with skills like the ones listed above and much more, the SSGC is equipped with the tools to help.

Click here and call now to schedule your FREE 20-minute individualized screening

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the Support for Students Growth Center and College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of children, teens, young adults and college students and those high school students preparing for college.

/by