Friends and Fun – Creating Your Social Circle
You’re working hard to become independent and live on your own, but don’t forget to schedule some time for fun! Plan to go out with friends or have them over at least once a week. If you’ve moved to a new location or have just been busy and neglected your current friends, try these tips for adding more people to your life.
Finding Friends
You probably already know a handful of people who might end up becoming closer friends.
- People at work or school who you like
- Friends you’ve lost contact with who you could call
- Friends of people you’ve met in the past
- Relatives who are close to your age
- Neighbors who are close to your age
- Meeting friends of your current friends
- Taking up a hobby with a group that meets on a regular basis
- Places of worship
- Volunteering in the community
Join other adults (18 and up) who’ve had hemiplegia since childhood at our CHASA Adults With Hemiplegia facebook group
Making Plans for Fun!
Invite someone to do something with you. This is the step where some people get stuck. You may feel shy about asking people to hang out, but unless you take this step, you may find yourself home alone on a Friday night. Inviting someone out may be scary at first, but it’s not nearly as bad as asking someone out on a date. Here are some tips on getting started.
- Make it a habit to get a potential friend’s contact information when you meet them. Ask them for their cell phone number or if they’re on Facebook. Then, when you want to get together, you can reach each other.
- Think of a few places you can go and different times and dates.
- Respond to texts, emails, and phone calls as soon as possible. If you take days to respond, they may think you’re not interested or that you don’t like them and they probably won’t contact you again.
- Try to accept all invitations if possible. If you decline too many times, they may give up on you.
Dating and Sex
What can we say? Individuals with hemiplegia date, fall in love, fall out of love, get married, get divorced, and so on – just like other people. So, no special info for you in the dating section of this website. We’ll give you the same advice we give everyone – look for friends and you’ll end up meeting people you’d like to date. It’s pretty simple.
On dating while differently abled
Sex And Disability: Boston Filmmaker Turns Lens On ‘The Last Taboo’
Take Charge: A Reproductive Health Guide for Women with Disabilities
For Parents of Younger Children
Ways to Enhance Social Inclusion
Sex, Dating and Disability: How to Help Youth Make Healthy Choices
