When we think of social anxiety, we often think of an anxious adult’s fear of walking into a crowded party. For children with social anxiety, attending school can feel like this on a daily basis. If your child is struggling with social anxiety, here are some behaviors you may notice:
- Child avoids school or refuses to attend school
- Avoids attending social gatherings outside the family
- Shows little interest in social activity outside the family
- Has difficulty speaking to others outside the home
- May show signs of selective mutism outside the home
- May fear of being evaluated (avoids sports and after school activities)
When a child is struggling with social anxiety, it often goes unnoticed by adults. Be aware of the signs of social anxiety and seek out help for your child.
Understand the Possible Causes
Support Services: What can you do?
Treatments for social anxiety are very successful and typically involve individual and family therapy. Therapy is focused on helping the child modify their thinking and ways to calm their body when they experience anxiety.
To get help with your child’s social anxiety issues, schedule a consultation at our Northern Virginia office today.
Did You Know?
Childhood social anxiety is usually marked by a child’s avoidance of new people and situations that may involve evaluation. The child fears being humiliated or embarrassed in public. Being exposed to these situations can lead to tearfulness, tantrums and intense anxiety. The anxiety usually makes it difficult for the child to normally develop at school and at home due to excessive avoidance of the anxiety.