Is Social Anxiety Hindering Your Child's Education?

A child who suffers from social anxiety disorder may be less likely to exhibit leadership potential in school, participate actively in class and achieve academic success compared to their peers, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota's Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Insight Journal, 2007). Easily mistaken for shy or disinterested underachievers, children with social anxiety often suffer in silence while their grades and social development spiral downward. This often creates concern among parents and school officials, who may misdiagnose the problem based on their own observations and experience.

Students with social anxiety have an almost paralyzing fear of public embarrassment or humiliation. Because of this, they try to avoid social situations by any means necessary. Since this is virtually impossible to do at school, it is not uncommon for students with social anxiety to become school dropouts or perform so poorly that that they flunk out (Social Anxiety Disorder.net, 2008).

If you suspect that your child may suffer from social anxiety disorder, there are a few signs that you should watch carefully for. Your child's teachers and other school officials may be particularly instrumental by observing your child's behavior at school and making a note of certain patterns. The following are a few signs that your child may have social anxiety:

1. An overwhelming fear of speaking in class. Your child routinely sits in the back of class, avoids asking questions and panics when called on.

2. Fear of seeking help from teachers or other school personnel. Even when help is available, your child avoids utilizing it, because that would entail interacting with others.

3. Withdrawal from in-class group activities. When assigned to a group to complete class activities, your child may be a non-participant while the other children talk and work collaboratively.

4. Few or no school friends. Your child never mentions any names of school friends, or shrugs when asked if he or she has any school friends.

5. Social withdrawal during lunch and recess. Your child shows no interest in bonding with other children at school and may be described by others as a "loner".

6. Disinterest in school parties and other school activities. Your child never gets excited about school parties or other major events and expresses a desire to forgo these activities.

7. Truancy. Your child cuts class or skips out on school altogether in order to avoid interacting with classmates and teachers.

While the above behaviors are not solely tied to social anxiety, any patterns that raise concern should be addressed immediately. If your child does in fact have social anxiety, a number of different treatment options exist that focus on such issues as building self-esteem, learning important social skills and developing effective coping skills (Otis & Pincus, 2001).

Sources:

Insight Journal Online Magazine (2007). Learning disorder or social anxiety? New study finds social anxiety impairs classroom performance.

Otis, J. & Pincus, D. (2001). Social Phobia. The Child Anxiety Network.

Social Anxiety Disorder.net (2008). Going to School With Social Anxiety Disorder.