There are so many ways to support your child with a social anxiety diagnosis. Depending on the intensity of support, and your own child’s personality, you may have reservations about letting your child know that they have a diagnosis. If you are working with a therapist for social anxiety, seek out their support in facilitating a conversation, or age-appropriate language. Some children feel a sense of relief and validation in having a diagnosis, while for other children, a diagnosis may exacerbate their symptoms. If you aren’t sure what to do, don’t feel pressured to decide right away. You may want to gather more information from your doctor, care providers, and teachers and then decide.
So your child shows signs of, or has been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder…now what?
Getting a diagnosis can be very overwhelming, especially if you weren’t seeing signs that a diagnosis was needed. Social anxiety can sometimes be hard for parents and care providers to recognize as the child may feel more safe and confident with trusted adults; this resulting in difficulties with seeing signs of anxiety. Children may suppress their anxious feelings and therefore not have the needed strategies to work through their anxiety when necessary. Kids are complex human beings who are not always able to express what they need to or even understand what they are going through.Now that you have a diagnosis for your child, it is important to work with your care provider and follow a support plan. Depending on your child’s unique needs, there are a variety of ways you can provide support. . A few examples include exposure therapy, CBT therapies, talk and play therapy. Some may be done with just the care provider, while others may require a specialist. It is important to continue to communicate with your support team about what is working and what may need adjusting. Just as your child grows and changes, the way you support your child may as well.