Social anxiety disorder in childhood

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by a marked and persistent fear of one or more situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. The feared situations are avoided or are endured with intense anxiety or distress. In children the most feared social situations usually include those where the child is expected to speak (e.g. talking to peers, reading aloud in class, joining in a conversation) but also other situations such as musical or athletic performances. However, it is unclear whether children with SAD have a distorted perception of their own abilities or whether they do actually have worse social skills than other children. A Norwegian study of 150 children compared those with social anxiety to those with ADHD and a healthy control group. The researchers found that those children with SAD did have a lower verbal IQ and worse motor skills than other children.

Kristensen, Hanne and Torgessen, Svenn - Is social anxiety disorder in childhood associated with developmental deficit/delay? European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry March 2008, 17(2), 63-72