Teaching teenagers with social anxiety disorder (SAD) can be challenging. Schools are an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to SAD in teens. Unfortunately, many teachers and school counselors are not familiar with the symptoms of the disorder; students with severe anxiety may even be mislabeled as oppositional or defiant. Hopefully as more teachers and school professionals learn about SAD, awareness will be raised about the disorder, and treatment programs can be introduced in the schools.
If you are a teacher of a student with SAD, how can you help?
It is important to gain the trust of a teenager with SAD. You may need to change some classroom procedures to adapt to the teen with social anxiety. Although it may be tempting to try and force an anxious teen out of his shell by calling on him often in class, the best strategy is to remove all pressure on the student to speak up.
Let him know that you will only call on him if he raises his hand, and that you will not make a big deal out of his lack of participation in class. By the same token, if he decides to speak up, let him know that you will not make a big deal of this either. If you believe that the student is having difficulty with material, quietly offer to review concepts and instructions -- otherwise the student is unlikely to ask for help and may fall behind.
Above all else, be sure to work with parents and any other school personnel when planning how to help the student with SAD. It is through a combined effort with these different parties that the student will benefit the most. Finally, if you suspect that a teenager may be suffering with SAD, it is important to discuss your suspicions as soon as possible with the appropriate professional at your school. Left undiagnosed and untreated, SAD can lead to multiple mental health problems in adulthood.
Sources:
Akron Children's Hospital. Social phobia and excessive shyness in teens. Accessed Oct 27th, 2009.
Anxiety Disorders Association of America. More than just shy: Social anxiety disorder in teenagers. Accessed Oct 27th, 2009.
Pruitt, D. Your Adolescent: Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Development from Early Adolescence Through the Teen Years. New York: Harper; 2000.
