When Social Anxiety Upends Learning
Teachers can help a child with social anxiety by actively listening to their concerns, assigning group projects, and setting clear classroom expectations.
Have you ever worried about your appearance, or how you responded to a situation, or how people perceived you? Of course, we all have. But with social anxiety disorder, these worries are more intense and persistent than is warranted — or healthy.
Proactive Strategies
Early research on social anxiety exclusively studied people with a fear of public speaking. We now recognize that social anxiety broadly involves excessive worry about how others will perceive, think about, and react to you. Sometimes, social anxiety even extends to an individual’s unspoken thoughts and worries about how people would respond “if they ever knew” that individual’s inner fears and desires.
In children, social anxiety may look like awkwardness in conversations with peers or apprehension about joining activities. Kids who are excessively aggressive in their interaction style or who seem more withdrawn, or immature compared to their peers may have social anxiety — in large part due to overt or covert social rejection or victimization.
[Self-Test: Social Anxiety Screener for Kids]
School interactions may exacerbate social anxiety. Some students become socially anxious when they feel they are not grasping class lessons at the same speed as their peers. Other students may excel academically but become stressed during gym class when others watch them shoot a basketball or complete a set of push-ups.
How Social Anxiety Manifests
Teachers can help students develop resilience by expressing empathy, offering encouragement, and setting clear expectations. But first, they must realize that a child’s social anxiety may manifest in unexpected ways.
If a student withdraws or avoids a task, don’t assume it’s due to laziness. Spend a few minutes individually with the student to learn about their perspective and motivations. During the conversation, acknowledge their point of view and assure the child that you are listening.
Respond with something like this: “Some kids don’t worry about working in groups with other kids. But some kids do, and it takes them longer to feel comfortable. That’s ok. In my class, I encourage you to join group activities. I will assign you to group projects, just as I do with any other student because the more you avoid group work, the more difficult it will become. I want to help you face this fear, and I’m always here to talk with you about it.”
[Free Guide: How to Help Your Students Make Friends]
Interactions with a few classmates at a time will gradually increase their confidence, so create opportunities for small groups of students to work together. Extreme cases of social anxiety may require additional help from a school counselor, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist.
Social Anxiety in Children: Next Steps
- Free Download: Social Anxiety Facts and Falsehoods
- Free Class: The ADHD Learning Series for Educators
- Read: “Help! My Child Won’t Go to School.”
- Read: Classroom Strategies for Students with Social Anxiety
Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D., was a clinical psychologist and founder of the Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders in Manhattan Beach, California.
The content for this webinar was derived from the ADDitude webinar “Hidden Fears, Quiet Shame: Social Anxiety in Middle School to College Students” with Thomas B. Brown, Ph.D., which was broadcast live on April 2, 2025.
SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.
