Page 92 - Demo

84 %u00a9 Elklan Training Limited 2025Elklan Supporting Gestalt Language Processing %u2013 a Total Communication Approach10.0 SOCIAL ANXIETY AND SUPPORTINGOLDER CHILDRENSocial anxiety disorder is a clinical diagnosis and is also called social phobia. It is a long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations. This can be a mental health need which usually starts during the teenage years and may co-occur with other mental health diagnoses.The child or young person may have a physical reaction to social anxiety including:%u2022 sweating%u2022 feeling sick%u2022 trembling%u2022 palpitations%u2022 panic attacks.Many autistic children and young people, and others with social communication needs, may present with different levels of concern about different social situations. The child or young person may present with low self-confidence and avoid or worry a lot about social activities, such as group conversations, eating in company and going to parties. Social anxiety has an impact on functioning and affects everyday activities and can be as extreme as not wanting to leave the house to attend school. The level of social anxiety and impact on mental health needs must be determined to know when to refer to a mental health care professional.Children and young people with some social anxiety who may be safely supported at school may benefit from opportunities to discuss their feelings around social communication and social interaction.In doing so the supporting adult can:%u2022 Deliver a phased, very gradual approach to discussing feelings where the child or young person sets the targets%u2022 Provide opportunities for the development of emotional literacy%u2022 Outline the child or young person%u2019s strengths%u2022 Provide opportunities for safe practice of social interaction such as positive interaction groups outlined on page 87%u2022 Provide individual support strategies for emotional regulation such as using The Zones of Regulation (Kuypers and Winner (2011)%u2022 Include the option to withdraw from anxiety provoking situations%u2022 Ensure the safety of the individual and refer to outside professionals as needed.