All material Copyright © 2007
Reprinted with the express permission of the primary author, Kristen Eastman, Psy.D. and the Selective Mutism Group ~ Childhood Anxiety Network as originally published on their website
By: Kristen Eastman, Psy.D.
Note: While this article is primarily directed to parents, we include it here for it’s relavence to the work that therapists do. We also hope that therapists will share this piece with the parents of their kiddos.
All children will experience social difficulties from time to time. This is not only a normal, expected part of growing up, but also an important learning experience for children. As they muddle through social problems with their peers, children will learn to negotiate, compromise and become increasingly more self-aware. Finding the solutions to these social dilemmas, however, can come easily to some children and not so easily to others. Socially “savvy” children tend to be good problem solvers; they seem to have an innate sense of what to do, when to do it, and how to apply it in social situations. These children tend to be more popular with peers as a result of this savvy as they appear more capable. Appearing more capable to their peers can translate to social confidence and a positive sense of self.
Read this entire article HERE
Featured Author and Organization: Kristen Eastman Psy.D. and the Selective Mutism Group ~ Childhood Anxiety Network (SMG)
We thank Kristen Eastman, Psy. D. and the Selective Mutism Group ~ Childhood Anxiety Network for allowing PediaStaff to reprint their article. Selective Mutism Group ~ Childhood Anxiety Network is the nation’s premier resource for information on SM. SMG, a part of the Childhood Anxiety Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information, resources and support to those impacted by a child with the anxiety disorder known as Selective Mutism (SM).
Kristen Eastman, Psy.D. is a Clinical Psychologist with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Children’s Hospital. She is also serves on the Board of Directors of the Selective Mutism Group (SMG).