Helping Your Socially Vulnerable Child: What to Do When Your Child Is Shy, Socially Anxious, Withdrawn, or Bullied

Tools You Can Use to Help Your Child

In social situations, certain children are more likely than others to be subject to emotional and physical harm by more aggressive children. Shyness, social anxiety, or a tendency to be withdrawn may underlie this social vulnerability, as may awkwardness in social situations or an inclination to be impulsive or explosive. If your child struggles with any of these problems, there is much you can do to help him or her develop more effective social skills and learn to fit in better with peers.

In this book, the husband and wife team of Eisen and Engler provide you with a clinically proven set of coping tools and social-skill strategies you can tailor to your child's unique social and emotional needs. Use them to promote confidence, independence, and social ease in your child, whether in the classroom, on the playground, or at play in his or her peer group. As you help your child mange his or her emotions, you'll lay the groundwork for a more harmonious family life, better school adjustment, and ultimately, social success.

Andrew R. Eisen, PhD, is associate professor in the School of Psychology and director of the Child Anxiety Disorders Clinic at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His research and clinical interests include child anxiety and related problems, learning disorders, and sensory integration issues. Eisen has published numerous journal articles and book chapters as well as seven books including Helping Your Child Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal, Separation Anxiety in Children and Adolescents, and Clinical Handbook of Childhood Behavior Problems. He maintains a private practice focusing on children and families at the Center for Neurofeedback and Integrative Health (www.childanxieties.com) in Bergen County, NJ.

Linda B. Engler, PhD, is codirector of the Child Anxiety and Related Disorders Clinic in Bergen County, NJ. Her research and clinical interests include child anxiety and related problems, ADHD, and the early detection and remediation of nonverbal and language-based learning disorders. Engler has published and presented in the areas of anxiety disorders, ADHD, eating disorders and school partnerships. She is coauthor of Helping your Child Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal (www.childanxieties.com).