"Heritability was estimated at 73% in a community sample of 6-year-old twins, with higher rates in girls. "A childs temperament can also impact the development of SAD. Timid and shy behaviors may be referred to as "behaviorally inhibited temperaments" in which the child may experience anxiety when they are not familiar with a particular location or person. Mechanism
Preliminary evidence shows that heightened activity of the amygdala may be associated with symptoms of separation anxiety disorder. Defects in the ventrolateral and dorsomedial areas of the prefrontal cortex are also correlated to anxiety disorders in children. Diagnosis
Separation anxiety occurs in many infants and young children as they are becoming acclimated with their surroundings. This anxiety is viewed as a normal developmental phase between the months of early infancy until age two. Separation anxiety is normal in young children, until they age 3–4 years, when children are left in a daycare or preschool, away from their parent or primary caregiver. Other sources note that a definite diagnosis of SAD should not be presented until after the age of three.Some studies have shown that hormonal influences during pregnancy can result in lower cortisol levels later in life, which can later lead to psychological disorders, such as SAD. It is also important to note significant life changes experienced by the child either previous to or present at the onset of the disorder.
Signs and symptoms
Academic setting
As with other anxiety disorders, children with SAD tend to face more obstacles at school than those without anxiety disorders. Adjustment and relating school functioning have been found to be much more difficult for anxious children. In some severe forms of SAD, children may act disruptively in class or may refuse to attend school altogether. It is estimated that nearly 75% of children with SAD exhibit some form of school refusal behavior.There are several possible manifestations of this disorder when the child is introduced into an academic setting. A child with SAD may protest profusely upon arrival at school. They might have a hard time saying goodbye to their parents and exhibit behaviors like tightly clinging to the parent in a way that makes it nearly impossible for the parent to detach from them. They might scream and cry but in a way that makes it seem as though they were in pain. The child might scream and cry for an extended period of time after his or her parents are gone (for several minutes to upwards of an hour) and refuse to interact with other children or teachers, rejecting their attention. They might feel an overwhelming need to know where their parents are and that they are okay.