Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on helping children with SAD reduce feelings of anxiety through practices of exposure to anxiety-inducing situations and active metacognition to reduce anxious thoughts.CBT has three phases: education, application and relapse prevention. In the education phase, the individual is informed on the different effects anxiety can have physically and more importantly mentally. By understanding and being able to recognize their reactions, it will help to manage and eventually reduce their overall response.According to Kendall and colleagues, there are four components which must be taught to a child undergoing CBT:
Recognizing anxious feelings and behaviors
Discussing situations that provoke anxious behaviors
Developing a coping plan with appropriate reactions to situations
Evaluating effectiveness of the coping planIn the application phase, individuals can take what they know and apply it in real time situations for helpful exposure. The most important aspect of this phase is for the individuals to ultimately manage themselves throughout the process. In the relapse prevention phase, the individual is informed that continued exposure and application of what worked for them is the key to continual progress.A study investigated the content of thoughts in anxious children who suffered from separation anxiety as well as from social phobia or generalized anxiety.
Interviewing both child and parent separately allows for the clinician to compile different points of view and information.Commonly used interviews include:
Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for the DSM-IV, Child Parent Versions (ADIS-IV-C/P)
Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Version IV (DISC-IV)
Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-aged Children-Present and lifetime version IV (K-SADS-IV)

Self-report measures
This form of assessment should not be the sole basis of a SAD diagnosis. It is also important to verify that the child who is reporting on their experiences has the cognitive and communication skills appropriate to accurately comprehend and respond to these measurements. An example of a self-report tool that has been tested is: The Separation Anxiety Assessment Scale for Children (SAAS-C). The scale contains 34 items and is divided into six dimensions. The dimensions in order are:  Abandonment, Fear of Being Alone, Fear of Physical Illness, Worry about Calamitous Events, Frequency of Calamitous Events, and Safety Signal Index. The first five dimensions have a total of five items while the last one contains nine items. The scale goes beyond assessing symptoms; it focuses on individual cases and treatment planning. Observation
As noted by Altman, McGoey & Sommer, it is important to observe the child, "in multiple contexts, on numerous occasions, and in their everyday environments (home, daycare, preschool)".