This article reviews progress in research on childhood phobia, generalized
anxiety, and separation anxiety disorders from the perspectives of developm
ental psychopathology and affective neuroscience, These perspectives repres
ent two organizing theoretical schools in the realms of clinical and basic
science research. Studies in developmental psychopathology suggest the need
to identify specific subgroups of children with one of these anxiety disor
ders who are particularly at risk for anxiety disorders in adulthood. Studi
es in affective neuroscience suggest potential neurobiological avenues for
identifying such children who face a particularly high risk for chronic anx
iety disorders.