Building confidence, particularly in speech, DS age 10

[sittingbythepoolwithenzo]

DS1 is 10 years, in Year 5. He is a typical "sensitive child" (the Highly Sensitive Child book was a complete revelation to me!), and I have basically spent his entire life trying to keep his confidence levels up.

He is thriving at school, very good academically, confident in all subjects. No problems at all with his peers, vocal and clear in class. School have a system in place where they identify triggers for his panic attacks, which are usually related to times when he cannot follow a rule through (he has a complete fear of breaking rules), and he is very happy.

He is also happy with his clubs and activities outside school etc.

If he is somewhere new, however, and an adult asks a question, he simply cannot answer. He just dries up, goes red, I can feel him shake and he tries, mentally, to escape. It is not just shyness, he actually looks as though he going to collapse. Any words he does say are very unclear.

At the moment, the adults seem to think he is "shy", and ruffle his hair (which he also hates!), but in the next couple of years he is going to have to fend for himself at secondary school etc.

DH is wondering about elocution lessons? I'm not sure. He won't entertain the idea of a drama club (don't think it would help, as he is fine with groups of children, it is just adults that throw him).

Anyone had any experience of this? Are elocution lessons worth a go?