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School-aged anxiety: what’s typical and when should we ask for help?

School-aged anxiety: what’s typical and when should we ask for help?. Melissa A. Them, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Specialist in Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Mental Health Disorders. Goals for Tonight. Differentiate between typical and atypical anxiety

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School-aged anxiety: what’s typical and when should we ask for help?

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  1. School-aged anxiety:what’s typical and when should we ask for help? Melissa A. Them, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Specialist in Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Mental Health Disorders

  2. Goals for Tonight • Differentiate between typical and atypical anxiety • Understand signs and symptoms of anxiety • Discuss strategies for encouraging students to cope with stress • Provide guidelines for parents • Question & Answer

  3. Typical Anxieties by Age

  4. When has anxiety crossed over to disordered?

  5. Signs of Significant Anxiety • Worry is excessive over seemingly insignificant situations • Worry and associated avoidance become the automatic responses in many situations • Subjective experience of feeling “on edge” or irritable • Support and coaxing are no longer effective • Perfectionism and extreme self-criticism

  6. Signs of Significant Anxiety • Anxiety occurs most days for weeks or months • Physical ailments are recurring (headaches, stomach aches, nausea, vomiting) • Avoidance is interfering with normal activities (e.g., going to sleep, attending school) • Child seeks excessive reassurance that does not appear to relieve the anxiety • Parents find themselves becoming extremely frustrated with child’s worries or avoidant behaviors

  7. So, what do we do???

  8. Be Proactive • Develop Healthy Habits and Routines • Family Mealtimes • Bedtime Routines and Reasonable Bedtimes • 7-12 years  10-11 hours • 12-18 years  8-9 hours • Homework Routines and Time Management • Exercise • Relaxation and Down Time

  9. Listen to your Child • Listen quietly and attentively • Acknowledge his/her feelings with a word or two • Give the feeling a name • Understand that the fear is real to your child and don’t minimize it • All feelings can be accepted. Certain behaviors must be limited. • “I can see how worried you are about this test, but you have to go to school. Let’s work together to find a way.”

  10. The Anxiety Game • Anxiety is all offense and no defense • Anxiety tells you there is something to fear and – worse – you can’t handle it. • Anxiety tells you to stay away • Anxiety = AVOIDANCE • Winning the Game • To beat anxiety, we must not avoid it • Better yet, we could APPROACH it

  11. Maintain Expectations • Keep things as typical as possible • For instance, set and keep your expectations that your child will attend school • Don’t cater to fears • Support your child and provide encouragement for approaching them • Provide reinforcement • Verbal praise • Non-verbal signs of approval • If helpful, positive contingencies

  12. Where Can We Turn for Help? • School Personnel • Guidance Counselors • Social Workers • School Psychologists • Outside Treatment Options • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy • Medications

  13. Some Common Concerns • Test Anxiety • What is test anxiety? • Test anxiety is NOT a lack of test preparation • Test anxiety occurs when a student is well-prepared, but is excessively worried about an exam or enters an exam and his/her mind goes blank • Can include shakiness, nausea, light-headedness, etc. • What to do • Study in advance • Ask for help • Challenge negative thinking • Healthy habits (eat and sleep) • Encourage compassion for mistakes

  14. Some Common Concerns • Social Media • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, gChat • Distraction from homework  Failure to prepare • Cyber-bullying  School avoidance • Cell Phones • Texting  distraction, disruption of sleep, cyber-bullying

  15. Questions? Contact Us 1 Pine West Plaza, Suite 106Albany, NY  12205Phone: 518-218-1188      Fax:  518-218-1988E-mail: info@albanyhpa.com Hours:Monday – Friday 8:30am – 5:00pmWeekend and evening appointments by request

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