When Anxiety Comes to School

Inquiry Question
What affect does anxiety in children have on their
academic performance
and
how can educators provide support for children
with anxiety issues in their classrooms?
What is anxiety

A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear
resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or
fantasized threatening event or situation, often
impairing physical and psychological
functioning.
Why do we have anxiety?
Anxiety is normal
Anxiety is adaptive.
When we experience anxiety it triggers our "fight-flight-freeze"

When is anxiety a problem
Anxiety can become a problem when our body reacts in the absence of real
danger.


l
When is anxiety a problem
Anxiety can become a problem when our body reacts in the absence of real
danger.


Anxiety becomes a problem when it makes the decisions
for child, interferes with their life and/or causes distress. (-FORCE)
http://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness.html
Some common anxieties in children

Separation Anxiety
Social Anxiety
Test Anxiety
Separation Anxiety
Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is where a child has extreme
anxiety when separating from a caregiver or
parent, or leaving a safe place, even for a short
time, or to go to school. Separation anxiety can
often greatly disrupt the peace of the family
home, particularly on school mornings.


Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is where a child has extreme
anxiety when separating from a caregiver or
parent, or leaving a safe place, even for a short
time, or to go to school. Separation anxiety can
often greatly disrupt the peace of the family
home, particularly on school mornings.

Physical Symptoms include: stomach aches, dizziness, racing
heart, shallow breathing...Teens are also likely to complain
of headaches, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or
having a panic attack.
Anxious thoughts include: a variety of different worries about
separation or being alone...
Behavioural symptoms of younger children include: crying,
clinging, or temper tantrums when anticipating or actually
experiencing separation.. (Anxiety BC)
Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety


- an excessive fear of social
and/or performance situations
(Anxiety BC)

-students with Social Anxiety
Disorder often fear being
humiliated or embarrassed.
Social Anxiety


Common place triggers can include
-speaking to a group of people
-arriving after others are seated
-being introduced to strangers
-eating and drinking in public
-writing in front of people
-using a public restroom
- an excessive fear of social
and/or performance situations
(Anxiety BC)

-students with Social Anxiety
Disorder often fear being
humiliated or embarrassed.
Test Anxiety
Test Anxiety
Test anxiety can have
different causes,
but it often arises
from having
performance
anxiety about taking
a test in class or
being judged by the
teacher.


Some of the More Common Signs A Child May Be
Struggling With Anxiety


Some of the More Common Signs A Child May Be
Struggling With Anxiety

Frequent absences from school
Decline in grades or unable to work to potential
Excessive worrying about homework or grades

l
Some of the More Common Signs A Child May Be
Struggling With Anxiety

Frequent absences from school
Decline in grades or unable to work to potential
Excessive worrying about homework or grades
Frequent bouts of tears
Refusal to join in social activites
Being alone a lot with few friends

l
Some of the More Common Signs A Child May Be
Struggling With Anxiety

Frequent absences from school
Decline in grades or unable to work to potential
Excessive worrying about homework or grades
Frequent bouts of tears
Refusal to join in social activites
Being alone a lot with few friends
Physical complaints that are not
attributable to a health problem
Easily frustrated
Fear of new situations
l
Anxiety and Academics

-this effect may be particularly relevent for specific
school subjects that draw more explicitly on
working memory...
(Owens, Stevenson, Hadwin, Norgate, 2012)

Working Memory
"anxiety and depression are associated with increased worry about test-taking
that interferes with complex working memory, leading to lowered test
performance"
Anxiety and Academics

-this effect may be particularly relevent for specific
school subjects that draw more explicitly on
working memory...
(Owens, Stevenson, Hadwin, Norgate, 2012)
In short, anxiety and worry restrict working
memory, making it physically impossible for
a child to perform academically to their full
potential.
You worry that you won't do well and then you
don't do well..
This ties in with test anxiety
Working Memory
"anxiety and depression are associated with increased worry about test-taking
that interferes with complex working memory, leading to lowered test
performance"
Anxiety and Academics
What Perfectionism Looks Like in Children and
Teens
- Tendency to become highly anxious ,angry or upset
about making mistakes
- Chronic procrastination and difficulty completing tasks
- Easily frustrated and gives up easily
- Chronic fear of embarrassment or humiliation
- Overly cautious and thorough in tasks (for example,
spending 3 hours on homework that should take 20
minutes)
- Tries to improve things by rewriting
- Frequent catastrophic reactions or meltdowns when
things dont go perfectly or as expected
- Refusal to try new things and risk making mistakes
Perfectionism
"
Anxiety and Academics
What Perfectionism Looks Like in Children and
Teens
- Tendency to become highly anxious ,angry or upset
about making mistakes
- Chronic procrastination and difficulty completing tasks
- Easily frustrated and gives up easily
- Chronic fear of embarrassment or humiliation
- Overly cautious and thorough in tasks (for example,
spending 3 hours on homework that should take 20
minutes)
- Tries to improve things by rewriting
- Frequent catastrophic reactions or meltdowns when
things dont go perfectly or as expected
- Refusal to try new things and risk making mistakes
Perfectionism
"
Even though the student's
school work may be
flawless, the underlying
anxiety is undermining the
student's genuine learning
and mental health, with
ramifications that can lead
to even greater problems
later in life.
Anxiety and academics
School refusal or school avoidance
Children refuse to go to school
Avoidance is a way to
soothe anxiety in the short run.
Avoidance actually increases anxiety

Anxiety and academics
School refusal or school avoidance
Children refuse to go to school
Avoidance is a way to
soothe anxiety in the short run.
Avoidance actually increases anxiety

It is hard to teach
a student who
isn't there.
School refusal
School avoidance can result in children having extreme
emotional and even physical ailments at the thought of
going to school, including...
Dizziness
Shakiness or trembling
Rapid heartbeat, chest pains or hyperventilation
Sweating
Headaches
Stomachaches, vomiting or diarrhea
Panic attacks


School refusal
School avoidance can result in children having extreme
emotional and even physical ailments at the thought of
going to school, including...
Dizziness
Shakiness or trembling
Rapid heartbeat, chest pains or hyperventilation
Sweating
Headaches
Stomachaches, vomiting or diarrhea
Panic attacks


The fear and physical symptoms are very real for the child.
Sometimes just getting a child with school refusal to school is the day's major victory.
Physical symptoms can go away or last into the day, imparing the child's ability to work.
A plan of action
Collaboration with home
-communication
Consult professionals
Specific adaptations for anxious students
-separation anxiety
-test anxiety
-social anxiety
Resiliance education
-FRIENDS/FUN FRIENDS

Collaboration with home
Listen to parents
Talk to parents
Try to be on the same page: work together to
find solutions.

Anxious parents
Anxiety can be inherited genetically or be
learned by modelling parent's anxious
behaviour.

It is plausible that some parents will be
struggling with anxiety or other mental health
issues as well. It is important to keep this in
mind when communicating with them. If
they found school terrifying, they may share
their child's fear of school.

Many parents are exhausted and
bewildered by their child's behaviour. It is
important to use tack and kindness and
avoid placing blame.
Consulting professionals
School counsellors
Pediatricians
Child and Youth Mental Health
F.O.R.C.E.
Society for Kid's
Mental Health

Professional help and
support groups can help
to build up families and
their support systems.
Adaptations
We want our students to be
successful and anxiety can be a
major roadblock to that success.


Adaptations
We want our students to be
successful and anxiety can be a
major roadblock to that success.
Find ways to get what you need
from the student without putting
him in an anxiety causing
situation

If your student has social anxiety



-Try to be conscious of their comfort level and
their needs (object on the desk instead of raising
hands, answer book).

- Use alternative methods of receiving verbal
feedback other than calling on individual student
(AB partners, talk to your neighbour, etc).

-Allow them to video tape speeches or oral
report.

- Find alternative methods of having students
show what they know rather than performance
tests, such as math at the board, stand up and
answer.






.

Many children, with or without social/performance
anxiety, do not respond well to be yelled or shouted
at, or singled out in a negative fashion.

.




.

Many children, with or without social/performance
anxiety, do not respond well to be yelled or shouted
at, or singled out in a negative fashion.

.


It is best to
avoid
yelling.
Test Anxiety
Possible adaptations to help students:
-letting student take test in private
-allowing extra time to reduce pressure
-focusing on correct answers rather than
errors
-conducting ungraded assessments
-accepting portfolios in lieu of tests
-teaching study skills and test-takimg
strategies
Resiliance Education
FRIENDS
Education about anxiety
Breathing
Yoga


FRIENDS and Fun FRIENDS



Offered through F.O.R.C.E. (funded by BC Child & Youth Mental Health)

FRIENDS for Life program is a school-based early intervention and prevention
program, proven to be effective in reducing the risk
of anxiety disorders and building resilience in children. It is available to all schools
in British Columbia.

One of the few anxiety education/support programs that does not need to be
administered by a professional (counsellor/psychologist) and can be taught by
classroom teachers. I day training session (Pro-D)

Supplamented by parent workshops
and information



Education about anxiety







Make opportunity to share with students what you know
about anxiety (normal, adaptive, universal)
.
Share techniques for dealing with stress and worry.

Teach students how to take tests.

Share information about red and green thoughts

Red and Green Thoughts







Negative and Postitive Thinking

Help children identify when they are using negative
assumptions and how they can challenge these thoughts.

Just breathe
One of the simplest and most effective skills an anxious
child can learn is relaxation breathing. Since all of us
will deal with anxiety at one time or another, relaxation
breathing is a useful skill to teach to all your students





.
Just breathe
One of the simplest and most effective skills an anxious
child can learn is relaxation breathing. Since all of us
will deal with anxiety at one time or another, relaxation
breathing is a useful skill to teach to all your students
Blowing bubbles (younger children)
Belly breathing (older children)




Just breathe
One of the simplest and most effective skills an anxious
child can learn is relaxation breathing. Since all of us
will deal with anxiety at one time or another, relaxation
breathing is a useful skill to teach to all your students
Blowing bubbles (younger children)
Belly breathing (older children)



Teaching the calm breathing technique
Take a slow breath in through the nose (for
about 4 seconds)

Hold your breath for 1 or 2 seconds. Exhale
slowly through the mouth (over about 4 seconds)

Wait 2-3 seconds before taking another breath
(5-7 seconds for teenagers)

Repeat for at least 5 to 10 breaths.
Muscle relaxation/Yoga
-teach students how to tense and relax their
muscles
-incorporate daily yoga time, perhaps in the
morning or early afternoon
Educate yourself
Keep good resources on hand to share with
parents
Keep up to date on
programs and research
Attend Pro-D workshops


Web Resources
FRIENDS for Life
friendsparentprogram.com/index.php
F.O.R.C.E Society for Kid's Mental Health
http://www.forcesociety.com/index.php
Child and Youth Mental Health
http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/mental_health/index.htm
Anxiety BC
http://www.anxietybc.com/



Additional Resources
Eisen, Andrew R. Ph.D. And Linda B. Engler, Ph.D. (2006). Helping Your Child
Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal: A Step-By-Step Guide For
Parents. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Foa, Edna B. Ph.D and Linda Wasmer Andrews. (2006) If Your Adolscent Has an
Anxiety Disorder: An Essential Resource For Parents. New York, New York: Oxford
University Press.
Owens, M., Stevenson, J., Hadwin, J. A., & Norgate, R. (2012). Anxiety and depression
in academic performance: An exploration of the mediating factors of worry and
working memory. School Psychology International, 33(4), 433-449.
doi:10.1177/0143034311427433
McLoone, J., Hudson, J. L., & Rapee, R. M. (2006). Treating Anxiety Disorders in a
School Setting. Education & Treatment Of Children (West Virginia University Press),
29(2), 219-242.



Thanks!