Anxiety in Children and Adolescents

Anxiety; it’s something we all feel. In fact, it’s normal to feel anxious. It’s our body’s way of letting us know that something is unsafe or harmful. It’s our body’s way of revving up our energy supply so that we can run or hide or think quickly on our feet. But what happens when that anxiety is something that you feel often, like every day? And it can sometimes, or all the time, get in the way of what you or your children want to do? Then, it’s a problem.

Anxiety in adults and in children can look different. Children who suffer from anxiety may exhibit:

• Withdrawal
• Isolation
• Agitation
• Restlessness
• Inattention, poor focus
• Somatic symptoms – headaches,
• Stomachaches
• Avoidance
• Tantrums
• Crying

Children who are anxious don’t always know that they feel anxious. They just know that they don’t like how they feel, they don’t know how to make it stop, and so they let you know how children know how to by:

• Refusing to go to school
• Meltdowns before school about clothing, hair, shoes, socks
• Meltdowns after school about homework
• Difficulties with transitions within the school, and between school and an activity/sport
• Difficulty settling down for bed
• High expectations for schoolwork, homework and sports performance

It’s very easy as a parent to think that your child has a behavioral problem, an Oppositional Defiance Disorder even. However, look closer. There’s a strong likelihood that your child is anxious, very anxious.

Rule In and Rule Out

Yes, and the two complicate each other. Two very common disorders that are comorbid with anxiety are Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD), and sometimes your child’s behaviors and complaints may look like ADHD or an LD but the truth is, it’s anxiety.

Often times, an anxious child is preoccupied with thoughts and appears to be distracted in class. Your child may be losing chunks of class instruction, which is often seen as being due to an attention disorder like ADHD. And, when your child is losing instruction, she may not be able to complete schoolwork. This is often mistaken for a learning disability.

The flip side is that your child may have ADHD or LD and is anxious about his weaknesses, thereby there is comorbid anxiety.

School Supports

So, now that you know what it is, how can you help your child at school?

There are three types of plans that your child may qualify for with anxiety an Intervention and Referral Service Plan (I&RS Plan), a 504 Accommodation Plan, or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

An I&RS Plan is created by your Guidance Counselor, Teacher, and your Principal who will sit down with you and review your child’s needs within the classroom. Within this plan, accommodations can be provided without a diagnosis. However, it is a short-term plan that will be reviewed again within 4-8 weeks. The goal is to get the ‘situation’ under control and to eliminate the plan.

If your child is suffering from a peak in anxiety due to a new stressor, such as a move, death in the family, divorce, parent illness, or change in a parent’s work status, this is a good plan to have.

A 504 Accommodation Plan is another type of plan that requires a diagnosis. So you will need a formal document indicating that your child is suffering from anxiety and the specific anxiety disorder by name. This plan will also give your child accommodations in the classroom. The plan provides annual reviews. Through this plan, your child can also be provided with statewide testing accommodations, such as small group administration, providing extended time, having directions read to your child, etc).

An IEP is offered to your child when there is a need for an academic program because your child’s anxiety is interfering with his ability to access the curriculum. Your child would potentially be eligible under the category of Emotionally Disabled (ED), or Other Health Impaired (OHI).

Your child’s academic program would provide supports to help complete assignments and participate in class due to anxiety or a possible comorbid learning disability. For example, your child may need to have a special education teacher or a paraprofessional to help your child to make sense of assignments that are perceived as frightening and to break them down. Your child may need to have a quiet place within the school building where she can go when she feels overwhelmed and needs to decompress.

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Your child may also need a related service, such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy or Counseling (by the School Social Worker or School Psychologist).  These services are not available through the other two plans.

As a parent, we are always trying to figure out how to help our child function at their best. Sometimes, it just takes us a little time to figure out what is happening or going on. Be patient and forgiving with yourself. These are our babies and we are not objective about them. We are emotional. If you are seeing some of these behaviors and symptoms with your child, you may have found your “why” answer.

Dr. Liz Matheis is a clinical psychologist and school psychologist in Parsippany, NJ who provides assessment, psychotherapy, consulting, and advocacy for children and families managing autism spectrum disorders, ADHD and learning disabilities (www.psychconsult.weebly.com). She is also a contributor to several popular press magazines

MORE HELPFUL ARTICLES

• ‘Sit with Us’ App: I Know What It Is Like to Eat Alone
• LIFE SKILLS: The Importance of Asking Questions for Those with an ASD
• Crying in Therapy: Important to Understand Why
• Reducing Back to School Anxiety {Tip 17 of 31}
• Back to School Cool: Easing Anxiety Before the Bell Rings

This post originally appeared on our March/April 2015 Magazine