Anxiety can present a significant challenge in the classroom. It can take many different forms depending on its source. Determining why a child is suffering from anxiety is the first step in making sufficient accommodations. Coping skills and other anxiety treatments may present a different set of obstacles in the classroom however, adapting the learning environment to meet the needs of the anxious child contributes to their overall academic success.
Anxiety plays an important role in childhood development, these feelings of fear and apprehension caution children from attempting new or dangerous activities and situations that they may not be unable to successfully navigate (Worrywisekids.org). However, up to 24% of children experience anxiety that interferes with their daily activities (Headley & Campbell, 2013). There are several types of anxieties found in school-age children today, such as: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, and Social Phobia. Students suffering from GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) can worry about anything and everything. They constantly question “What if?” when going through basic day to day tasks, so much so that it can cause the student to become distracted from their school work (Worrywisekids.org). OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is similar to GAD because both include intrusive thoughts, but OCD includes repetitive behaviors such as: excessively washing hands, having to count pencils in their pencil box before starting any work, and tapping their writing utensil a certain amount of times before they begin using it. These rituals and compulsions can easily affect a student’s ability in school due to the fact that it is difficult for them focus b...
... middle of paper ...
...tive intervention for anxious preschoolers and their parents: Strengthening early emotional development. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 43(4), 544-59. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0283-4
Headley, C., & Campbell, M. A. (2013). Teachers’ knowledge of anxiety and identification of excessive anxiety in children. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(5). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2013v38n5.2 Storch, E. A., Arnold, E. B., Jones, A. M., Ale, C. M., Wood, J. J., Ehrenreich-may, J., Murphy, T. K. (2012). The role of co-occurring disruptive behavior in the clinical presentation of children and adolescents with anxiety in the context of autism spectrum disorders. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 43(5), 734-46. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0294-1
Worrywisekids.org (2013). The Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety.
A child with learning disabilities can easily develop anxiety at any time throughout the day. Lavoie demonstrates ways anxiety can build in the classroom when teachers use sarcasm, give rapid instructions, demand answers quickly, and act intimidating. Lavoie mentions that children with disabilities do not understand sarcasm and it stays with the child all day, yet adults will forget what they said within minutes (Rosen, Lavoie, Eagle Hill School Outreach, Peter Rosen
Everyday we experience anxiety. Normally, it’s the feeling you get right before a test, recital, or an interview, but sometimes and for some people it can be a whole lot worse. It can even result in terrible panic attacks that affect the way they live. Anxiety is defined as a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, worrying,, and fear. Severe anxiety is the most common mental illness and affects 40 million people in the U.S. That’s about 18% of our population. We all get mild anxiety from time to time, but there are more severe cases, types, and forms to this illness. I will tell you about the type of anxiety that could be harmful to your everyday life. Today I will tell you about the types of anxiety, the different treatment options you have, and how these disorders could affect your everyday life.
According to Sharp (2012), “anxiety disorders are the most widespread causes of distress among individuals seeking treatment from mental health services in the United States” (p359).
In recent years, it has become a well noted fact that the education system has become in many ways tougher, for better or for worse. Nevertheless, for anyone susceptible to an anxiety disorder, school often aggravates their symptoms. Today over 10 per-cent of European and American citizens suffer from an anxiety disorder, and it is an even greater number among young people (Points of View: FEAR NOT). As English-speaking countries move forward through time, testing becomes more stressful and more competitive, it should be expected that anxiety will increase. As well, according to Psychology Today the “[a]verage high school student [in the United States] has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s” (Psychology Today: How Big a Problem is Anxiety Today). This is logical considering that a similar study done in 2010 concluded that high school and college students were more than five times as likely to develop either depression or an anxiety disorder than a student fifty years ago (Psychology Today: The Decline of Play and the Rise of Children's Mental Disorders?). This excessive rise exemplifies the amount of stress students have. As the years pass, it is becoming increasingly evident that anxiety disorder is prevalent among a majority...
Anxiety is one of the most fundamental emotions shared by all species of animals. When confronted with danger, the fight or flight response of the sympathetic nervous system is triggered so that we are prepared to react and protect ourselves. Without anxiety and its physiological manifestations, such as hypersensitivity to environment and enhanced blood supply to leg muscles, the likelihood of harm or disaster in threatening situations would undoubtedly dramatically increase. A moderate amount of anxiety also has the result of prompting individuals to prepare for certain events, such as exams and presentations, that clearly benefit from this action.
..., Tager- Flusberg, H.,& Lainhart, J. E. (2006). Comorbid psychiatric disorders in children with autism: Interview development and rates of disorders. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 36(7), 849-861.
March, J. S., (1997). Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children: Technical manual. North Tonawanda, NY: Multi Health Systems, Inc.
Anxiety is characterized as misery or uneasiness of the mind that is caused by the dread of threat or adversity. The vast majority with a nervousness issue will attempt to evade presentation to whatever triggers their uneasiness. Cases of
...ife and we all thrive under a certain amount of stress. Deadlines, competitions, examinations, confrontations and even our frustrations and sorrows add depth and enrichment to our lives. Our goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it and how to use it to help us. Feelings of stress and anxiety are inevitably going to develop in students. Teachers should be able to identify symptoms and sources of stress and anxiety in students. They should be aware of various strategies that can be applied to minimize the detrimental effects of stress and anxiety. Their focus should be on the development of coping mechanisms in students so that they are able to channelize their stresses and anxieties productively. Every teacher is required to find the optimal level of stress for each student which will motivate but not overwhelm individual for maximal benefit.
Anxiety is common mental illness in the US, which Kim Krisberg talks about in her article “Anxiety: A Normal Response That Can Feel Overwhelming. The cause of anxiety is brought up in Peter Crostas’ article “What Causes Anxiety?” Crosta also explains the treatments for anxiety in his article, “What Are Treatments For Anxiety?”
Anxiety is a normal reaction to a threatening situation and results from an increase in the amount of adrenaline from the sympathetic nervous system. This increased adrenaline speeds the heart and respiration rate, raises blood pressure, and diverts blood flow to the muscles. These physical reactions are appropriate for escaping from danger but when they cause anxiety in many situations throughout the day, they may be detrimental to a normal lifestyle. An anxiety disorder is a disorder where feelings of fear, apprehension, or anxiety are disruptive or cause distortions in behavior, (Coon, 526); they are psychiatric illnesses that are not useful for normal functioning. At times, an underlying illness or disease can cause persistent anxiety. Treatment of the illness or disease will stop the anxiety. Anxiety illnesses affect more than 23 million Americans with about 10 million Americans suffering from the most common, general anxiety disorder . (Harvard, 1). Common anxiety disorders are panic attacks (panic disorder), phobias, and general anxiety disorder (GAD). Panic attacks Panic attacks can begin with a feeling of intense terror followed by physical symptoms of anxiety. A panic attack is characterized by unpredictable attacks of severe anxiety with symptoms not related to any particular situation. (Hale, 1886). The person experiencing the attack may not be aware of the cause. Symptoms include four or more of the following: pounding heart, difficulty breathing, dizziness, chest pain, shaking, sweating, choking, nausea, depersonalization, numbness, fear of dying, flushes, fear of going crazy. Heredity, metabolic factors, hyperventilation, and psychological factors may contribute to anxiety causing panic attacks.
Anxiety is part of life; everyone feels it to one degree or another during their lives. However, when that feeling of anxiety starts to take over your life, or is persistent beyond a certain time in our lives (e.g. a speech in class) then a person may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are characterized by extreme distress, persistent anxiety, or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety.
Perwin, A.R., & Bernstein G.A. (2004). Anxiety Disorders. Children and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 4(2), 305-322.
...occupying their minds with irrelevant things that do not pertain to the task at hand (Vassilaki, 2006). Thus, their energy is wasted when it could be used for task elaboration or to help improve their overall academic performance. Students with academic anxiety are self engrossed and lead to their own academic demise. Test anxiety does not only affect a students performance on a test, but Huberty (2009) asserts that test anxiety overtime tends to contribute to more common underachievement. He describes the consequences of constant test anxiety including lowered self-esteem, reduced effort, and loss of desire to complete school tasks. Students who have academic anxiety also have a higher risk of developing depression, and often feel deprived of confidence (Cunningham, 2008). Thus, academic anxiety can become extreme, and have negative effects of students’ well being.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations that helps in the coping process for individuals. On some occasions, anxiety may become so severe that it impairs the ability to cope and can create psychosocial impairment. High levels of anxiety that interfere with daily activities and social interaction are considered a psychiatric disorder. Anxiety disorders are treatable and can have profound effects on the psychosocial aspect of the individuals life.