RAD, PTSD, Anxious, and Angry Students

What to DO:

For kids and adolescents:

•   Give them plenty of information.

•   Meet them where they are. 

•  Let them explore their fear safely. 

•  Understand the physical signs of fear.

•  Something soft and familiar makes the world feel lovelier. It just does.

•  Acknowledge any brave behavior. 

For explanations and descriptions of each, click here.

"Fear and Anxiety – An Age by Age Guide to Common Fears, The Reasons for Each and How to Manage Them." Hey Sigmund. Hey Sigmund, n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2016.

Some students might need to use these strategies:

1. Breathe

2. Drink water

3. Hug a loved one

4. Be mindful

5. Witness love

6. Reframe stress

7. Keep it real

8. Laugh

To read the accompanying information for each, please visit  8 One-Minute Anxiety Relief Tools for Kids Big and Small

Jain, Renee. "8 One-Minute Anxiety Relief Tools for Kids Big and Small." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Apr. 2015. Web. 07 Aug. 2016.

Anxiety in Children answers these:

What are the signs of anxiety in children?

What types of anxiety do children and teenagers experience?

When is anxiety a disorder that needs treating?

How serious can it be?

Where should I go for help?

How can an anxiety disorder be treated?

What can I do to help my child?

Why are some children affected and others not?

How common are anxiety disorders in children?

Where can I go for further information and support?

and more specifically:

...ways to ease anxiety in children

• Teach your child/student to recognize signs of anxiety in themselves and to ask for help when it strikes.
• Children of all ages find regular routines reassuring so, if your child/student is feeling anxious, try to stick to regular daily routines where possible.
• If your child/student is anxious because of distressing events, such as a bereavement or separation, see if you can find books or films that will help them understand their feelings.
• If you know a change, such as a house move is coming up, prepare your child/student by talking to them about what is going to happen and why.
• Try not to become anxious yourself or overprotective – rather than doing things for your child/student or helping them to avoid anxiety provoking situations, encourage your child/student to find ways to manage them.
• If possible, practice simple relaxation techniques with your child/student, such as taking three deep, slow breaths, breathing in for a count of three and out for three. You’ll find more relaxation techniques for children on the Moodcafe website.
• Distraction can be helpful for young children. For example, if they are anxious about going to nursery, play games on the way there, such as seeing who can spot the most red cars. “This is a way of focusing attention away from internal anxiety cues and worries to external, more neutral anxiety-reducing things,” says Professor Stallard.
• Turn an old tissue box into a ‘worry’ box. Get your child/students to write down or draw their worries and post them into the box. Then you can sort through the box together at the end of the day or week.

•  Monsters, witches, ghosts, shadows on the wall at night.

Here’s why: Though their thinking is more concrete, children at this age will still have a very vivid imagination. 

•  Being at home alone.

Here’s why: They’re still learning to trust the world and their capacity to cope with small periods of time on their own, without you. Staying at home alone might be exciting, scary or both – then there’s that imagination of theirs that might still ambush them at times. 

•  Something happening to themselves or the people (or pets) they care about.

Here’s why: They start to understand that death affects everyone at some point and that it’s permanent. They might start to worry about something happening to themselves or the people (or pets) they care about.

•  Being rejected, not liked, or judged badly by their peers (buckle up – this one might stay a while).

Here’s why: This can show up at any age but it might ramp up or towards the end of these years. This is because they will start to have an increased dependence on their friendships as they gear up for adolescence. 

(There is also a long list of WHAT TO DO! Check it out.)

"Fear and Anxiety – An Age by Age Guide to Common Fears, The Reasons for Each and How to Manage Them." Hey Sigmund. Hey Sigmund, n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2016.