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Created by: Abigail Dunn
Updated: 2021

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

Kids can learn to deal with frustrating situations using the "breathe, think, do" method. They'll learn to take long, deep belly breaths to calm down, think of a few strategies to handle the problem, and then do those things. They'll develop resilience as they overcome frustrations and challenges on their own. Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame is a valuable tool for teaching kids how to handle frustrating situations (and a great reminder for adults, too).

Clear verbal instructions tell kids what and when to tap. Preschoolers who can follow simple instructions will have no problem.

Links to other free apps are included in the parent section.

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What's it about?

Sesame Street's newest human resident, Mando (introduced in the fall of 2013), narrates while kids and a blue monster tackle everyday frustrations -- such as struggling to tie shoes, dealing with separation anxiety, taking turns, and going to bed -- and learn how to deal with them. Kids have to work through one of the five problems before unlocking the next. Animated video clips show the blue monster's problem, and then kids tap his belly to help him breathe deeply and calm down. When the monster is calm, kids tap thought bubbles, which produce three possible strategies. Kids get to choose which strategy the monster will try, and then they see him attempt it in another animated video clip. The technique of breathing, thinking, and doing is reinforced throughout.

Is it any good?

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App details

Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android

Subjects: Language & Reading: following directions

Skills: Emotional Development: developing resilience, handling stress, moving beyond obstacles
Responsibility & Ethics: making wise decisions
Health & Fitness: fine motor skills, mental health

Price: Free

Pricing structure: Free

Category: Education

Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires

Size: 471.60 MB

Publisher: Sesame Street

Version: 1.5.6

Minimum software requirements: iOS 6.0 or later; Android 2.3 and up

Last updated: June 23, 2019

Our editors recommend

Fantastic app teaches emotions, coping strategies for kids.

Super-simple emotion-regulation tool offers too little.

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Themes & Topics

Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires

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Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame - App Review

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Skip to Content The parents' guide to what's in this app. Kids can learn to deal with frustrating situations using the "breathe, think, do" method. They'll learn to take long, deep belly breaths to calm down, think of a few strategies to handle the problem, and then do those things.

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Children can be picky eaters. It's a concern many parents face. Some children won't eat foods that are green; some avoid foods with certain textures. Preschoolers are notoriously picky eaters, often limiting the foods they eat to just a couple of favorite items.

For many children, picky eating is a behavior they will eventually grow out of. But for others, food preferences and limitations may persist - and even start to affect their health. As parents, understanding the difference between picky eating and something more serious is important to help address food and health challenges.

What is Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)?

Children with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) are not just picky eaters. ARFID is an eating disorder in which a child limits the amount or types of food consumed. Children with ARFID do not consume enough calories, which can lead to growth and development issues. Unlike eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, children with ARFID don't have a distorted body image; they experience anxiety related to the food itself.

What causes ARFID?

ARFID often begins in early childhood and can have different causes. Jasmine Ghannadpour, Ph.D., Psychologist in the Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders at Children's Health℠ and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, explains that ARFID often has one of four different causes, though in some children these causes can overlap.

1. Lack of interest in food. "Children with general food aversion may have never been interested in eating from birth," says Dr. Ghannadpour. "They may get full quickly and usually have growth issues because they eat so little food."

2. Sensory food aversions. Some children may experience ARFID because of a sensory food aversion. These children eat normal quantities of food but may only eat foods of a certain texture or taste. Dr. Ghannadpour says many of these children are supertasters who may taste flavors in foods that others don't detect. Depending on the variety of food these children eat, they may also have growth issues.

3. Trauma. ARFID can also be caused by trauma. For instance, if a child chokes on food or watches someone else choke on food, they may become afraid to eat. Sometimes children who experienced or witnessed this may refuse to eat almost anything.

4. Stomach or GI conditions. Children with gastrointestinal conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, constipation or other conditions may start to avoid food because it makes them feel ill. Even children who have experienced excessive vomiting due to an illness or cancer treatment can develop ARFID.

What are symptoms of ARFID in children?

A child with food avoidance behaviors such as ARFID exhibits both physical and emotional signs. ARFID symptoms may include:

Anxiety around food in social situations

Changes in eating habits

Growth problems

Less energy than normal

Weight loss

"The behavior a parent is looking for is avoidance," says Dr. Ghannadpour. "These kids may take longer and longer to eat the meal. They may try to negotiate with parents and say things don't taste right or ask for something in particular."

It's also important to note that it's not just small kids who can have ARFID. Children of all sizes may have the condition.

"Sometimes kids who are normal weight or overweight get overlooked because providers aren't worried about growth," says Dr. Ghannadpour. "But eating a limited variety may still cause children to be vitamin deficient."

Dr. Ghannadpour says most parents know when it is more than just picky eating. Parents may spend too much time getting specific brands or types of foods, preparing foods a certain way or packing food to take with them anywhere the child goes. Parents may also have to prepare multiple dinners when feeding their family just to make sure their child eats.

How is ARFID treated?

ARFID is a complex condition that requires comprehensive treatment. If your child shows signs of ARFID, he or she needs a thorough assessment including a physical and psychological history. Your child may also need an evaluation by an occupational therapist for sensory issues or a gastroenterologist for digestive health issues.

If your child is diagnosed, he or she can begin treatment to help increase the variety and volume of foods eaten and decrease anxiety around food. ARFID treatment may include:

Inpatient or partial hospitalization

Outpatient individual and family therapy

Music, art or recreational therapy

Parents skills group

During treatment, a child is gradually exposed to new or "challenge" foods. Coping skills are taught and motivators are used to help kids develop healthy eating behaviors.

As a parent, you also learn strategies to help your child continue their progress toward more normalized eating. Many parents feel more confident in their parenting skills after going through treatment with their child.

"We have a variety of levels of care at Children's Health, including a unique, ARFID specific program," says Dr. Ghannadpour. "We support parents in making lasting changes in mealtime avoidance behaviors at home, and we constantly evaluate progress to ensure kids get better."

Learn more

The Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders at Children's Health offers an evidence-based, family-centered program specifically for children and teens who have been diagnosed with ARFID. Learn more about our eating disorders services and programs.

Sign Up

Stay current on the health insights that makes a difference to your children. Sign up for the Children's Health newsletter and have more tips sent directly to your inbox.

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Picky eater or eating disorder? - Children's Health

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Children can be picky eaters. It's a concern many parents face. Some children won't eat foods that are green; some avoid foods with certain textures. Preschoolers are notoriously picky eaters, often limiting the foods they eat to just a couple of favorite items. For many children, picky eating is a behavior they will eventually grow out of.

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Not all students who have disabilities require specialized instruction. For students with disabilities who do require specialized instruction in the United States, the IDEA controls the procedural requirements and an IEP is developed. "Special education" under IDEA means the child has been identified as having unique educational needs related to his/her disability and is entitled to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to meet these needs.

The IDEA process is more involved than that of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The IDEA requires that measurable growth and progress towards written goals and objectives be documented.

For students with disabilities who do not require specialized instruction but need the assurance that they will receive equal access to public education and services, a document is created to outline their specific accessibility requirements. Section 504 is a federal civil rights law. The purpose of Section 504 is to protect persons with disabilities against discrimination for reasons related to their disabilities.

While students with a 504 plan do not require specialized instruction, and specific goals and objectives are not necessarily outlines nor is data tracked, the plan should be reviewed annually to ensure that the student is receiving the most effective accommodations for his/her specific circumstances.

Unlike IDEA, Section 504 does not guarantee that a child with a disability will receive an individualized educational program that is designed to meet the child's individual educational needs. Rather, it guarantees that accommodations will be made relative to their specific medical needs.

Eligibility for protections under Section 504 depends on the child in question having a physical or mental impairment which must substantially limit at least one major life activity. Major life activities include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, writing, performing math calculations, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks. Section 504 requires an evaluation that draws information from a variety of sources.

A child who receives Section 504 protections has fewer rights than the child who receives special education services under the IDEA. The child who receives special education services under the IDEA is automatically protected under Section 504.

Section 504 is designed to guarantee that children with disabilities will not be discriminated against. It is also important to understand that if your child does not qualify for special education services under IDEA, your child does not have the procedural protections that are available under the IDEA.

Under Section 504, the child with a disability may receive accommodations and modifications that are not available to children who are not disabled. These accommodations and modifications are also available under IDEA. For example; accommodations could include, but not be limited to, such things as:

Tests taken in a separate location with time limits waived or extended.

The use of a word processor due to fine motor, visual motor deficits.

Shortened assignments.

Standardized tests answers written directly in the test booklet and transferred onto answer sheet by teacher or assistant.

Class notes provided rather than having the student copy from the chalkboard or overhead.

Allowing the child to leave the classroom 2 to 3 minutes early to avoid crowded hallways.

Preferential seating in the classroom.

Provision of a daily assignment sheet to be filled out by the student and verified by the teacher for accuracy. The parent could then check to make sure that all the work is accomplished. This would assist with homework prioritizing and management.

Please note: These are simply examples. All or none of these may be suitable for your child.

Students with bipolar disorder may or may not have a need for specialized instruction provided within an IEP. For some students, simply being granted accommodations that make allowance for the side effects of medications, related anxiety issues, or results of mood changes is sufficient.

Students with bipolar disorder who are well-controlled on medication may or may not be plagued by racing thoughts, distracting thoughts, an inability to concentrate, decreased energy; all of which will require modifications in the teaching environment or instructional strategies.

For other students, the side effects of medications may be significant enough to require changes in instruction provided or curriculum modifications. Some of the common side effects of medications include: tremors (trembling of hands), blurred vision, loss of coordination, slurred speech, sedation, ataxia (unsteady movement), dizziness, seizures. Some students with bipolar disorder may also have one of a number of other disabilities that impacts their access to the general education curriculum; such as vision or hearing impairment, learning disability, processing problems, or other disability. The co-morbidity rates of ADHD, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder and learning disabilities in students with bipolar disorder tell us that we should explore all avenues available to meet the educational needs of our children.

The following accommodations are meant to serve as a resource for parents unsure of what possibilities exist:

Students on some medications may need:

increased access to water, unlimited access to restrooms (particularly students taking Lithium)

decreased reading assignments or having books on tape or computer screen-reading due to blurred vision

modified school arrival, shortened day, scheduling of core content during the student's most alert time, reducing homework and extending deadlines, providing notes, allowing longer or more frequent breaks, allowing exercise or other movement due to sleep impairment or to sedation of medications

provision of notes and listening guides, work monitoring, extended time on assignments, extra set of books for home use, breaking assignments into more manageable pieces, use of checklists, providing written instructions and/or other visual cues, use of word banks on fill-in types of tests and other modifications that aid retrieval/memory, testing in a separate room, or extended test time, use of multiple choice formats, use of oral exams rather than written demands, use of noise-canceling headsets, - all for impaired concentration, memory

reducing or discontinuing homework may be necessary for some students due to difficulties with concentration, sleep patterns, mood irritability. For these students it may be necessary to schedule a resource room period at the beginning of the day to get assignments ready for the day, or at the end of the day to complete assignments before leaving school

preferential seating can be used to help with vision, focus, reduce visual or auditory distraction, allow for discrete monitoring

and while a 504 plan will simply list the type of accommodation needed and the reasons for it/them, an IEP must contain objectives that are written with specific criteria; such as -Given a grade level reading assignment of 1 chapter with 4 comprehension questions, (name) will answer the questions with 60/70/80% accuracy. Or given an assignment containing 5 long division problems, (name) will complete 3/4/5 problems at 80% accuracy.

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Accommodations for Students with Bipolar Disorder and Related Disabilities - International Bipolar Foundation

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Error! You must specify a value for the Video ID, Width, Height and Anchor parameters to use this shortcode! Not all students who have disabilities require specialized instruction. For students with disabilities who do require specialized instruction in the United States, the IDEA controls the procedural requirements and an IEP is developed.

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Each child is an individual with different social, emotional, and academic strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, their educational needs may vary from one season or school year to the next.

In the first section of our chapter, "School: A Child's World Beyond Home" we cover the legal evolution of the Individual with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA 2004) and advise a parent how to initiate an Individual Education Plan (IEP), prepare for the IEP meeting (including rehearsal strategies), and locate educational consultants and attorneys.

But the more we talked to people in preparation for this chapter, the more we came to understand that both parents and educators were confused about the construction of an IEP for a student struggling with a bipolar disorder. A model IEP-one that specifically addresses the seasonal variations in mood, energy, attention, motivation, and behavior, as well as one that addresses the frequently co-occurring executive function deficits, needed to be developed.

Therefore, we asked special education advocate, Anne Marie Smith, M. Ed., from Agawam, Massachusetts, to construct an IEP that might provide guidelines for educating a middle school student throughout the school year.

With the hope that the following information is helpful to parents and educators alike, we excerpt the following from The Bipolar Child (pages 305-311.) Also see pages 295-303 in the book for a highly focused and very comprehensive list of accommodations, modifications, and special services that can be incorporated into an IEP.
From The Bipolar Child by Demitri Papolos, M.D. and Janice Papolos (Broadway Books, 2006). All rights reserved.

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Bipolar Children Individual Education Plan (IEP) Model

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Each child is an individual with different social, emotional, and academic strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, their educational needs may vary from one season or school year to the next.

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Bipolar disorder | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

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Discover the symptoms, causes, diagnosis advice, treatment options and related conditions of Bipolar disorder.

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Finding the motivation to make positive lifestyle changes can be hard for anyone. For teenagers, it can be especially difficult when parents are the ones telling them to do it. But if they've fallen into unhealthy habits like vaping or alcohol abuse, change can be beneficial. Motivational interviewing is a form of therapy that creates a safe, non-judgmental environment for teens to establish their own goals and values and see how changing unhealthy behaviors can benefit them in the long run.

This series of articles comes from the Child Mind Institute, with most available in English and Spanish. Why might teens be resistant to therapy and how can parents and others to help them get the treatment they need? The articles explain how motivational interviewing can help teens gain the self-confidence to make important behavioral changes. To read more about motivational interviewing, and to connect with the articles in both English and Spanish, please visit CPIR's abstract.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources | Your Central Hub for Parent Centers Serving Families of Children With Disabilities

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Finding the motivation to make positive lifestyle changes can be hard for anyone. For teenagers, it can be especially difficult when parents are the ones telling them to do it. But if they've fallen into unhealthy habits like vaping or alcohol abuse, change can be beneficial.

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While obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is an actual mental health condition, the term has been co-opted by the public to describe times when someone is having an anal-retentive moment. But mental health experts say that OCD is so much more than that.

"As we've gained awareness and acceptance of mental health conditions, it seems their labels have found their way into popular vocabulary," psychologist Alicia H. Clark, author of Hack Your Anxiety, tells Yahoo Life. "OCD, like panic and anxiety, has gained traction to reference everything from tidiness to a controlling attitude to wanting to do something a lot."

Samantha Farris, assistant professor in the department of psychology and director of The Rutgers Emotion, Health and Behavior (REHAB) Laboratory at Rutgers University, agrees. "There are a lot of misperceptions about obsessive compulsive disorder," Farris tells Yahoo Life. "It's not the same as just having a preference for things being a certain way."

Hillary Ammon, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Penn Medicine, tells Yahoo Life that this likely stems from how Hollywood has portrayed OCD. "While some movies and TV shows have done a better job than others at accurately reflecting symptoms of OCD, the characters typically only present with OCD symptoms like a need for order or cleanliness," Ammon says. "As a result, it seems the general public primarily think of these traits as symptoms of OCD."

Here's what you need to know about what OCD means - and what it doesn't.

What does OCD mean?

OCD is a chronic mental health disorder that causes a person to have uncontrollable, repeated obsessions and/or behaviors known as compulsions, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). A person with OCD feels the urge to repeat these compulsions over and over.

While cleanliness and order is often associated with OCD, there are actually different forms of the condition that can lead to a range of symptoms. People with OCD, which is typically diagnosed by around age 19, may have symptoms of obsessions - meaning, repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety - or compulsions, or both, the NIMH explains.

OCD obsessions can include a fear of germs or contamination, aggressive thoughts toward yourself or others, needing things to be in a perfect order, or dealing with taboo intrusive thoughts involving sex, religion or harm, the NIMH says. Compulsions can include needing to do excessive cleaning or hand washing, ordering things a certain way, repeatedly checking on things and compulsive counting.

"With OCD, the thoughts are associated with needing to do something," Farris says. "It's really distressing because folks feel like they're compelled. They have to act in order to address the distress that they're having."

OCD also "costs a great deal of time and energy, gets in the way of someone's life and generally is something dreaded by its sufferer," Clark says. "No one wakes up wanting to burn their hands washing them, or engage the time-consuming rituals they do to leave their apartment. Instead, they feel trapped by their symptoms, and deeply afraid of doing anything different."

Obsessive thoughts also tend to be "highly negative and catastrophic," such as worrying that people will die or horrible things will happen, if compulsions don't take place, Clark says.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted people with OCD?

Experts say it's been a mixed bag. "The isolation of the pandemic has allowed more OCD sufferers to avoid social and public situations that can be stressful," Clark says. "Especially people with hygiene and germ phobias, the pandemic has normalized many of their cleaning and social distancing rituals. Many have commented feeling more normal having many of their rituals normalized."

But the increase in stress and uncertainty that comes with living through a global pandemic has also increased anxiety in some people and made taking control more challenging, Clark says. "This has been more true for the OCD personalities that rely on planning, control and order to manage anxiety," she explains. "Uncertainty hasn't been kind to these more controlling coping strategies, where flexibility and contingency planning has been required."

Clark adds: "Like for everyone, the pandemic has created stress and a demand to broaden coping skills in general."

Ammon says she's seen "varying impacts" on people with OCD. Some feel that treatment has actually helped prepare them for the pandemic. "Many people shared that, for the first time, it felt like collectively a lot of other people in the world could relate to their experience with OCD in that there was so much uncertainty in the world related to the pandemic and people were figuring out ways to manage their anxiety and gain a sense of control and security," Ammon says.

She continues: "Furthermore, they shared that they felt better equipped to cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic, as compared to their counterparts who did not have OCD...because they learned to tolerate uncertainty through treatment."

How is OCD treated?

OCD is usually treated with medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both, Farris says. Medications include taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to help reduce symptoms. In some cases, doctors may recommend anti-psychotic medications, NIMH says.

Psychotherapy usually includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and a specific form of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP). With Exposure and Response Prevention, patients will spend time in situations that trigger their compulsions but they're prevented from immediately acting upon them. So, if someone has an hand washing compulsion, they may be asked to touch an object with dirt on it and encouraged to wait to wash their hands.

Ammon stresses that it's possible to live a normal, healthy life with OCD. "Individuals who complete EX/RP for their OCD not only approach their fears and manage their presenting symptoms of OCD, but also often learn to tolerate uncertainty better," she says. Clark agrees, noting there are "incredibly effective treatments available, and many practitioners who are trained in them and able to help."

Clark adds: "OCD does not have to keep ruling your life, and you do not have to suffer alone."
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What OCD is - and what it isn't: 'There are a lot of misperceptions'

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While obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is an actual mental health condition, the term has been co-opted by the public to describe times when someone is having an anal-retentive moment. But mental health experts say that OCD is so much more than that.

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Episode 7 Diagnosed: reality and reactions

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Listen to this episode from this is bipolar on Spotify. Join mental health advocates Shaley Hoogendoorn and Julie Kraft as they give a raw and real look at what it's like to accept that they are living with Bipolar 2 Disorder. They share their own personal struggles to tell family, friends and eventually the world!

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Soothing music for anxiety and stress relief (deep relaxing)

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Listen to this episode from Comfort Sounds on Spotify. Come home and ease your mind, relax to one of our favorite sound to date --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/comfortsounds/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/comfortsounds/support

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Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry. These are called obsessions. To alleviate the anxiety caused by their obsessive thoughts, they perform repetitive, ritualized actions called compulsions. A child with OCD might need to line things up, touch things in a certain order when leaving the room or wash his hands repeatedly.

Obsessions Common in Kids With OCD

Contamination: Kids with this obsession are sometimes called "germaphobes." In schools, this plays out with kids worrying about other kids sneezing and coughing, touching things that might be dirty or getting sick in many different ways. This is the most common obsession seen in children.

Magical thinking: This is a kind of superstition, like "step on a crack, break your mother's back," taken to extremes. For example, kids might worry that their thoughts can cause someone to get hurt, or get sick. A child might think, "Unless my things are lined up in a certain way, mom will get in a car accident."

Catastrophizing: Some kids easily jump to the conclusion that something terrible has happened. For example, if her parents are five minutes late picking her up, a girl who is catastrophizing might tell herself that they've decided to abandon her.

Scrupulosity: This is when kids have obsessive worries about offending God or being blasphemous in some way.

What ifs: Kids may be plagued by a lot of different kinds of thoughts about bad things they could do. "What if I hurt someone? What if I stab someone? What if I kill someone?"

The "just right feeling": When OCD first develops, from about 6 to 9 years of age, kids may not know why they are doing something, but just that they need to do it until they get what we call the "just right feeling." So: "I'll line these things up until it just kind of feels right, and then I'll stop." And then over time - in the 9- to 12-year-old range - it evolves into magical thinking and becomes more superstitious in nature.

Behaviors You Might See in Students With OCD

Frequent requests to go to the bathroom: This could be to wash hands, if someone near the child was coughing or sneezing, or if she touched something that she perceives as contaminated. She could be washing items-pens, pencils, backpacks, books. It could also be an excuse to get out the classroom and just be away from everyone, and have some respite.

Constant reassurance-seeking: This takes the form of repetitive questions. "Are you sure that's the answer? Could you tell me again? Did you hear what I said?" Checking doors, windows, lockers, desks. Over and over and over again.

Getting stuck on tasks: Sometimes kids with OCD will need to finish something to completion, or understand it to completion, before they're able to move on. So if a child is working out what he did wrong on a math test, and the teacher says, "Now let's open the textbook and start a new chapter," he's not going to be able to shift gears.

Retracing: If a child leaves the classroom and worries that she left a pencil behind, she'll go back into the classroom and go to her desk and check. If she had a bad thought as she went through the doorway, she might have to "fix it" by going back through the doorway again saying a good word. If she had a bad thought when she went down a flight of stairs on the way to class, she might need to go back up that same stairway at the end of the period, even if it means being late to her next class.

Obsessive erasing: A child could be erasing a lot because the letters have to look perfect. Or he could have used a word that disturbs him. For example, if he has a fear of vomiting and he's written the word vomit, he might not be able to stand seeing that word, so he erases it. Kids start having erasers worn down to the metal. Teachers start to see holes in the paper. Words will be drawn over on the back of the page. A lot of different areas of writing become problematic.

Behaviors Often Confused With Another Disorder

Some behaviors associated with OCD are easy to confuse with ADHD, learning problems or being oppositional.

Distraction: If a child is busy thinking that if she doesn't turn the pen cap and count to four the right way then her mom is going to get sick, she's not going to be paying attention in class. And if her teacher calls on her to answer a question, her distraction might look like ADHD, but it isn't.

Slowness on exams, papers and tasks: Sometimes when kids take a long time, they're struggling with the perfectionism of needing to do things the right way. This could look like learning problems, or inattention, but it isn't.

Avoidance: Teachers might see a child who doesn't want to sit on the floor, or pick things up that touched the floor, or get his hands dirty in art class. He may avoid a lot of playground activities - kids with germ fears will view the playground the way some adults view the subway: it's gross. Why touch anything there?

Tapping and touching symmetrically: If a child sits down at her desk and she accidentally kicks the chair of the kid next to her with her right foot, she's going to have to then kick it with her left foot. That might look like somebody who's being oppositional, or somebody who's got too much energy, but actually it's OCD.

Complaints of anxiety and fatigue: There's one interesting theory that kids with OCD are smarter than other kids. And if you consider how much thinking they're doing, they're really using their brain more frequently than a lot of other kids are. But when that's coupled with a lot of anxiety, you can have a lot of fatigue. So it's common for kids with OCD to want to come home and take a nap after school.

How to Help Students With OCD

For children struggling with OCD, functioning in school can be complicated and very difficult. Here are some things you can do to help them, and the class as a whole, focus on learning:

Seating arrangement: If the school has noisy hallways, you might not want to have a child with OCD sit by the door. You might have her sit in the front, where she's less able to hear the noise and can stay more focused on her work. On the other hand, a child who has very observable symptoms, and doesn't want other kids to see her fidgeting with her hands, rocking or getting up a lot, might be better off closer to the door, toward the back of the room.

Extended time for tests and papers: If writing is a problem for a child who needs to find the perfect way to say something, he's going to need more time to finish those essay questions or papers.

Laptops for writing: If writing and rewriting/erasing is really problematic for a child, consider letting her use a laptop for taking notes, and having all assignments be typed instead of handwritten.

Private testing rooms: Research is quite clear that kids with OCD do better, are less overwhelmed and are more in control of their thoughts and their reactions if they're in a quiet place away from the other kids.

Skip reading out loud: Kids who feel they need to read perfectly may have to go back and reread sentences or whole paragraphs over and over to make sure they've got them right. So reading becomes a very laborious task, and reading in front of the class can become a nightmare. So if we know doing this is a problem for children, we can spare them.

Books on tape: If kids get so hung up reading that it takes forever, listening to the books can be a solution.

Break homework into chunks: If looking at a whole page of math makes kids feel overwhelmed and anxious - think of the potential for mistakes! - the problems can be broken up over four pages. It helps kids stay focused on doing the problems instead of worrying.

How to Minimize Behavioral Problems

Plan an escape route: Try working out a communication system so that if the student feels symptoms coming on, she can signal to you and leave the classroom, or go to a protected place in the classroom, without interrupting the class. It can prevent an embarrassing and disruptive blowup of symptoms in the classroom, and the other kids picking on or bullying her about it.

Be aware of triggering events: It's very important for teachers to know what kind of things might trigger the symptoms. Fatigue is a huge piece of OCD, and it can be exacerbated by medication. So it's important to know that if a child is drowsy in class, and maybe he's putting his head down, it's not because he's being oppositional or disrespectful, but because he's overwhelmed with fatigue.

Advance notice: Irritability and frustration are two of the longer-lasting things that kids with OCD are feeling on a daily basis. Changes in schedule can be very disruptive for a child with OCD, so it can be helpful for teachers to give advance notice of things. Kids who know what to expect are less likely to be thrown by the change.

Children with OCD are often teased and bullied because of their symptoms. Kids feel very uncomfortable about their rituals, knowing that they're being watched. It can be helpful to educate the whole class about what's going on, especially if a child is going to be in the same school for a number of years, and it can inspire a surprising amount of support from other children.

Peer understanding program: A peer understanding program includes a presentation in the classroom that explains (with the child participating) what OCD is. The child might say, "Listen, I have OCD. It's an anxiety disorder. It makes me think that my hands are dirty and I have to wash my hands a lot, so if you see me getting up and going to the sink to wash my hands, that's why." Psychologists can role-play with the teacher and child ahead of time, to anticipate questions his classmates might ask, and how to answer them.

A buddy system: A buddy is like a peer coach who sits next to the child and prompts him to keep up with note taking and staying on task. It can be great for the buddy, to foster a sense of confidence and pride and to be able to help someone in need, and great for fostering friendship.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares. Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares.

We believe that knowledge empowers families and communities to promote kids' mental health. That means supporting children when and where they need it most. Whether we are sharing evidence-based information in our Family Resource Center or training educators and mental health professionals, we bring life-changing care within reach.

Supporting kids at home

Family Resource Center

Whether you're looking for parenting advice or information about a mental health or learning challenge, our evidence-based resources can help.

Get Started

Looking for a specific concern or disorder? Browse by topic or search our guides.

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We believe that knowledge empowers families and communities to promote kids' mental health. Our resources support families when and where they need it most.

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At the upcoming GSB meeting, we'll vote on two items: Shall we continue to support EDA Groups using outside literature? and Shall we continue to support EDA groups that affiliate with other Twelve Step groups?

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Eating Disorders Anonymous - The only requirement for membership is a desire to recover from an eating disorder

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At the upcoming GSB meeting, we'll vote on two items: Shall we continue to support EDA Groups using outside literature? and Shall we continue to support EDA groups that affiliate with other Twelve Step groups?

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If you've got a worry on your mind, you're not alone. Most kids worry at times. Worrying is a way of thinking ahead about what might happen. It's like a question in your mind that asks: "What if this happens?" "What if that happens?"

For example, when you worry, you might ask yourself: "Will things go well?" "Will everything be OK?" "What if don't do well?"

If you're worried about a problem, you might ask yourself: "How can I handle this?" "What am I going to do about this problem?"

If you're worried about safety, you might think: "Is it safe to do this?" "Could I get hurt?"

When you face something new, like going to a new school, you might wonder: "Am I ready?" "What's it going to be like?" "Will I find good friends?" "Will kids include me?"

If you are worried about someone you care about, you might think: "Will they be OK?" "What can I do to help?"

Can you think of a time you felt worried about something? What did you worry about? What did you do? How did things turn out?

What Should I Do When I'm Worried?

If something is worrying you, it helps to tell a parent what's on your mind. They can listen and talk it through with you. You can feel their support. Together, you can figure out the best way to handle what you are worried about. This helps you feel more confident - and a lot less worried.

Here are some things you can do when you're worried:

Let a worry come and go. If a worry crosses your mind, it's OK. You don't have to push it away. You can just notice it. Find the words to describe it. For example, if you notice you're worried about going to a new school, you can say to yourself, "I'm worried about starting my new school. I don't know yet if it will be easy to make friends."

Know what a worry is. A worry is a way of thinking about what could go wrong. But it doesn't mean things will go that way. Remind yourself that there's a good chance things might turn out great.

Talk yourself through it. See if there's something helpful you can say to yourself. For example, you could tell yourself, "I made friends at my old school, and I'll make friends at my new school, too." Or, "It'll be fun to meet new kids." Remind yourself that good things can happen: "I might find a new best friend."

Sometimes, doing these three things is enough to help you feel more hopeful and less worried. You might be ready to let the worry go. You might be ready to focus on the good parts, and on what you can do to help things go well.

Sometimes you need a little more help to work out what you're worried about. Here are some things to try:

Share what's on your mind. When you're worried, it helps to talk with someone - like a parent. You might just need them to listen and be there for you. When you explain a worry out loud it can seem smaller and easier to handle. Talking it through can help you think of what to do.

Let a parent help you. If you're not yet sure how to handle things, or how to let the worry go, your parent can help you think it through. A parent can help you get ready for what's ahead.

For example, if it's a test or a tryout, they can help you study or practice. They can remind you to think, "I'll do the best I can." If it's making friends, they can role play with you. Together, you can try out friendly things to say and do. A parent can remind you that it's OK if you don't know exactly how things will turn out.

Notice the other feelings you have. When you feel worried, you have other feelings and thoughts, too. Even if part of you feels worried, another part of you might feel excited. You might think, "I can't wait to go to middle school!" Part of you might look forward to what's ahead. You might feel determined to do your best. "I'm going to try out for the team." You might feel interested, curious, and hopeful.

Don't focus only on the worry. Notice the good feelings you have along with your worry. Think of the good things that can happen, too.

Face what you're worried about. You might wish you could avoid things you worry about. But if you avoid things, you never give yourself the chance to see that you can handle them. It's better to get prepared, find support, gather your courage, and face the worries. You might be surprised by how well things go - and what you can handle. This is how you gain courage and confidence.

What If I Worry Too Much?

It's OK to worry at times. But some kids worry too much or too often. Too much worry is hard on kids, and it keeps them from enjoying things as much as they could. When kids worry too much, they need extra help to worry less.

Let a parent know if your worries:

take up a lot of your time, attention, and energy

cause you to feel upset, stressed, or scared

are on your mind every day

feel like a habit

feel like too much to handle

make you feel like you must do things to stay safe or keep bad things from happening

Even for big worries, there's help to worry less. The first step is to feeling better is to let an adult know. Sharing what you're going through - and getting the right help - can be a big relief!

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How Can I Worry Less? (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth

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Most kids worry at times. It’s is a way of thinking about what might happen. It helps people get ready for what’s ahead.

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What Teachers Should Know

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems of childhood and adolescence.

Anxiety disorders cause people to feel excessively frightened, distressed, or uneasy during situations in which most people would not feel that way. Left untreated, anxiety disorders can impair students' ability to work or study and may affect their personal relationships. In the most severe cases, anxiety disorders can make going to school incredibly difficult.

The most common anxiety-related disorders affecting kids and teens are:

Generalized anxiety disorder. With this common anxiety disorder, children worry excessively about many things, such as school, the health or safety of family members, or the future in general. These students also may have physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, or tiredness. Their worries might cause them to miss school or avoid social activities.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Children with OCD have excessive preoccupying thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive actions done to try to relieve their anxiety (compulsions).

Specific phobias. These are unrealistic and excessive fears, such as a fear of dogs or enclosed spaces. Phobias usually cause people to avoid the things they fear.

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). This anxiety is triggered by social situations or speaking in front of others. It is an intense fear of being judged in social situations or performance. A less common form, calledselective mutism, causes some students to be too fearful to talk at all in certain situations.

Panic disorder. A panic attack can happen for no apparent reason. With a panic attack, a person has sudden and intense physical symptoms that can include a pounding heart, shortness of breath, or dizziness caused by the body's normal fear response.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This results from a past traumatic event/experience.

Separation anxiety disorder: High level of distress when separated from a caregiver.

Students with an anxiety disorder may:

have trouble concentrating in class or completing classwork

feel self-conscious and avoid certain situations

have physical symptoms, such as a racing heart, fast breathing, tense muscles, sweaty palms, a queasy stomach, and trembling hands or legs

take medication to help reduce anxiety

miss class time due to problems coping at school, or needing to talk with a school counselor or therapist

What Teachers Can Do

Students with anxiety disorders may have difficulty completing their work. Teachers can help ease anxiety levels by:

talking with parents or guardians to learn about strategies that work at home

allowing students extra time to do work

checking that their assignments are written down correctly

giving them daily schedules

modifying assignments and reducing workloads when necessary

promoting relaxation techniques and allowing for breaks throughout day

encouraging school attendance, which may require shortened school days and modified class schedules

allowing them a safe space and ability to go speak with a counselor, if needed

easing anxiety in the classroom by pairing with a peer

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Anxiety Disorders Factsheet (for Schools)

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Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems of childhood and adolescence. Anxiety disorders cause people to feel excessively frightened, distressed, or uneasy during situations in which most people would not feel that way. Left untreated, anxiety disorders can impair students' ability to work or study and may affect their personal relationships.

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Resources for understanding anxiety in children and teenagers — the symptoms, the kinds of anxiety, and the best treatments for anxiety.

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Lynn Lyons: Helping Children and Families Manage Anxiety Disorders

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Books

The Anxiety Audit:
Seven Sneaky Ways Anxiety Takes Hold
And How to Escape Them

The Anxiety Audit is a guide for us all: with no overly scientific or diagnostic language-just real talk and time-tested tactics from a respected therapist-it is a relatable and practical guide to untangling yourself from the grips of worry and fear.

Using case studies, real-world examples, and helpful dialogues to retrain the way you think and react, trusted anxiety expert Lynn Lyons helps you recognize the sneaky ways these anxious patterns and cycles of worry take hold in your life. By making small and consistent adjustments, you can reverse their negative impacts and move forward with renewed clarity and confidence.

Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents:
7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and
Raise Courageous & Independent Children

In this groundbreaking book, anxiety disorder experts Reid Wilson & Lynn Lyons provide families with a jargon-free, step- by-step plan to solve the puzzle of anxious, avoidant kids.

Learn the difference between healthy worrying and debilitating anxiety and gain concrete skills to parent your child or teen. Action, not avoidance, is the key to success.

By following this powerful program, you will model and encourage optimism and allow your child to grow with independence and courage.
Order https://amzn.to/3TCN033Now "
Playing with Anxiety:
Casey's Guide for Teens and Kids

Anxiety has the power to stop kids in their tracks, preventing them from exploring and growing into independent teens and young adults.

Casey, the fourteen year old narrator of Playing with Anxiety, knows all too well how worry can interrupt fun, ruin school, and take control of a family.

In this companion book to Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons' parenting book, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children (HCI Books, 2013), Casey shares her own experiences and those of her friends to teach kids and teens the strategies to handle the normal worries of growing as well as the more powerful tricks of anxiety.

With pluck and humor, Casey tells stories, offers exercises, and describes her "solving the puzzle" approach that kids and their parents can use to address all types of worries and fears.

Using Hypnosis with Children:
Creating and Delivering Effective Interventions

From the initial interview to creating the best metaphors, Using Hypnosis with Children is a practical, step-by-step guide that shows health care providers (including therapists, nurses, pediatricians, dentists, and educators) how to create and deliver hypnotic interventions that are customized and effective into their pediatric clinical work, with utilization and flexibility as key components to an overall treatment approach.

Using case examples of language for all age groups, readers learn first how to identify the salient targets or themes, deliver a session that hits these targets with precision, and then connect the session to the child's everyday experience.

More broadly, readers learn to use hypnosis as a way to help create new neural pathways, teach self-regulation, introduce a more internal locus of control, and develop positive interpersonal experiences.

Chapters focus on the most common issues that children face, including anxiety, depression, medical procedures/pain, and sleep.

Courses

Read along with us! In this video course, you can dig deep with each of the seven anxiety patterns. There's more than 3 hours of recorded video content covering them all chapter by chapter. You'll have access to a live virtual Q&A (that will be recorded) on July 27, 2023 at 7:30PM EST that you can submit questions.

This video course welcomes you and your family into a session with me. I give you and your kids concrete things to do to interrupt worry patterns so that you can manage worry in a different way.

There are 6 video and 9 bonus Q&A videos in this course where I share the information I give to my own clients in my therapy practice.

As a bonus, I explain to children (ages six and older) what anxiety is doing in their bodies and brains.

Parents can learn the ways to transform a family's worry cycle.

Webinars
Active Strategies to Move Teens Forward A Six Hour Online Training
Both anxiety and depression are on the rise in teens, and anxiety is currently the top reason why a parent brings a child to a mental health professional. Because an untreated anxiety disorder is one of the top predictors of developing depression as an adolescent or young adult, the need for prevention and more effective treatment of anxiety has become a critical focus of those that work with children and teens in many settings.

This is an intermediate to advanced level training appropriate for all who work (and live) with teens: licensed mental health counselors, psychologists, social workers, school counselors, school nurses, educators, parents, caregivers, foster parents, and grandparents.
An Active Approach to Interrupt the Worry Cycle 12 Hour Online Training for Parents and Professionals
This webinar is again currently available

Videos

Helping Children With Anxiety: Lynn Lyons Talks to Kids
a 30 minute video for children
Anxiety in children is all too common and, when left untreated, is one of the strongest predictors of anxiety and depression later in life. Childhood fears and worries are normal, but excessive worrying and the cycle of behaviors that follow adversely influence a child's learning, social development, and family life. In this half hour video, I speak directly to children and their parents, helping them understand what worry does to their bodies and mind and then how to respond to worry in a different way.

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Books, videos, and webinars on managing anxiety disorders in kids and teens

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Books The Anxiety Audit: Seven Sneaky Ways Anxiety Takes HoldAnd How to Escape Them Join the Book Club Before July 27th!

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Children sometimes argue, are aggressive, or act angry or defiant around adults. A behavior disorder may be diagnosed when these disruptive behaviors are uncommon for the child's age at the time, persist over time, or are severe. Because disruptive behavior disorders involve acting out and showing unwanted behavior towards others they are sometimes called externalizing disorders.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

When children act out persistently so that it causes serious problems at home, in school, or with peers, they may be diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD usually starts before 8 years of age, but no later than by about 12 years of age. Children with ODD are more likely to act oppositional or defiant around people they know well, such as family members, a regular care provider, or a teacher. Children with ODD show these behaviors more often than other children their age.

Examples of ODD behaviors include

Often being angry or losing one's temper

Often arguing with adults or refusing to comply with adults' rules or requests

Often resentful or spiteful

Deliberately annoying others or becoming annoyed with others

Often blaming other people for one's own mistakes or misbehavior

Learn more about ODD
Conduct Disorder

Conduct Disorder (CD) is diagnosed when children show an ongoing pattern of aggression toward others, and serious violations of rules and social norms at home, in school, and with peers. These rule violations may involve breaking the law and result in arrest. Children with CD are more likely to get injured and may have difficulties getting along with peers.

Examples of CD behaviors include

Breaking serious rules, such as running away, staying out at night when told not to, or skipping school

Being aggressive in a way that causes harm, such as bullying, fighting, or being cruel to animals

Lying, stealing, or damaging other people's property on purpose

Learn more about CD
Treatment for disruptive behavior disorders

Starting treatment early is important. Treatment is most effective if it fits the needs of the specific child and family. The first step to treatment is to talk with a healthcare provider. A comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional may be needed to get the right diagnosis. Some of the signs of behavior problems, such as not following rules in school, could be related to learning problems which may need additional intervention. For younger children, the treatment with the strongest evidence is behavior therapy training for parents, where a therapist helps the parent learn effective ways to strengthen the parent-child relationship and respond to the child's behavior. For school-age children and teens, an often-used effective treatment is a combination of training and therapy that includes the child, the family, and the school.

Get help finding treatment

Here are tools to find a healthcare provider familiar with treatment options:

Managing Symptoms: Staying Healthy

Being healthy is important for all children and can be especially important for children with behavior or conduct problems. In addition to behavioral therapy and medication, practicing certain healthy lifestyle behaviors may reduce challenging and disruptive behaviors your child might experience. Here are some healthy behaviors that may help:

Engaging in regular physical activity, including aerobic and vigorous exercise

Eating a healthful diet centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (for example, beans, peas, and lentils), lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds

Getting the recommended amount of sleep each night based on age

Strengthening relationships with family members

Prevention of disruptive behavior disorders

It is not known exactly why some children develop disruptive behavior disorders. Many factors may play a role, including biological and social factors. It is known that children are at greater risk when they are exposed to other types of violence and criminal behavior, when they experience maltreatment or harsh or inconsistent parenting, or when their parents have mental health conditions like substance use disorders, depression, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The quality of early childhood care also can impact whether a child develops behavior problems.

Although these factors appear to increase the risk for disruptive behavior disorders, there are ways to decrease the chance that children experience them. Learn about public health approaches to prevent these risks:

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Behavior or Conduct Problems in Children | CDC

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Children sometimes argue, are aggressive, or act angry or defiant around adults. A behavior disorder may be diagnosed when these disruptive behaviors are uncommon for the child's age at the time, persist over time, or are severe. Learn about behavior or conduct problems in children.