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8 ways child's anxiety shows up as something else

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A teacher stops a colleague in the hallway and asks for help.

Teacher: "Sam has refused to do any work this morning and sat alone at recess!"

Special Education Teacher: "I had his brother. Give him a snack. That always helped."

Another teacher bumps into the principal at the copy machine:

Teacher: "Mary wouldn't do any math this afternoon, what should I do?"

Principal (after a moment's thought): "Maybe give her a partner to work with in English class."

While the suggestions they get may prove helpful at times, this kind of off-the-cuff consultation, based on instinct and a desire to help, doesn't result in a systematic behavior analysis that can effect real change. A teacher may spend the entire year unsuccessfully trying these random acts of intervention, suggested by everyone from the occupational therapist who comes in to work with a small group to the reading specialist pulling a student out for a lesson to the math coach passing in the hallway. The ten questions below will generate interventions that actually make a difference.

Why Do We Need to Change Our Approach?

Our student body has changed significantly in the past decade. Students come to school from increasingly complex backgrounds and/or social and emotional needs. Schools and teachers are facing new challenges they may not be prepared for. Teacher preparation coursework requires almost no education in behavior management or mental health, leaving educators seeking help to meet the needs of students who exhibit challenging behavior. When struggling, they may turn to colleagues and administrators for advice. This is so frequent that principals, vice principals, school psychologists, and counselors report spending 60-80% of their week focused on the top five struggling students in their building. This adds up to an exorbitant amount of time dedicated to the challenging behavior of relatively few students. What's worse, despite this investment of time, often students' behaviors improve only marginally, if at all. Principals and vice principals don't necessarily have any more training in mitigating challenging behavior in students than the teacher does. School psychologists are burdened with heavy testing schedules and often not easily available during the school day.

We all know that best practice is to have all the people consulting to the teacher in the same room at the same time to prevent the teacher getting differing or competing suggestions and to allow the time to analyze and respond purposefully. However, even when such a meeting is scheduled, it's difficult to get all team members for more than twenty minutes to address the problem. We need an easy-to-follow, solution-focused system that's quick enough to be used in a short meeting.

These ten questions are that system. They allow the team to efficiently assess the student's behavior and come up with data-based interventions that are likely to help. (This shouldn't replace a functional behavior assessment, which is best practice to find a solution when concerned about the student's behavior). It's best practice to have a meeting specifically for this type of consult, with all the team members present so they might advise the teacher.

1. In three sentences or less, describe one behavior or concern?

Even if others exist, prioritizing one problematic behavior allows the meeting to focus on the most relevant information. We need to be disciplined so the conversation doesn't veer off-course because of the teacher's huge download of information. A short meeting doesn't allow time to discuss home factors, psychiatric diagnosis, and medication issues and analyze the school factors contributing to the student's behavior. A different meeting should be scheduled to discuss these important factors.

Whether a behavior is disruptive or otherwise causing concern, it can feel like it's occurring all the time and lasts forever. Looking at the data will help us be accurate with the severity of the problem.

This information is crucial. Framing the problem and narrowing down when and where in the school day can be problematic.

Particularly when analyzing a behavior that seems pervasive in nature, answering this question identifies which variables contribute to the moments of success, allowing us to replicate them. For example, a student who "never does work" may actually do some work when interacting with a peer. We can set up more situations in which she works with someone else.

5. Which underdeveloped skills do you think are underlying the behavior/concern? (If helpful, review the IEP and recent test results.) A student would behave if he could. If the student isn't behaving well it a result of an underdeveloped skill. If we want to reduce a challenging behavior we must teach the opposite skill. For example, to reduce work avoidance we often must teach the skills initiation, persistence and help seeking. Here are common social and emotional skills that are underdeveloped in many students: Self-regulation, social skills, positive thinking, flexible thinking, executive functioning, initiation, persistence, and help-seeking. Click here for more information on social/emotional skill identification and teaching.

Answering this helps us realize we often forget to teach the appropriate opposite skill. Asking which interventions are currently in place highlights this possible oversight. It may help a teacher who thinks she has tried everything realize there is hope.

This is a good place to reflect on interventions that were tried and did not work. Looking at the variables of unhelpful strategies will be fodder for successful ideas.

Taking notes on the student's behavior before the meeting is important to targeting a helpful strategy. It's important to take notes on any behavior incident in three parts - ABC refers to Antecedent (what happens before the behavior occurs), Behavior (description of the behavior incident), and Consequence (what happens after the behavior incident - both teacher and peer responses). Arguably, knowing the antecedent is most useful. Intervening at the antecedent will prevent the behavior from ever occurring.

Prevention is key! Looking at each antecedent helps us realize we may not be preventative enough. This question highlights which antecedents or triggering variables haven't been addressed or prevented. Usually these antecedents include: unstructured times, transitions, writing tasks, social demands, novelty or unexpected change, and independent work time. For strategies to assist these antecedents click here.

Reflect on how response is handled and whether or not that may be reinforcing the behavior. Review the consequence column. For example, if the student rips up a math paper and the teacher sends him out of the room, she's accidentally reinforced his escape of the assignment, increasing the likelihood of him ripping another paper in the future.

After these questions have been answered, write out the agreed-upon recommendations for strategies and teaching the underdeveloped skills. Share this list of interventions with all relevant team members. Review the implementation and effectiveness of these strategies within four to six weeks with the team.

Finally, review and agree on the next steps to be taken. The team may need resources for finding suggestions on how to accommodate and teach these skills until they become more fluid with this type of brainstorming.

No more guessing! No more random Acts of Intervention! Whether at the water fountain, in the teacher's room or a planned consult meeting, team members can get in the habit of not letting a suggestion pass their lips without asking these ten questions. Taking this extra step results in solution-based suggestions that won't only save time and prevent reactive decisions, but also lead to improvement in student behavior throughout the year.

Jessica Minahan, MEd, BCBA, is a licensed and board certified behavior analyst, special educator and a consultant to school's internationally (www.jessicaminahan.com). She is the author of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students, with Nancy Rappaport (Harvard Education Press, 2012) and author of The Behavior Code Companion: Strategies, Tools, and Interventions for Supporting Students with Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behaviors (Harvard Education Press, 2014).

Source: From "The Skill-Building Lens: Helping Students with Behavior Challenges," by Jessica Minahan and Diana Baker, Educational Leadership, 73(2), pp 68-72. © 2015 by ASCD. Adapted with permission.

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No More Random Acts of Intervention! 10 Questions for Solution Based Behavioral Interventions

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A teacher stops a colleague in the hallway and asks for help. Teacher: "Sam has refused to do any work this morning and sat alone at recess!" Special Education Teacher: "I had his brother. Give him a snack. That always helped."

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Animal Breathing Techniques for the Classroom

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Self advocacy lessons with ANTS automatic neg thinking

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Understanding Your Own Anxious Curve story

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AboutKidsHealth - The Hospital for Sick Children

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You are not your thoughts | AboutKidsHealth at The Hospital for Sick Children

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Academic Support Strategies for Students with Anxiety

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Academic Support Strategies for Students with Anxiety

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Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves having the student work through OCD symptoms to overcome difficulties related to writing and rewriting or checking and rechecking. But until a child or adolescent reaches that point, accommodations and supports may be necessary to help them function in school. For example, within the context of cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, a student may have a goal of reading a paragraph without counting the periods at the end of each sentence. Until he or she is able to achieve that, it may be necessary to have another student read the text read aloud or have the student listen to a prerecorded version.

It may be helpful for school personnel to share ideas and resources that have been used successfully. It is also essential to speak directly with the student about strategies that have helped academically. Students may have developed their own strategies that can be implemented easily in the classroom. Information from the student's parents and therapist can also be critical in developing academic support strategies.

Flexibility is important. Academic accommodations and supports may be needed when symptoms worsen, but they can be set aside when the symptoms subside. School personnel should also be prepared to change the type of accommodations based on the specific difficulty a student may be having at the time.

Try these academic accommodations and support strategies for specific OCD-related experiences.
Fears of contamination

Allow the student to receive handouts first and hand the stack to another student to avoid contact with papers touched by others.

Provide a separate set of classroom materials to avoid having to share with others, especially during group activities. Provide a separate set of books to use at home if the student fears bringing contaminated materials home.

Avoid having the student first in line to leave the room to having to touch the doorknob or handle.

Allow the student to leave class a few minutes early to avoid crowded hallways. Arrange a private signal to indicate when the student may leave.

Work with the student to reduce frequent trips to the restroom. Set a reasonable limit and gradually reduce the number. The teacher, school mental health professional (school psychologist or social worker), parents, and student should all work together to develop this intervention.

Allow the use of hand sanitizer in lieu of constantly washing hands.

Difficulty concentrating or focusing

Ask the student to choose a code word or signal for you to redirect attention.

Seat the student closer to teacher's desk.

Provide notes or an outline of what is covered in class.

Give clear and concise instructions, and use visuals when possible. Capture students' attention by giving a signal: Tell students to listen carefully, modulate your voice, or clap hands.

Difficulty with writing slowly

Assign less written homework.

Refrain from sending home incomplete classwork because it can create additional stress.

Allow the student to use a computer to type assignments.

Allow the student to record a class assignment with a phone or other device.

Provide a written outline of the lecture.

Permit the student to print if cursive writing presents a problem.

Allow the student to dictate writing assignments or answers to someone else.

Select a classmate or allow the student to choose a volunteer to share notes or review classwork related to homework. .

If appropriate to the assignment, permit the student to demonstrate knowledge by drawing a picture or creating a mural in lieu of writing an essay.

Difficulty with reading

Allow a peer, paraprofessional, or other person to read to the student unless this causes discomfort.

Divide reading assignments into shorter segments and allow breaks in between.

Difficulty organizing materials and time

Help the student develop organizational skills; confer with appropriate school personnel if necessary.

Have the student use an assignment book that parents and teachers check daily and make written comments to promote communication.

Use color-coded folders or other visual organizing systems.

Difficulty with long assignments and long-term projects

Use charts, outlines, and other graphic organizers to provide cues for completing the assignment.

Show how to break long assignments into smaller sections, such as researching the topic; writing an outline; making the display. For a book report: reading the book; outlining important points; writing first and final drafts. For a science project: topic selection; explanation of the approach; researching the topic; writing an outline of what the display will cover; making the display.

Establish limits on the amount of time to spend on a project; enlist the parents to help.

Have the student set up a notebook to communicate with parents about progress or specific assignments; parents can also write notes for the teacher.

Difficulty taking notes

Give direct instruction in how to take notes. Discover note-taking systems here*.

Provide partial notes that contain the main ideas of the lecture; leave space for the student to write additional notes.

Allow the student to review other students' good notes .

Difficulty studying

Suggest that the student study with a partner or in groups.

Encourage the student to spread studying for a test over a period of time rather than the night before.

Teach students strategies mnemonic devices to aid memorization; for example, acronyms: HOMES to remember all the great lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior); or acrostics (the first letter of each word in a sentence): All cows eat grass" to remember ACEG for the spaces in the musical bass clef.

Checking and rechecking

Allow the student to use spell check to limit the number of times words are checked.

Suggest that the student use a calculator to check math answers one time after completing an assignment or test.

Work with parents to provide one set of materials and books for school and one for home.

Make duplicate assignment sheets for school and home.

Allow the student a set time to organize school materials to reduce anxiety.

Discreetly check the student's book bag or have a paraprofessional to make sure the correct assignment sheets are going home. Create a form listing materials that need to go home or stay at school.

Repeatedly seeking reassurance and asking questions

Answer questions, but avoid answering the same question repeatedly. Limit the number of questions that the student can ask per class period, per assignment, or per day. Determine the number of questions asked to set a reasonable limit, and gradually reduce the number. The teacher, school psychologist or social worker, parents, and student should work together to develop this intervention.

Difficulty taking tests

Encourage the student to skip troublesome questions to try to answer later.

Give the student untimed tests, extra time to complete the test, or require the student to answer only certain questions (identified with an asterisk, or every other question, etc.) if time limits trigger anxiety.

Place the student in a quiet location if distraction is a problem.

Provide breaks during testing.

Allow an alternative method for producing test answers if writing is problematic: record answers on a mobile device; give answers orally; produce answers in multiple choice, short answer, or fill-in-the-blanks in lieu of essays.

Assign fewer questions on a test or allow the student to write the answers to every other question.

Allow the student to write answers directly on test sheet or booklet if filling in circles is a problem. You may transfer the responses to a computerized answer sheet.

Difficulty making decisions

Assign a book, topic, or theme, rather than asking the student to select it.

Give the student a choice of two topics or items to choose from.

*NOTE: ADAA does not endorse specific programs; these are examples for your information.

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Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves having the student work through OCD symptoms to overcome difficulties related to writing and rewriting or checking and rechecking. But until a child or adolescent reaches that point, accommodations and supports may be necessary to help them function in school.

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Strategies to Address Student Anxiety for Educators

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Know the Warning Signs | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

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Learn to identify and talk about symptoms and behavior related to mental health. Find ways to get help, a diagnosis and treatment.

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AboutKidsHealth - The Hospital for Sick Children

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Everyday mindfulness | AboutKidsHealth at The Hospital for Sick Children

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How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behavior 

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How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behavior 

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A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues. When the teacher steps in to break it up, James goes ballistic, throwing papers and books around the classroom and bolting out of the room. He is finally contained in the vice principal's office, where staff members try to calm him down. Instead, he kicks the vice principal in a frenzied effort to escape. The staff calls 911, and James ends up in the Emergency Room.

To the uninitiated, James looks like a boy with serious anger issues. It's not the first time he's flown out of control. The school insists that his parents pick him up and take him home for lunch every day because he's been banned from the cafeteria.

But what's really going on? "It turns out, after an evaluation, that he is off the charts for social anxiety," reports Jerry Bubrick, PhD, a child psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. "He can't tolerate any - even constructive - criticism. James is terrified of being embarrassed, so when a boy says something that makes him uncomfortable, he has no skills to deal with it, and he freaks out. Flight or fight."

James's story illustrates something that parents and teachers may not realize - that disruptive behavior is often generated by unrecognized anxiety. A child who appears to be oppositional or aggressive may be reacting to anxiety-anxiety they may, depending on their age, not be able to articulate effectively, or not even fully recognize.

"Especially in younger kids with anxiety you might see freezing and clinging kind of behavior," says Rachel Busman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, "but you can also see tantrums and complete meltdowns."

Anxiety manifests in a surprising variety of ways in part because it is based on a physiological response to a threat in the environment, a response that maximizes the body's ability to either face danger or escape danger. So while some children exhibit anxiety by shrinking from situations or objects that trigger fears, some react with overwhelming need to break out of an uncomfortable situation. That behavior, which can be unmanageable, is often misread as anger or opposition.

"Anxiety is one of those diagnoses that is a great masquerader," explains Laura Prager, MD, director of the Child Psychiatry Emergency Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. "It can look like a lot of things. Particularly with kids who may not have words to express their feelings, or because no one is listening to them, they might manifest their anxiety with behavioral dysregulation."

The more commonly recognized symptoms of anxiety in a child are things like trouble sleeping in his own room or separating from his parents, avoidance of certain activities. "Anyone would recognize those symptoms," notes Dr. Prager, co-author of Suicide by Security Blanket, and Other Stories from the Child Psychiatry Emergency Service. But in other cases the anxiety can be hidden.

"When the chief complaint is temper tantrums, or disruption in school, or throwing themselves on the floor while shopping at the mall, it's hard to know what it means," she explains. "But it's not uncommon, when kids like that come in to the ER, for the diagnosis to end up being a pretty profound anxiety disorder."

It's not uncommon for children with serious undiagnosed anxiety to be disruptive at school, where demands and expectations put pressure on them that they can't handle. And it can be very confusing to teachers and other staff members to "read" that behavior, which can seem to come out of nowhere.

Nancy Rappaport, MD, a Harvard Medical School professor who specializes in mental health care in school settings, sees anxiety as one of the causes of disruptive behavior that makes classroom teaching so challenging. "The trouble is that when kids who are anxious become disruptive they push away the very adults who they need to help them feel secure," notes Dr. Rappaport. "And instead of learning to manage their anxiety, they end up spending half the day in the principal's office."

Dr. Rappaport sees a lot of acting out in school as the result of trauma at home. "Kids who are struggling, not feeling safe at home," she notes, "can act like terrorists at school, with fairly intimidating kinds of behavior." Most at risk, she says, are kids with ADHD who've also experienced trauma. "They're hyper-vigilant, they have no executive functioning, they misread cues and go into combat."

When a teacher is able to build a relationship with a child, to find out what's really going on with them, what's provoking the behavior, she can often give them tools to handle anxiety and prevent meltdowns. In her book, The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students, Dr. Rappaport offers strategies kids can be taught to use to calm themselves down, from breathing exercises to techniques for distracting themselves.

"When a teacher understands the anxiety underlying the opposition, rather than making the assumption that the child is actively trying to make her miserable, it changes her approach," says Dr. Rappaport, "The teacher is able to join forces with the child himself and the school counselor, to come up with strategies for preventing these situations."

If it sounds labor-intensive for the teacher, it is, she notes, but so is dealing with the aftermath of the same child having a meltdown.

Anxiety also drives a lot of symptoms in a school setting that are easily misconstrued as ADHD or defiant behavior.

"I'll see a child who's having difficulty in school: not paying attention, getting up out of their seat all the time, asking a lot of questions, going to the bathroom a lot, getting in other kids' spaces," explains Dr. Busman. "The behavior is disrupting other kids, and is frustrating to the teacher, who's wondering why they ask so many questions, and why they're so wrapped up in what other kids are doing, whether they're following the rules."

People tend to assume what's happening with this child is ADHD inattentive type, but it's commonly anxiety. Kids with OCD, mislabeled as inattentive, are actually not asking all those questions because they're not listening, but rather because they need a lot of reassurance.

"It probably occurs more than we think, either anxiety that looks disruptive or anxiety coexisting with disruptive behaviors," Dr. Busman adds. "It all goes back to the fact that kids are complicated and symptoms can overlap diagnostic categories, which is why we need to have really comprehensive and good diagnostic assessment."

First of all, good assessment needs to gather data from multiple sources, not just parents. "We want to talk to teachers and other people involved with the kid's life," she adds, "because sometimes kids that we see are exactly the same at home and at school, sometimes they are like two different children."

And it needs to use rating scales on a full spectrum of behaviors, not just the area that looks the most obvious, to avoid missing things.

Dr. Busman also notes that a child with severe anxiety who's struggling in school might also have attention or learning issues, but they might need to be treated for the anxiety before they can really be evaluated for those. She uses the example of a teenager with OCD who is doing terribly in school. "She's ritualizing three to four hours a day, and having constant intrusive thoughts - so we need to treat that, to get the anxiety under control before we ask, how is she learning?"

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How Anxiety Leads to Problem Behavior - Child Mind Institute

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A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues. When the teacher steps in to break it up, James goes ballistic, throwing papers and books around the classroom and bolting out of the room.

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Unlocking the Adolescent Mind: Insights from Dr. Siegel

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Linda Houston, BA, B.Ed., OCT. Educational Consultant, LDAO
The Ontario Ministry of Education document entitled Supporting Minds: An Educator's Guide to Promoting Students' Mental Health and Well-Being states that two or three students in any classroom may experience anxiety-related symptoms, regardless of whether they have a learning disability (LD) or not (EDU 2013; 38). In this summary, anxiety refers to fears that are out of proportion to the danger and that adversely affects a student's ability to function in daily life (Turgeon and Brousseau, 2000). According to the research, many students with LDs show signs of short- and long-term stress that can lead to anxiety and affect them throughout their lives (Painchaud, 2014, p. 4). This summary offers educators an overview of these signs, as well as strategies for supporting students with LDs who experience anxiety at school.

What Many Students with LDs Fear

According to psychologist Manon Painchaud, many students with LDs fear losing the respect of others if their difficulties become known; this is because they perceive their difficulties to be degrading (2014, p.1). Keeping this "secret" creates an enormous burden for them. Students with LDs tend to minimize their strengths and overlook the positive aspects of school, holding themselves responsible for events that are beyond their control. To maintain some measure of control over their lives in and outside of school, these students often hide their frustration and seek relief by avoiding problems or situations. Painchaud writes that when feelings of shame, resentment, and frustration shift into anxiety the student then focuses on the anxiety, not on the core problem (2014). In order to reduce anxiety, its triggers must be identified. With an awareness of the triggers, and with the help of teachers, family members, and the community, a student with LDs can reduce his or her level of anxiety. In order to achieve this, the student needs to know his or her strengths and needs, and have a set of strategies close at hand.

Signs of Anxiety

Educators may mistake the signs of anxiety for symptoms of learning disabilities; for example, a student avoiding a task that triggers anxiety may be interpreted as having difficulty focusing. Consequently, educators should be familiar with the signs of anxiety. In a document on coping with learning disabilities in daily life entitled Les difficultés d'apprentissage: comment faire au quotidien (2013), Geneviève Lecours, Nathalie Landry, and Michelle Émond provide a list of the ways in which anxiety may manifest at school.

Note that a student may show some, but not all, of these signs:

Difficulty planning and performing tasks;

A need to feel safe and reassured;

Difficulty sitting still;

Difficulty focusing, concentrating or remembering;

Making excuses in order to avoid performing unfamiliar tasks;

A tendency to be destabilized by a change in routine or schedule;

A reluctance to step outside of established routines;

Physical signs of discomfort (perspiring, trembling, palpitations);

Not showing signs of listening to the answers to his or her questions;

Extreme perfectionism causing slow task performance;

Somatic complaints (health-related excuses);

Asking the same questions over and over again;

Rigidity (resistance to change).

(Lecours, Landry and Émond, 2013, p.5)

According to Supporting Minds: An Educator's Guide to Promoting Students' Mental Health and Well-being, other signs that students may manifest at school or at home include:

Avoidance;

Procrastination;

Feelings of being overwhelmed;

Worries about time limits or changes in routine; and

Physical aches and pains

(EDU 2013; 30)

Supporting Minds also states that the experience of anxiety is primarily internal. Outward signs of anxiety may be difficult to detect because the behaviour and/or symptoms do not necessarily manifest in obvious or disruptive ways (EDU 2013; 28). Students may also not tell their classmates, parents or other adults what they are feeling because they may not recognize it themselves. They often suffer in silence.

What can educators do in the classroom?

In order to minimize anxiety in the classroom, an educator must recognize that he or she may have anxious students and that this anxiety can be caused by a variety of internal factors (e.g., temperament) and external factors (e.g., noise in the classroom or even the configuration of a student's personal space such as the placement of his or her desk). The educator must recognize the behaviour of a student with anxiety so that he or she can support this student.

Here are a few things that may help:

Observe when the anxiety tends to occur;

Observe what circumstances or conditions trigger the anxiety;

Observe the frequency, duration, and intensity of the behaviour.

(EDU2013; 32)

It may be helpful to create a chart for observing and noting a student's behaviour and situations that trigger the anxiety.

The following strategies reduce external stress and are applicable to both elementary and secondary classrooms:

Create a learning environment where mistakes are viewed as a natural part of the learning process;

Provide predictable schedules and routines in the classroom;

Provide advance warning of changes in routine;

Provide simple relaxation exercises that involve the whole class;

Encourage students to take small steps towards accomplishing a feared task.

(EDU 2013, p. 32)

Specific Strategies for Helping Students with LDs who Experience Anxiety

For students with LDs, negative thoughts and feelings are often their first response to anxiety-inducing situations. Thus, the role of educators is to recognize these situations, present strategies, and support students in the use of these strategies in the classroom. These strategies are not innate and must be learned. Painchaud suggests a few strategies that teachers may offer students who experience anxiety:

Tell a friend or adult when you feel anxious;

Visualize positive images;

Create realistic scenarios;

Stay in touch with your feelings;

Accept your learning difficulties and social vulnerability.

Click here to print these strategies.
Types of Strategies that Educators can use with their Students

1 - Preventative strategies. Preventative strategies support the development of feelings of effectiveness that can prevent or reduce anxiety. The more effective a student feels, the less anxious he or she will feel. The following strategies were put forward by Jacinthe Beaulieu in her presentation on anxiety at school and strategies for use in the classroom, at the TES symposium on special education techniques that was held on May 31, 2013.

Encourage positive self-talk;

Help the student to have realistic expectations;

Take the drama out of the situation;

Encourage the student to see the glass as half-full, not half-empty;

Place an emphasis on personal affirmation;

Encourage non-anxious or brave behaviours (verbally, emotionally, or otherwise);

Model effective preventive strategies;

Support the student to manage his or her own anxiety;

Note subtle avoidance strategies and offer winning strategies in their place;

Have moments of fun with the students on a regular basis;

Have an emergency plan to deal with crises.

Click here to print these strategies.
2 - Teaching planning strategies. These strategies will help to minimize the anxiety of students, in particular, students with LDs. Planning brings an element of stability and routine to the day or the activity; this helps students with anxiety to manage disruptions and minimizes changes that they may perceive as unexpected. Lecours, Landry, and Émond suggest these planning strategies:

Divide work into smaller steps;

Provide an example of a planner or organizational chart and show the students how to use it;

Provide an individualized work plan, with a sequence that the student can check off;

Provide a work plan with specific tasks that the student can check off;

Personalize references, checklists, etc.;

Plan for individualized tutoring sessions/instruction;

Plan regular times for individual review and revision;

Plan time to go back over work with the student;

Provide a variety of time management tools.

Click here to print these strategies. Supporting Minds: An Educator's Guide to Promoting Students' Mental Health and Well-being contains a list of behaviours and strategies that can be used in the classroom (EDU 2013; 34) Click here to print the table.
Conclusion

Due to the effects of anxiety and the difficulties they experience at school, students with LDs may carry an extra burden. Educators must be on the lookout for signs of anxiety in their students. This will enable them to implement appropriate strategies in a timely fashion; ease the impact of the anxiety; and promote their students' mental health. These measures may be included in an individualized education plan (IEP), whether the student has been identified as exceptional or not. They may also be included as different expectations or described in an action plan that is separate from the IEP.

Related Resources on the LD@school Website:
Click here to access the article Learning Disabilities and Mental Health. Click here to access the expert answer to the question How can educators support student mental health and well-being for long-term success? Click here to access the recording of the webinar Adolescent Stress, Coping Strategies and Learning Disabilities. Click here to access the video Supporting the Mental Health and Well-Being of Students with LDs through Integra Mindfulness Martial Arts (Part I).
Click here to access the video A Mindfulness Practice to Support the Well-Being of Students with LDs - Feed All Four.
Click here to access the video Mindfulness Teaching Practices: Implementing the Integra Mindfulness Martial Arts Program in the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (Part II).
Related Resources
Click here for the Ontario Ministry of Education document Supporting Minds: An Educator's Guide to Promoting Students' Mental Health and Well-being, which contains a table of behaviours and strategies that can be used in the classroom. (EDU 2013; 34-7). Click here to read an article on Helping a Child with Anxiety, on the Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities website. Click here to read information for teachers on the Worried Child, on the ABCs of Mental Health website.
References

Beaulieu, Jacinthe. (2013). L'anxiété à l'école - Présentation au colloque des TES. Commission scolaire des Samares, Québec. Repéré à http://www.colloquetes.org/upload/File/documents2013/atelier_%2323_Lanxiete_a_lecole.pdf

Lecours, Geneviève, Landry, Nathalie et Émond, Michelle. (2013). Les difficultés d'apprentissage: comment faire au quotidien. Commission scolaire de Laval, Québec. Repéré à http://www.pierrepotvin.com/8.%20Banque%20d'outils/Difficultes_apprentissage_%20strategies.pdf

Ministère de l'Éducation de l'Ontario. (2013). Vers un juste équilibre, Pour promouvoir la santé mentale et le bien-être des élèves, Guide du personnel enseignant, version provisoire. Repéré à http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/fre/document/reports/SupportingMindsFr.pdf

Painchaud, Manon. (2014). Pourquoi ai-je mal à l'estomac? Comment les personnes ayant une difficulté d'apprentissage peuvent utiliser des stratégies cognitives pour réduire l'anxiété et le stress à l'école ? Commission scolaire Val-des-Cerfs, Québec. Repéré à http://aqps.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/13-1-081.pdf

Turgeon, L., Brousseau, L. (2000). Prévention des problèmes d'anxiété chez les jeunes. Dans Problèmes d'adaptation chez les enfants et les adolescents, Vitaro, F., Gagnon, C., Presses de l'Université du Québec.

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Strategies to Support Students with Learning Disabilities who Experience Anxiety

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Linda Houston, BA, B.Ed., OCT. Educational Consultant, LDAO The Ontario Ministry of Education document entitled Supporting Minds: An Educator's Guide to Promoting Students' Mental Health and Well-Being states that two or three students in any classroom may experience anxiety-related symptoms,

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Free Study Skills Materials for Secondary Students

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Free Study Skills Materials for Secondary Students

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The Midland Park School District as part of a strong, dedicated community, provides its students with a comprehensive, adaptive education aligned to 21st century knowledge and skills needed for success in college and career. The district maximizes all resources to empower students to realize their…

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Teaching Restorative Practices in the Classroom 7 lesson Curriculum

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A few weeks ago, I caught up on the season finale of SongAssociation on Terrell Grice's YouTube channel. This channel has changed my Spotify, for real. Terrell plays a game with his guests - he gives them a word and they have 10 seconds to sing a song with that word either in the lyrics or the title. The game is good, but the reason I keep coming back to this channel is Terrell and the instant camaraderie he has with everyone on that blue wall.

He has a passion for music and musicians. It doesn't matter if his guest is an Instagram star, a former reality show competitor, or a whole signed-to-a-label singer, he has a way of making everyone feel comfortable. He brings an effervescence to each interview and a genuine interest in every story told. Whether he knows a person before they got there or they showed up as a stranger, everyone...and I mean EV-ER-Y-ONE leaves lifted, refreshed, and seen.

If only all of us could experience this welcoming spirit.

Well...

In July, the Lincoln Center kicked off its Activate Series. The theme of this year's event is radical welcoming, which they define as "the intentional and extraordinary effort to make people feel welcome." Dr. Christopher Emdin gave a keynote. You remember Dr. Emdin, right? He is a scholar, a hip-hop educator, and the author of For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood - the book we used to guide our series last year on culturally responsive practices in PBIS. During the July event, Dr. Emdin partnered with folks from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to reimagine what a classroom might look like in a post-pandemic world - a space he calls calls The Ratchetdemic Classroom.

It's beautiful!

It was in this space where Dr. Emdin moderated a conversation with five educators from across the country exploring what radical welcoming means to them. He asked them how they felt sitting in a room designed to make students feel welcome. They commented on how the green grass gave their eyes a place to rest and invited them to sit on the ground. They loved the diversity available in the seating options and their eyes kept coming back to a piece of art on the wall that said, "Imagine the person you could be if you let someone love all of you." One aspect of radical welcoming is creating a physical space that's inviting, comfortable, and allows students to engage their imaginations while they learn.

Beyond the physical elements of the space, I couldn't help but focus on the way Dr. Emdin led the conversation and made the hour comfortable enough for everyone to share some vulnerable perspectives. One example happens around the 13:26 mark in their conversation. Meghan Sullivan shares her perspectives teaching in Standing Rock reservation. She makes a distinction between "teaching in" vs "teaching on" the reservation. Dr. Emdin picks up on this, acknowledges the significance, amplifies it for the group, asks others to offer their thoughts, and ultimately takes the conversation to a place where later another aspect of Meghan's identity can be celebrated and shared. In a conversation where he is considered an expert, he continuously tells participants how he's learning from them and building on their experiences. [When you have some time, watch the conversation, soak up the lessons, and pay some attention to the way Dr. Emdin elicits ideas from everyone in the room.]

See, the physical elements of the Ratchetdemic Classroom created the space where everyone was comfortable and allowed to share confidently; the physical aspect of a space is a piece to the puzzle.

You are another.

Your students would probably say they want to be acknowledged for their efforts. They want to feel like they can share their opinions openly, to know they will be heard, valued, and cared for as a member of your class, and that the things that matter to them also matter to you.

You Have Active Presence

The way people feel when they're around you is what researchers call your affective presence. They define it as the "tendency to invoke either positive or negative feelings in others in a consistent and stable manner."[1] When you have a positive affective presence, people usually feel happy, enthusiastic, or inspired when they're around you.[2] A negative affective presence tends to make folks feel sad, bored, or stressed. Researchers also found affective presence is significantly related to how likely someone is to share their ideas openly.

The way guests feel on The Terrell Show, the way participants openly shared their perspectives during Dr. Emdin's moderated conversation, the way your students engage in your classroom, it hinges on whether your affective presence is positive or negative. Research is fuzzy on what contributes to an overall positive affective presence, but we can get some clues by looking at what people say makes them feel like they belong in a place.

LinkedIn surveyed more than 14,000 professionals from around the world to learn more about their experiences working for a company.[3] They asked respondents what would make them feel like they belong at the company where they work. This list they generated might feel familiar.

To my eye, their answers are not so dissimilar from what you might expect to hear from your students if you asked them a similar question on the School Climate Survey. Your students would probably say they want to be acknowledged for their efforts. They want to feel like they can share their opinions openly, to know they will be heard, valued, and cared for as a member of your class, and that the things that matter to them also matter to .

I emphasize the word "you" because research tells us that even more than their peers or their parents, teacher support has the most significant impact on a student's sense of belonging at school.[4] "Students who believe that they have positive relationships with their teachers and that their teachers are caring, empathic and fair and help resolve personal problems, are more likely to feel a greater sense of belonging than those students who perceive a negative relationship with their teachers." And! It's that sense of belonging that keeps students motivated academically, reduces absences, and makes it more likely they will stay in school.

Make Your Classroom Radically Welcome

As your students come back to the classroom - some of them in-person for the first time in a long time - investing in relationships and fostering a sense of belonging should be at the top of your list of to-dos. Here are some ways to start radically welcoming students in your classroom.

Popcorn Goals

This idea comes from a 5th grade teacher named Josh Monroe. At the beginning of the year, he hands each student two index cards. On one they write a goal they have for 5th grade; on the other they write a goal they have for their lives. The goals are anonymous, so no one gets to know who wrote it. Students crumple up the cards and throw them around the room. One by one, everyone picks up a card and reads it aloud. They decide as a class whether that sounds like a goal for 5th grade, a goal for life, or maybe it could be a goal for both. Mr. Monroe says the game generates important discussions as students find similarities they have with each other and think about how they can work together to create the kind of classroom where everyone can achieve their goals.

Snail Mail Shoutouts

Who doesn't love getting something special in the mail? Last year, Elkins Park School in Elkins Park, PA, started sending postcards in the mail to their students' homes. They did it as a way to encourage students during distance learning and to acknowledge the efforts their teachers saw in class. Of course, students thought it was great to get the personal note, but the school started hearing from families, too. The handwritten messages meant so much to them they put the postcards on their refrigerators. Positive, unprompted, personalized acknowledgements include families in the community you're trying to build.

Welcome Students At the Door...

Greeting students as they come into your classroom is a simple and effective way to start class. TUMS at the Door is an acronym to help you remember the pieces of the greeting that matter most.

T is for Touch. In the before times, this would mean a handshake, a hug, or a high five. These days, physical touch isn't always safe, so you'll need to improvise. Fist bumps, elbow bumps, toe taps, hip checks, or even a synchronized dance are all good ways to incorporate physical movement in your welcome that's safe and appropriate.

U is for Use Their Name. Calling students by their name demonstrates you know who they are. Be sure you use the name they prefer and you pronounce it correctly. If you're unsure how to pronounce their name, ask and keep practicing until you get it right.

M is for Make Eye Contact. Looking someone in the eye as you welcome them shows them you are focused on them and how they're doing. Even if for that brief moment, they have your undivided attention.

S is for Smile. Ever notice how hard it is to say an angry word with a smile on your face? A smile lifts your words and makes them sound more inviting.

...No Matter When They Arrive

I get annoyed when people are late to something we scheduled together, so I try to be a person who shows up on time. This last year and a half has also taught me a lot about how life is unpredictable. The same way I would hope someone would find grace and understanding when I can't make it on time, I'm now trying to extend the same to other people.

Your students will show up late to class for any number of reasons. Based on their previous experiences, they might walk in late expecting irritation from you. What would happen if you extended a welcome to students even when they show up late? Josh Monroe came through with an example, again.

Show Some Love

When it comes to your school-wide expectations, typical expectations might be: Safe, Respectful, Responsible. What if you added some love to the matrix?

What would that look like in your classroom? On the playground? How would your students feel knowing they could expect to find love in your space? Does it feel awkward or maybe impossible? Well...

Among the core values of respect, integrity, and perseverance, in her welcome message, Allika Thompson-Young, the principal at MAST High School in Queens, NY says, "The greatest legacy that you have left is that of LOVE. Make sure to demonstrate love in action throughout your tenure at MAST."

What if you added "love" to your behavioral matrix and asked your students to help you define what that might look like, what it might sound like, how it would feel in your classroom?

Our kids start school in a few weeks. I'm excited, they're excited, and I hope their teachers are excited. I think we're all a little anxious, too, about what it's all going to be like. One way to start things off on a positive note is to embrace the concept of radical welcoming. Set up a physical space where everyone feels comfortable and then focus on ways to improve your positive affective presence. How can you acknowledge your students' efforts a little more? How can you celebrate the things they love and create a community that shares openly? The tone you set, the relationships you build, and the way your students feel when they're around you matters. Start creating the kind of classroom where everyone wants to be.

1. Madrid, H. P., Totterdell, P., & Niven, K. (2016). Does leader-affective presence influence communication of creative ideas within work teams? Emotion,16(6), 798-802. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000183

2. Eisenkraft,N. and Elfenbein, H., 2010. The Way You Make Me Feel. Psychological Science, 21(4), pp.505-510.

3. LinkedIn, 2017. Inside the Mind of Today's Candidate. [online] Available at: https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/cx/17/08/inside-the-mind-of-the-candidate.

4. Allen, K., Kern, M., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J. and Waters, L., 2016. What Schools Need to Know About Fostering School Belonging: a Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(1), pp.1-34.

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PBISApps | Teach By Design-Make It Radical: Ideas For Your Most Welcoming Classroom Ever

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As your students come back to the classroom, investing in relationships and fostering a sense of belonging should be at the top of your list of to-dos. Here are some ways to start radically welcoming students in your classroom.

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The last year and a half brought a lot of lessons, maybe the most important of which is the way we build relationships with each other. Now is the perfect time to talk about going beyond welcoming students and start creating radically welcoming classrooms.

In this episode of Expert Instruction, our guest is Saki Malose, a research assistant from the University of Oregon's College of Education. Saki is an experienced educator and scholar. In her current project, the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA), Saki works as part of a team of researchers helping schools implement an instructional approach to exclusionary discipline practices like suspension and expulsion. She shares how she creates classrooms that welcome students and offers up the strategies she teaches so others can do the same.

For more information about radically welcoming spaces, check out Dr. Christopher Emdin's conversation from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Activate Series.

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PBISApps | Expert Instruction Podcast-Ep. 11: Creating a Welcoming Classroom

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The last year and a half brought a lot of lessons, maybe the most important of which is the way we build relationships with each other. Now is the perfect time to talk about going beyond welcoming students and start creating radically welcoming classrooms. In this episode of Expert Instruction, our guest is Saki Malose, a research assistant from the University of Oregon's College of Education.

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Charting Problems w-Reactions Strategy 2019

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A Parent's Guide to Handling Child's Anxiety

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A Parent's Guide to Handling Child's Anxiety

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Negative or unhelpful thoughts are often automatic, but they don't have to take control of you. With a few pointers, you can learn to tolerate your inner critic without getting bogged down by it.

This is Part 3 of a three-part series about how to deal with negative thoughts. Part 1 talks about how to become aware of them. Part 2 is about how to let them go. Part 3 (this article) discusses how to work with, or "replace," unhelpful thoughts with positive ones.

In this article, you'll learn the final step in this process: how to work with unhelpful thoughts and toward more balanced, realistic, and helpful ones. There are several ways to do just that, from therapy to journaling exercises.

When you're ready to start facing your unhelpful thoughts, the two-column exercise is a great place to start.

First, pull out a journal and create two columns. On the left-hand side, write out all your current negative or unhelpful thoughts. Don't overthink them. Just jot down as many as you can.

In the right-hand column, write between one and three counterarguments. This can help you get some distance from the part of the mind, or inner critic, coming up with the automatic thoughts, and "You" observing those thoughts and doing the healing work.

Consider writing your unhelpful thoughts in quotation marks. This might help you start to view them as thoughts, like the hundreds of other thoughts that run through your mind each day, rather than absolute truths.

This exercise in action may look like:

When you're done, consider hanging some of your positive thoughts in a place where you'll see them, like a bathroom mirror or a Post-it note on your desk.

Unhelpful thoughts, in part, come from accumulated evidence in our mind. We've learned important things about the world around us - and ourselves - based on prior experiences.

But if you find yourself believing that your unhelpful thoughts are true, it's time to find some new evidence.

World-renowned marriage expert John Gottman recommends that for every negative interaction we have with a partner, we should aim for five positive interactions. This magic ratio may be a helpful approach try in your relationship with yourself.

Set a timer on your phone for the same time every day. When it goes off, name five things, either in your mind, out loud, or on paper, that you appreciate about yourself or the work you've done.

Self-compassion is a powerful tool for building a positive relationship with yourself.

Instead of beating yourself up for having harsh self-criticisms, try taking a step back and recognizing that your inner critic is, in a counterproductive way, trying to keep you safe by warning you of some possible danger that it perceives.

Next time self-criticism is feeling overwhelming, you might try showing compassion to your inner critic, thanking it for its efforts in trying to keep you safe, and then trying out some strategies for giving yourself compassion instead of beating yourself up.

You can learn more about how self-compassion can help you work with your inner critic by reading the work of Dr. Kristin Neff, a pioneer of self-compassion research and professor of educational psychology, here.

Our unhelpful thoughts often contain hidden invitations for action. The call-to-action journaling exercise may help you feel more empowered. It looks like this:

As a general rule, try to identify call-to-actions that are small, achievable baby steps. Setting major actions that take a lot of energy or time can be off-putting and might have the opposite effect.

When you catch yourself thinking an unhelpful thought, ask yourself:

Would I say this out loud to someone else?

Would I say this to a child?

Would I let someone speak that way to my child?

Sometimes just imagining someone else's face if they heard what you're thinking can make a difference. This may help you shift your language to something more loving.

Sticking up for yourself out loud may feel good, too. You can say to yourself, "Hey, I don't like how you're talking to me, brain. That's enough out of you. I'm done."

On top of your negative or unhelpful thoughts, you may feel bad about having these thoughts to begin with - a vicious cycle. This creates a resistance to your present experience, which can make your internal suffering that much worse.

As Buddhists say, surrender. If you see an unhelpful thought arise, just notice it there. Take a pause. Try your best not to push it away. Ask yourself, Can I allow it to be here?

Kyle Cease, a comedian turned spiritual thought leader, recommends that people add "and I love that" onto every unhelpful thought.

I failed my test... and I love that.

I can't find a date... and I love that.

I will never be enough... and I love that.

It's an exercise in radical self-acceptance, and may even infuse a bit of humor into the situation. As your nervous system recalibrates and you adjust to this sense of surrender, you may find that the unhelpful thought dissipates on its own.

Much of our mindsets are programmed in our early childhood and in our evolutionary underpinning. Yet, you may not even know what kind of messages drive your subconscious mind.

It may help to enlist the help of a trusted therapist. Not only can they provide a warm, caring place to talk about your feelings, but they're trained to spot patterns that you may not be able to pick up on.

A 2021 study involving 91 adults with anxiety, depression, or PTSD found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helped improve repetitive unhelpful thinking patterns, like brooding, rumination, and worry.

Everyone has unhelpful thoughts, some more than others. But, like any other habit, the more you practice turning those thoughts around, the easier it may become.

True transformation comes from consistency. Practice these tips a little every day and, over time, you may hear your whole inner dialogue change course.

Remember: You are not your thoughts, and you don't have to be owned by your thoughts.

To continue the inner work, you may find it helpful to read some of these books:

"What to Say When You Talk to Yourself" by Shad Helmstetter, PhD

"The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook" by Kristin Neff, PhD, and Chris Germer, PhD

"Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" by Steven C. Hayes, PhD

"The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT" by Russ Harris

"The Negative Thoughts Workbook" by David A. Clark, PhD

"The Brain That Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge, MD

"The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook" by Matthew McKay, PhD; Jeffrey C. Wood, PsyD; and Jeffrey Brantley, MD

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How to Replace Negative Thoughts: 7 Ways

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Negative or unhelpful thoughts are often automatic, but they don't have to take control of you. With a few pointers, you can learn to tolerate your inner critic without getting bogged down by it. This is Part 3 of a three-part series about how to deal with negative thoughts.

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Skill Deficits with Resulting Behaviors, Strategies.docx

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What Are Executive Function Skills?

Have you ever heard of executive function skills? They are an incredibly important set of skills we use every single day!

Beginning at a very young age, we apply this combination of skills to daily activities and situations, such as playing, learning, and socializing. Overall, they help us accomplish important things and reach new achievements.

Examples of ways we use executive functions skills:

.While playing peek-a-boo, babies know where an object is even if it can't be seen.

Children take turns and share with peers.

They learn to be okay with losing.

They follow directions from adults.

While socializing.

Baby learns to focus and pay attention to people as they talk.

They at first imitate others, then learn how to use gestures and expressions during communication.

Children learn to talk through issues with their friends and find a solution.

As they get older, they organize gatherings with their friends and follow-through with those plans.

At school.

Children manage their time properly in order to get assignments and tests done on time.

They pay attention to learn new things.

They keep handouts organized by subject so they can easily find the materials we need.

Executive Function: Know the Basics

When do we begin developing executive function skills?

Executive function skills begin developing when we are babies! We first start to use these skills at a very young age, possibly before our first birthday. Executive function skills become increasingly important in social and school settings, and continue to develop and change throughout our lives due to learning and life experiences.

Why do we need executive function skills?

Executive function is about functional skills. These are skills that help us with daily routines, school work, friendships, working, playing, etc. With executive function, we take what we know and find practical and important ways to use those skills.

For example, as a child we learn how a light switch works. Then, we apply that information to help us in a new situation or environment, such as knowing how to use a light switch in a different house, or how to figure out different types of switches. Using information we learned to solve problems is an important use of executive function skills.

What are some of the different areas of executive function skills?

There are many areas of executive function skills. Three of them are:

Working memory: This type of memory helps us remember and apply information to everyday activities, to put our memories to "work". An example of working memory would be remembering the rules of a game while playing that game.

Self-control: The ability to think about what to do before doing it, with control over our reaction. For example, self-control is at work when we raise our hand and wait to be called on before giving an answer.

Mental flexibility: The ability to switch efficiently between multiple subjects. This is a key skill set to participate in learning, play, and social environments that require problem solving, working with others, or trying new things. For example, mental flexibility is at work when we switch from recess to the classroom, and are able to appropriately function in both environments.

What do executive function skills help with?

Reading and applying what you learn

Getting to work or school on time

Completing a list of chores

Playing with friends and siblings

Cleaning your room

Cooking

Working with a group

Finishing a project

Asking for help when you need it

Checking over your homework before turning it in

Getting along with people even if you are upset

How can parents help develop and improve executive function skills?

Have predictable routines from a young age

Provide baby with age-appropriate toys and household items to play with and explore

As a baby, use imitation games such as clapping hands to build memory skills and teach baby how to copy you

As they grow older, continue to model the behavior that you would like to see in your children

Bring children along on errands

Let them try new things and complete tasks to help build confidence

Acknowledge good behavior

Talk through steps of an activity

Provide opportunities for free, creative play and problem solving

Executive Function Activities

Keeping every age active and using their executive function skills

Keep exercising your child's executive function skills using these everyday tasks.

What to Watch For

How to know if your child is struggling with executive function

Potential signs and risk factors of executive function issues in children include:

General delays in motor, cognitive, or communication development

Significant differences in responses to sensory experiences, e.g. too sensitive or not sensitive enough

Becomes easily frustrated and struggles to manage emotions or is not easily calmed as a baby

Has rigid routines and dislikes change

Struggles to make adjustments after getting used to doing something a certain way

Has difficulty completing simple, age-appropriate tasks

Difficulty with age-appropriate social interactions

Struggles to participate in age-appropriate play

Needs more help with tasks than other children his or her age

Struggles with time management

Difficulty starting task on their own

Disorganized

Difficulty using and applying information from memory

Forgets rules easily

Difficulty planning and completing projects

Appears impulsive

Poor emotional control

Struggles with open ended tasks

Executive Function skills are learned skills. With practice and a little help, all children can improve their executive functions. Practice makes better!

If you feel your child is struggling, talk to your healthcare provider. It's important to remember executive function skills use a combination of motor, sensory, and communication skills, so talk to your healthcare provider if you notice delays in any of those areas.

There are pediatric specialists who may be able to help your child with executive function including:

Physical Therapists: Strive to make every session fun, while working on improving strength, flexibility, range of motion, posture, balance, and movement patterns. If your child has difficulty in any of these areas, talk with your child's healthcare providers about the impact physical limitations can have on executive function development, and to see a physical therapist to address these issues.

Occupational Therapists: Help children master daily life skills by helping them strengthen the physical, cognitive, and sensory skills required to achieve every day activities. Occupational therapists address underlying skill limitations while providing adaptive strategies to help children perform daily tasks as independently as possible, which in turn helps children further build their skills and confidence.

Speech-Language Pathologists: Work to give children the tools to communicate effectively. Children may feel stressed or anxious if they are unable to express their feelings. Speech-language pathologists aim to improve a child's ability to use verbal and non-verbal communication, and engage in meaningful learning and social activities.

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatricians: Address developmental delays and disabilities, attention and behavioral issues, regulatory and habit disorders, and anxiety and stress management.

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Learn the Basics of Executive Function | Free Resources

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Executive function skills are important skills that we use everyday. Learn about how you can help your child develop & improve executive function skills.

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By Peg Dawson, Ed.D with Eve Kessler, Esq.

Have you ever wondered why adolescence is characterized by change, confusion, high emotions, and impulsive decision-making? It's largely a function of brain development: The part of the brain responsible for decision-making (the frontal lobe) is still evolving, and will continue to do so until about age 25. Consequently, the ability for adolescents to make mature judgments is often overwhelmed by "gut" instincts rather than guided by thoughtful reasoning.

Everyone with ADHD has an executive function disorder, but so do many without attention deficits.

Thanks in part to underdeveloped executive functions during these turbulent years, teens can be woefully impulsive. They may lack the ability to consider consequences of their actions, control their emotions, sustain attention, be flexible when faced with setbacks, and self-monitor. They are likely candidates to engage in risky behaviors, including substance abuse, unprotected or random sex, gambling, eating disorders, self-mutilation, and preoccupation with appearance. Emotionally they may experience difficulties such as mood swings, suicidal thoughts, and aggressive behaviors. In school their poor planning and organizational skills may result in poor academic performance.

Improving EF Skills

To reduce risk-taking behaviors, teens must explicitly be taught executive function skills. They will not learn them by osmosis or from their surroundings. Parents may initially serve as their child's "external" frontal lobe, but the objective should be for adolescents to internalize the skills and strategies to become independent learners with the full array of executive functions.

For parents, it's a struggle to strike a balance-to allow teens the independence they crave and give them the positive feedback they need, while teaching them the skills and strategies necessary to make good judgments. While it is easy for teens to view parents as nagging or controlling, once they begin to feel more grounded and self-content and see positive results in their academic work and social relationships, they will understand the importance of making the skills their own.

Acknowledge and Address Challenges

For teens with executive function deficits, avoiding risky behavior is tied to taking responsibility for themselves. They need to move past denial to become comfortable with who they are; they need to acknowledge their strengths and challenges and learn to address their needs creatively and specifically.

The importance of this "buy-in" cannot be overestimated. Without it, teens struggle with their differences. They lack the self-esteem they need to succeed, become depressed and apathetic, and develop bad habits that are hard to break, such as making excuses and blaming others for their challenges and failures.

On the other hand, when teens are able to understand and confront their needs, they are likely to become efficient self-starters, more organized and goal-oriented than their peers. They often find creative ways to address problems, such as using cell phones as alarms, reminders and calendars for compiling lists and making notes throughout the day. Honing their self-advocacy skills, these teens feel comfortable describing accommodations or modifications in the classroom and, later in life, will be able to apply their advocacy skills in the workplace.

Finding a Passion

Another key to preventing risky behavior is for teens to find their passion. Many adolescents with executive function challenges thrive on out-of-the-box interests. Parents, in supporting their teen's quest to find activities to pursue enthusiastically should allow all doors to remain open for consideration. Theater, dance, visual arts, stand-up comedy, creative writing, journalism, entrepreneurship, and consulting are just a few possibilities to keep in mind.

Since many teens with learning and attention issues are late bloomers, this may be a long process and involve several false starts. Once teens find what they are looking for, however, their passions may serve as replacements for risky behavior. Pursued zealously, they will bring excitement and "highs" similar to those associated with addictions. And in addition, teens will gain self-esteem and self-confidence, learn important skills, and create friendships based on positive shared interests.
This article is based on a presentation by Peg Dawson, Ed.D., sponsored by Smart Kids with LD. Dawson is a psychologist at the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders in Portsmouth, NH and a member of Smart Kids' Professional Advisory Board. Eve Kessler, Esq., a criminal appellate attorney with The Legal Aid Society, NYC, is co-founder and President of SPED*NET, Special Education Network of Wilton (CT), and a Contributing Editor of Smart Kids.
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By Peg Dawson, Ed.D with Eve Kessler, Esq. Have you ever wondered why adolescence is characterized by change, confusion, high emotions, and impulsive decision-making? It's largely a function of brain development: The part of the brain responsible for decision-making (the frontal lobe) is still evolving, and will continue to do so until about age 25.

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember, and juggle multiple tasks.