Anxiety Management

     
		
	
What it is

An area of student need, involving frequent worry and nervousness.

Teaching Strategies

Instructional
• Directly teach anxiety management/stress reduction strategies.
• Teach labeling of feelings.
• Use literature and multi-media examples to teach anxiety management.
• Determine what the triggers for the student’s anxiety are, and reduce these as much as possible.
• Coach the student to demonstrate positive strategies.
• Use modeling.
• Use role play.
More...

Environmental
• Use preferential seating to avoid anxiety triggers.
• Link the student with a suitable peer to assist in defining, confirming expectations.
• Provide a time-out area.
• Provide stress reduction tools (stress ball, doodling paper, iPod).

Assessment
• Provide advance notice for tests/assignments.
• Offer an alternative location.
• Allow extra time.
• Chunk the test into parts.
• Allow for reference materials to be used.
• Provide written instructions with rubrics for assignments.
• Provide choice of assignments.



Resources

Interventions for teachers to use to reduce anxiety.

Various strategies proposed by the Hinks-Dellcrest Centre for addressing worried, sad, self-harm, angry, defiant, poor social relations behaviours.

Tips for overcoming extreme anxiety and shyness within a school setting. From The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

• Phobias

Symptoms and strategies.

An outline of symptoms, causes, and treatments for anxiety in children from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

Student Needs IPRC Exceptionalites Diagnosed Conditions