Addressing Student Anxiety

in K-12 Education
Emily Lemons, M.Ed. & Fanya Stein, M.Ed.

SCED 516

2018
Proposal Outline
Presenters Information- Emily Lemons, M.Ed. & Fanya Stein, M.Ed.

GEAR UP Affiliation- Other Organization: Lewis and Clark College

Content Level- Beginner

Learning Objectives-

1. Anxiety looks different from child to child at varied ages

2. Students feel pressure from parents, teachers, admin, and within themselves
3. School Counselors can use strategies at all three tiers to help students cope

Audience- Counselor/Advisor Leadership

Session Format- Lecture

Audience Engagement- 25%

Presentation Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate what anxiety looks like in students K-12 and propose
strategies for School Counselors to use in their practice. Anxiety can affect a significant portion of the
school population, which can pose health risks if experienced long term. School Counselors can help
students understand the balance between eustress and distress, while also teaching coping skills to deal
with distress. The pressure from their parents and school culture can trickle down to students, which
makes them more at risk of harming their mental health in order to strive for perfection. School
counselors can advocate for more school wide initiatives to combat student anxiety at all grade levels
and promote wellness, which would help increase positive student outcomes.
Overview of Anxiety in Children & Adolescents
● Estimated that 15-20% of children and adolescents experience an Anxiety
Disorder
● Includes: Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Specific Phobias, PTSD,
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Agoraphobia
● Twice as likely to occur for female identified students
● Often comorbid with other disorders including depression and ADHD
● Strong relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Anxiety
● The earlier the detection, the more likely a child can receive interventions
and have a more positive outcome
Beesdo, Knappe, & Pine (2009)
What Anxiety Looks Like at Young Ages
https://youtu.be/OBbgw3mSwiU (4:44)

Prolonged Anxiety Symptoms from Video:

Body- stomach aches, headaches, muscle tension, heart rate increases,

short of breath

Mind/Feelings- worry, negative thoughts, image the worst, cry easily

Behaviors- tantrums, irritability, avoidance

What Anxiety Looks Like at Young Ages
● Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours, or BFRBs (Hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, nose picking, etc.)
● Generalized Anxiety Disorder
● Health Anxiety
● Hoarding Disorder (HD)
● Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
● Panic Disorder & Agoraphobia
● Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
● Social Anxiety Disorder
● Selective Mutism
● Separation Anxiety Disorder
● Specific Phobias

(https://www.anxietybc.com/parenting/childhood-anxiety, 2017)
When children are exposed
to stressors for long periods
of time, it can change their
brain development, which
can impact attendance and
academic performance, a
vicious cycle that can have
long lasting impacts well
into their future.
(Burke-Harris, 2014)
Impact of School Culture

● Pressure and high expectations begin as early as preschool

● School culture perpetuates pressure on students to take multiple
advanced classes and focus on perfectionism, which can be detrimental
to their health
● Test anxiety related to No Child Left Behind era tests is higher among
teachers and students when compared to regular classroom tests,
beginning in 3rd grade (Segool et al., 2013)
Good Stress
vs.
Toxic Stress

(Brooks-McNamara &
Torres, 2008)
 Strategies for School Counselors
TIER I
-Schoolwide SEL curriculum
like MindUp or Second Steps
-Mental Health Awareness
-Plan fun activities during
stressful times (ex: finals)
-Advocate for a healthier
school culture
TIER II
-Small groups for students
with anxiety to teach
strategies and coping skills
-Behaviors plans with check
ins, structured breaks, skill
development
TIER III
-Check in, Check out with
evidenced based anxiety
workbooks
-Referral to outside mental
health providers, early
detection = more success
-504 plan if necessary
(McCormac, 2016)
Strategies for School Counselors
● LISTEN to the student!!! Let them talk about/express their feelings
● Regular routines at home/school- Info for Parent/Guardian
● Evidence Based Programs: Second Steps/MindUp
● “Sun Rocks”/agates in a jar
● Calming corners/fidgets
● Test Anxiety lunch bunch
● Growth Mindset
● Provide rewards for positive behaviors & bravery (if phobias)

(McCormac, 2016)
Activity
Stations of Anxiety relieving / stress reducing activities

● Guided Visualization
○ http://kidsrelaxation.com/all-relaxation-activities/imaginations-that-fly-in-flight-guided-imagery-relaxation
-activity/
● Apps to look up on phone
○ http://parentingchaos.com/anxiety-apps-kids/
● Flower & Candle breathing
○ http://kidsrelaxation.com/deep-breathing/deep-breathing-activity-flower-and-candle/
References
Beesdo, K., Knappe, S., & Pine, D. S. (2009). Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Developmental Issues
and Implications for DSM-V.The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 32(3), 483–524. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.002

Brooks-McNamara, V., and Torres, D. (2008). The Reflective School Counselor's Guide to Practitioner Research: Skills and
Strategies for Successful Inquiry (1st ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Burke Harris, N.(2014, Sept). Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime [Video file]. Retrieved
from https://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime

Childhood anxiety & related disorders. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.anxietybc.com/parenting/childhood-anxiety

McCormac, M.E. (2016). Address student anxiety. Retrieved from

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/september-october-2016/address-student-anxiety

Segool, Natasha K., et al. “Heightened Test Anxiety among Young Children: Elementary School Students’ Anxious Responses
to High‐Stakes Testing.” Psychology in the Schools, vol. 50, no. 5, 2013, pp. 489–499., doi:10.1002/pits.21689.