School Anxiety

Diagnosing the Mystery Illness
Often those pesky symptoms stem from anxiety, but what’s causing that?
We’re more than a month into school now and it seems like things should be
settling down – kids have adjusted to new routines, classes and teachers, regained
knowledge lost over the summer and are ready to take on new learning, right? While it
should be that way, for far too many families the true struggles are just beginning
because of a common but often misunderstood problem: anxiety.
Anxiety is obviously a normal part of life. For kids, it’s far more likely to cause
problems during certain times: the start of full-time schooling, around the age of 10 or
11, and during transitions into middle or high school. Even if your student is in one of
these tougher times, if they haven’t “settled in” to school yet this year, it may be a sign
of a bigger problem: anxiety disorder, which according to the Anxiety Disorders of
America Association, affects one in eight children.
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term that refers to a wide range of mental disorders
that impact day-to-day life. Anxiety is now the No. 1 mental health problem in America.
One common anxiety disorder is didaskaleinophobia, or school refusal. First
dubbed “school phobia” back in 1941, it’s now officially recognized by the American
Phobic Society and affects an estimated 2 to 5 percent of American kids. A wide range
of symptoms include:
• Refusal to go to school or elaborate plans to avoid school
• Missing the bus to school
• Illness and pain just before leaving for school
• The quick disappearance of physical ailments if the child is allowed to stay
home, followed by reoccurring symptoms the next morning
• Frequent visits to the school nurse with headaches, stomach aches,
nausea, diarrhea, sore throats, aches and other symptoms that can’t be
attributed to a physical ailment
It’s these physical symptoms that are often the most frustrating, because parents
don’t always realize they can be signs of another problem. They often spend months
chasing the diagnosis with visits to pediatricians, chiropractors, allergists and other
specialists. Confounding the problem is the fact that many of these physical complaints
are also symptoms of the five most common illnesses that keep kids out of school.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the top five absence-causing sicknesses are colds, ear
infections, sore throats, pink eye and stomach viruses.
So how do you determine what’s causing these symptoms?
1. Talk to your child to eliminate obvious causes like bullying, few friends, learning
difficulties or problems at home.
2. Make sure no underlying physical illnesses are causing the symptoms. If you
haven’t been to the pediatrician yet, make an appointment now. And don’t be
afraid to ask about the possibility of an anxiety-related cause.
3. Get a comprehensive evaluation from a mental health professional. This can lead
to a formal diagnosis, treatment and therapy.
4. Have your child’s cognitive skills tested at a certified brain training center like
LearningRx. Cognitive skills are the mental tools we all need to think, reason,
read, remember and pay attention. Anxiety is often a symptom of weak cognitive
skills especially if the problems are just emerging now, when the review is over,
the work is harder and the expectations are greater. The student gets frustrated
because he can no longer easily handle the workload, so he tries to avoid school,
homework, and other mental challenges. Often his self-esteem will suffer and he
becomes more withdrawn or acts out irrationally. A cognitive skills assessment
can pinpoint weak skills and help in the diagnosis of the mystery illness. If
cognitive skill weaknesses are the problem, strengthening those skills through
intense one-on-one brain training can often greatly reduce or eliminate the
symptoms.
While searching for answers, work on ways to alleviate the symptoms.
• If possible, keep your child in school. Absenteeism usually exacerbates anxiety.
• Continue talking with your child about his feelings, fears and stresses.
• Meet with teachers or counselors seeking input and support.
• Pay attention to patterns. Is it worse before a test? Do symptoms subside at
home?
• Strive for a healthy lifestyle with nourishing meals, exercise, plenty of sleep, and
limited caffeine and other stimulants.
Searching for the cause of a mystery illness can be time-consuming, frustrating, and
even expensive, but keep at it. Eventually your perseverance will bring the answers you
need to help ease your child into a more settled, happier and productive school year.

Submitted by member Linda Althoff at LearningRX, a great place to improve cognitive function, memory, school performance, and more. To find out more, visit us online at www.chattanoogacounselor.com/local resources.