Tips for home: How to help a child with Anxiety

http://childrensdirectory.net/2012/05/childhood-anxiety-how-you-can-help-at-home/

A few highlights (excerpts from the article "Childhood Anxiety & How You Can Help At Home"):

Helping with their Thoughts

1) You can help your child by asking them a series of questions about the reality of their thoughts/beliefs: “What is the worst thing that could happen if….?” “So what if … happened?” Explore with them- “what could you do if (a), (b), or (c) happened?” “How serious or long-lasting would the consequences of (a), (b) or (c) be to your life?”

2) Encourage your child to speak positively to himself about his coping skills. Compose with your child positive statements that he may use in fearful situations that contradict the automatic negative thought he typically has about that situation. For example, instead of: “If I make a mistake on my presentation everyone will laugh at me” say “I am going to do well on my presentation, no one will laugh at me, and even if they did, I will just laugh it off too”.

Helping with their Feelings.

1) Develop Their Emotional Vocabulary – You can expand your child’s emotional vocabulary by describing the situation he is in and naming the feelings he may be experiencing. For example, “It’s Monday morning and you do not want to get ready for school. Maybe you are feeling nervous about your test today.” Accept his feelings when he does tell you how he feels; respond with a simple “hmm” or “you feel __ because ____” and avoid corrective statements like “there is nothing to be afraid of”.

2) Model feelings/reactions of calmness to your child – While you want to acknowledge and recognize your child’s feeling of apprehension one should avoid indirectly reinforcing and justifying the anxiety and the avoidance of the feared situation. Try to remain calm and positive yourself.

Anxiety is a long-standing condition that can continue to affect a child over their lifetime. By informing yourself as a parent, you can help your child develop the skills and strengths to cope with this condition and grow to live a successful life. Secondly, recognizing if or when you and your child may need professional help or counselling to support your at home interventions is another important key. Fear is a limitation; don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Kicking off the 2012-2013 school year!

Hello! My name is Jessica Amedeo and I am the new Social Worker for Prairieview Elementary School. As we are nearing the end of our first month of school, I’d like to take a moment to give you an idea of my background and experience. I'd also like to explain a little bit about my role as School Social Worker.

For the past five years I was working as School SocialWorker for a Special Education Cooperative in the South Suburbs. There I gained valuable experience working with children with varying abilities, strengths, and challenges. Prior to that, I received my Masters Degree in Social Work from University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2004, I received my Bachelors Degree fromUniversity of Wisconsin - Madison. I grew up in Downers Grove and attended school at both Center Cass School District 66 and Downers Grove South High School. About a year ago I moved back into the Downers Grove area along with my husband, our son, and our Miniature Australian Shepherd, Oliver.

I am so excited to be back in the Center Cass School Dist 66 community. I feel very committed to serving this wonderful community and hope to become a resource to you and your family.

Some parents/families may wonder, "how would a School Social Worker be a resource to my child/family?" or "when would a parent or student seek the assistance of a School Social Worker?".

Just like any other Educator, my role is to help students learn. The "subject" that I focus on is called Social/Emotional Learning. Some students find this area to be more challenging than others and require extra support in learning about a variety of topics such as: friendship skills (how to greet others, how to have a conversation on a topic of mutual interest, etc.), conflict resolution strategies, recognizing emotions in self and others, and managing one's own emotional responses. Other students may be going through a difficult time such as a loss of a loved one or a significant life change that is impacting their ability to learn to their full potential. I am able to provide support both short and long term through small group, one on one, or whole classroom groups/discussions based on student needs. I also am involved in the school wide PBIS initiatives in teaching and reinforcing the school wide expectations of being respectful, being responsible, and being safe.

Click the link for more information on School Counselors (School Social Work is a type of School Counseling). http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/school_counselors.html#

On this blog I plan to post links and information to helpful resources both internet and community based... I also plan to provide updates regarding topics being covered during Social Work time. Check back periodically for updates!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached at 630-783-5158 or jamedeo@ccsd66.org.

Here's to a great school year!