Podcast about anxiety

[Lecka]

I am listening to a podcast of Behaviorbabe from November 21, 2019, an interview with Jessica Minahan.  
 

Some new things and some great reminders.

Ask kids what is going on with them, but also look at if their self-report is accurate.  
 

Don’t give kids breaks where they end up ruminating on what they are anxious about.  They can be engaged with an activity that takes their mind off what they are anxious about, etc, options.  
 

She talks about an app that can measure anxiety levels by color, I missed the name of it, and it might be expensive — a biofeedback approach.  Edit:  it is called emwave
 

Going to keep listening while I get some things done around the house 🙂

Edited February 10, 2020 by Lecka

[Lecka]

When anxiety rises, working memory drops, impairs academics and emotional regulation.

When kids calm down working memory comes back.  
 

 

[Lecka]

Anxiety distorts perception of events to be negative.  

[Lecka]

Uneven work — 4 paragraphs one day, 5 sentences the next day.  

[Lecka]

Things that look purposeful can be a sign of lack of self-regulation.  

[Lecka]

Focus on behavior and not individual.  Not labeling.  

[Lecka]

Success can depend on personal relationship and relational skills.  

[Lecka]

Suggestions for how to ask an oppositional child to do something.  
 

Giving the reason.

Give a sticky note and walk away.  
 

(they will feel picked on, they will feel they are being yelled at when they are not)

greet and ask about an interest 

avoid public praise 

more interaction strategies in her book

[Lecka]

Reinforce strategies and skills.  Reinforce strategy use.

 

[Storygirl]

2 hours ago, Lecka said:

When anxiety rises, working memory drops, impairs academics and emotional regulation.

When kids calm down working memory comes back.  
 

 

Thanks for sharing your notes!! This one, especially, jumped out at me, because it's what we saw with DS14 (not the son I usually post about, but the one with a 504). When his anxiety kicked in, his ability to function academically would just freeze. Once he was calmer, he could think again and tackle the problems.

DH and I were just talking about this last night, because DS14 is doing super well in school right now, which represents both a big jump in his achievements and earned him a place in higher level classes this year for 8th grade. He is doing much better than we would have predicted academically, and I think lower levels of anxiety are a big part of that. He hasn't been freezing at all with academics, over the last two years.