GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder usually affects children between the ages of six and eleven. It is characterized by excessive worry and anxiety over a variety of things, including, but not limited to:

Grades Performance in sports Punctuality Family issues Earthquakes Health

The affected child cannot control his/her worry and it interferes with normal activities. Physical symptoms of GAD include:

Restlessness Fatigue/Inability to sleep Difficulty concentrating Irritability Muscle tension

Children with GAD tend to be very hard on themselves, striving for perfection, sometimes redoing tasks repeatedly. They may also seek constant approval or reassurance from others.

TIPS FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS

• Find a treatment provider who is familiar with anxiety disorders and their treatment in children.
• Look for a provider with whom you as a parent feel comfortable, someone who is open to having an ongoing dialogue with you and can help you advocate for your child.
• If your child is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, learn all you can about the disorder.  Visit the library, go on the internet, talk to other parents. 
• Work with the treatment provider to help your child understand the disorder.
• Arrange a family meeting with the treatment provider so that everyone in the family understands and can respond in ways that help the child. 
• Inquire about support groups in your area.
• If your child is of school age, take steps to ensure that your child has a positive school experience.
• Make a list of any changes in the school environment or routine you think you child may need for him or her to function at school.  Not all children with anxiety disorders need any accommodations to perform at school.
• If you would like the school’s help, set up a meeting before the school year begins.  Ask your treatment provider to attend, as well as the teachers and counselors who will be with your child daily. The school nurse (or other health personnel) and the principle.
• At the meeting, have the treatment provider present information about the disorder, about your child and about what educators might expect.  Parent should make a short presentation, too, describing their own experience with the child’s disorder, their child’s strengths and weaknesses, and their hopes and expectations for their child in school.  This is a key opportunity to communicate about your child; you are providing information that will make the school’s job easier and more successful.
• Keep in touch with the school and with your child, to ensure that the school is responding appropriately.
• Encourage you child to share what is going on in school and determine whether or not the school is responding appropriately to your child’s needs.  Recognize helpful teachers with a note expressing your appreciation for their efforts.
• If problems arise, such as a sudden drop in grades or an increase in your child’s level of anxiety or worry, set up another meeting to get at the source of the problem.