38 THE QUEENS COURIER • EDUCATION • OCTOBER 31, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
education
You’re not alone: How to recognize and
support kids with anxiety and ADHD
Does your child seem anxious about
school? Is it something beyond typical
stress? A big challenge for parents is fi guring
out where to turn for support and
information when their kids are struggling.
Parents oft en wonder whether it’s anxiety
or some other issue making school
diffi cult. For instance, some symptoms of
ADHD can look like anxiety. According
to the CDC, it’s not unusual for a child to
have both: 1 in 3 kids who have ADHD
also have anxiety.
Find support
It’s easy to feel alone when your child
has anxiety or ADHD - or when you’re
starting to suspect that your child is struggling
with something like this. Many parents
crave connection with others who
understand what they’re going through.
Today, families can fi nd community
through resources like Understood’s new
podcast, “In It.” In each episode, families
and experts provide insights about the
joys and challenges of raising the 1 in 5
kids in the U.S. with learning and attention
issues, anxiety and related concerns.
“We want families and educators to
feel like they’re not alone,” says Amanda
Morin, co-host of the podcast. “Th is journey
has enough challenges as it is, so we
wanted to create a space for further support
and understanding.”
Know the signs of anxiety
If you’re worried your child may have
anxiety, it’s important to be familiar with
signs of anxiety in kids. Th is includes
behaviors like:
• Saying “what if ” a lot and worrying
about the future
• Being unable to relax or concentrate
• Getting angry without any clear reason
• Frequently complaining of headaches
and stomachaches
Keep an eye on when and why your
child gets anxious and look for patterns.
What was happening right before your
child got anxious? Was he trying to organize
his backpack? Was she nervous
about starting an assignment and saying
things like, “What if I pick the wrong
topic?” While everyone experiences anxiety
sometimes, excessive worry that is diffi
cult to control may rise to the level of an
anxiety disorder.
Keeping track of what you’re seeing will
help you understand your child’s struggles.
It can also help you frame your concerns
for your child’s doctor or mental
health specialist.
Is anxiety a sign of
something else?
Without a formal evaluation, it can be
hard to tell if anxiety is the root of your
child’s struggles, or if the anxiety points to
something else - like a learning or attention
issue. If anxiety is the root of your
child’s struggles, knowing this can help
you understand other ways your child
may be struggling.
Th at’s what happened for comedian
Dena Blizzard. On a recent episode,
Blizzard shared how she realized her
daughter’s anxiety might be an indicator
of other issues. “We had fi nally gotten
her anxiety under control, but I started to
notice her diffi culty with comprehension.
Even though no one agreed with me, I
trusted my instinct and had her evaluated
for learning disabilities.” Her daughter
was found to have auditory processing
issues, a learning disability, specifi cally
with problems with comprehension and
working memory, and ADHD.
Not all kids with anxiety have learning
and attention issues like ADHD. Th ese are
diff erent conditions and they’re addressed
in diff erent ways - even if they exist
together. Parents can look for patterns and
consult with teachers, doctors and mental
health professionals to determine whether
their child has a learning and attention
issue, anxiety or both.
To learn more, fi nd the podcast wherever
you listen to podcasts. Visit www.
understood.org for more information.
Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.understood.org
/www.understood.org
/understood.org
