Anxiety In The Classroom: How to Help Students Cope

Anxiety Triggers

As students who suffer from anxiety return to school, they are dealing with many stressors:

Aversion to crowds
Worry of germs or catching COVID
Overwhelming workloads
Fear of failure
Suspicion of others’ thoughts
Experiencing a more restricted environment than with virtual learning
Heightened sense of pressure with time constraints
Lack of parent or family presence which was prevalent during home-learning
Peer pressure or bullying
Struggles with organizational skills and work completion
Trouble staying focused

…And the list could be continued.

Anxiety Behaviors

Every child displays different behaviors when stressed. They might internalize their feelings and withdraw or exhibit physical symptoms. Or a child might externalize their feelings, displaying outbursts in class or tantrums when overwhelmed. Any of these interruptions can disrupt a student’s ability to succeed in school.

Accommodations for Anxiety

It may be determined that anxiety is a barrier to your child’s ability to be successful in their classroom environment. Accommodations can be made to help the student cope with anxiety at school. These accommodations should be formally indicated in a new or existing IEP or 504 plan.

There are many ideas for accommodations that may aide a child in coping with anxiety in school. Some examples might be:

Provide a “break pass” to let the student walk down the hallway, get a drink, or leave the classroom when needed.
Give notice or extra time for classroom transitions, and practice the transitions in a low-stress environment.
Call on the student for an answer only when their hand is raised.
Break down assignments into smaller chunks.
Give extended time on tests and/or separate test-taking space to reduce performance anxiety.
Assure that work not completed on time won’t count against the student.
Allow the student to leave class to sit with a preferred counselor or other staff member.
Provide classroom seating where the student is most comfortable.
Arrange to do work with a peer buddy.

It is key that accommodations are specific to the individual student’s needs.

Final thoughts

When your student is dealing with anxiety, it is helpful to include any outside mental health providers as part of the IEP team. Providers can be present by phone, or simply include their written feedback. Together, the team can ensure that accommodations are a good fit for your student.

If your child is dealing with anxiety in school, and you want to discuss appropriate actions, or you need support within the IEP or 504 team to ensure appropriate accommodations, please feel free to get in touch. I offer a free initial consultation. Call me, 919-510-3180, or request your free initial consultation below.

Read an interesting article called: “When is it time to get my child help for mental health issues?”