I am a teacher
and I want to:
Learn how to identify children with school
phobia.
Know the signs and symptoms of a child with school phobia.
Understand the treatments used for school phobia.
Have an adequate knowledge of the
treatments used in various areas for school phobia, so that I know the many
approaches.
UNDERSTAND signs of school phobia to look
for
Learn how to identify children with school phobia.
- Caretakers are usually aware
of the absence from school
- Parents
usually encourage children to go to
school
- Children
are usually anxious
- Academic difficulties are a stressor that affects school phobia
- Current
or past bullying or teasing is important
to look for because it can decrease one’s motivation for going to school
- Children
typically experience emotional distress
by missing school
- Anxiety and/or depression may be symptoms
present when children experience school phobia
- Family or peer conflict is a major
stressor for school phobia
To learn more about symptoms you can go to:
http://www.kellybear.com/TeacherArticles/TeacherTip51.html
UNDERSTAND the treatment of school phobia
Encouraging a medical
exam is an important first step to ensure that there are no physical
problems.
Several approaches are used to treat school
phobia, and working together with parents often works well, so the child
receives a consistent treatment:
- Behavioral
o
Often uses exposure based treatment, which
means the student is exposed to school either gradually or immediately in order
to expose them to what is causing anxiety
o
Relaxation techniques are commonly used
o
Returning to school is an important part of
treatment
- Cognitive
or cognitive behavioral
o
Emphasize staying home to avoid anxiety
o
Focuses on helping the child change their way
of thinking in order to see changes in their behavior
- Psychodynamic
o
Sometimes emphasize staying home in order
to avoid anxiety
o
Looks at how the family influences the
child
- Pharmacological
o
Often used along with one of the treatments
listed above
o
Research conflicts whether or not the
medication is helpful due to a placebo effect or whether it truly works, but
either way, it does seem to be effective
3 main goals can be met when using
information:
1. UNDERSTAND 2. ACT 3. COPE
These words will be used throughout to
guide you in this process
Last Updated: March 28, 2007