Understanding and Managing Children's anxiety presentation notes 22.05.19

Full notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yDR5uow5uA4v3XpHbCPjRJKSBU6LXetJDR4dui84rIA/edit#heading=h.focxn62vme1a

Understanding and Managing Children’s anxiety Workshop presentation

Wednesday May 22, 2019Catherine Gallagher- Clinical PsychologistPaparoa Street School Hall – N.Z.E.I- 7pm-9pm

Key Points:

• Managing anxiety requires firm approaches- can look like firm manage of behaviour - have to get the balance right
• Anxiety is...normal and healthy. fight, flight, freeze response (the body’s alarm response)
• Brains are designed to prioritise risk- safe/ unsafe. Threat system dominates when there is a risk. Located at the back of head
• The brain can trick us into thinking we are in danger right now!
• RESOURCE- Pillars - a response for children whose parents are in prison
• Anxiety factors - Anxiety runs in families - genetics, support for parents vital in managing anxiety,
• Experience- the brain has evolved to deal with an ever changing world, so experience shapes brain development. “Neurons that fire together wire together”. It’s the thoughts we have about these experiences. e.g responses to events- earthquakes
• The Responses of others- social connection, the antidote to stress, support kids to stay in the feeling long enough- anxiety is fear in the absence of threat, change wording to hey, when this happens we have a plan for it - the brain loves plans!
• Our nervous systems not designed to be calm all the time, supposed to pulse in and out of regulation. Distress does not equal harm. Often biggest job is to support with distress
• Window of tolerance- time to settle in - then get into the zone, sometimes we get over-regulated. We often do things to keep ourselves in the window of tolerance. Some of our students have tiny windows of tolerance - making them really challenging to teach. The idea of feeling resourced and supported is so, so important.
• Change can start with the grown ups, we see bigger picture, we are motivated for change, children too scared/stuck to try anything different, we hold power to influence behaviour change, the magic of ‘mirror neurons’, we more likely to stay in our ‘upstairs brain’
• Regulate ourselves in the classroom- drink of water, fresh air, teachers having a mic to assist in talking in a calm voice assisted with stress levels. If we talk quietly and calmly, children tend to listen more. True.
• Anxiety- emotional needs and attachment relationship- lower and keep expectations realistic for that child, skills the child needs to learn- e.g mindfulness, breathing, importance of exercise, practise being brave and experiencing anxiety- and managing behaviour, correct emotionally - right brain, redirect/correct left brain, name it to tame it, help child to put words around the experience / feeling helps to bring a greater sense of control. Skills are only one little part of the puzzle.
• Know the kids in our room, Tennis Vs Squash analogy - children asks questions, refuses to… we hit the ball back, talk the child into doing something. Sometimes shots get a bit dirtier. Move towards squash- take a moment to work out what you are likely to get. Make accommodations - plan for child’s needs...plan for the moment there will be an ‘alarm’ moment. How are we going to manage the worst, what help will you need?
• GREAT RESOURCE! 10 minute parenting podcasts - ‘Are we there Yet? Radio NZ. These look excellent! Check them out. Could be great for sharing with parents, https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/are-we-there-yet/podcast?page=2