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(Unit 3) Topic 7: The Anxious Child

1 Clock Hour of Early Childhood Education

What is Anxiety?

​Topic 7 Page 2

Anxiety is the result of perceived danger or risk. Everyone, adults and children alike, get nervous or anxious from time to time. From a physiological standpoint, a reasonable amount of anxiety or stress is normal. It’s your body’s alarm system and has kept our species alive. 

It is when the amount of anxiety a person experiences interferes with daily life that it becomes a problem. According to Dr. Thomas J. Huberty at Indiana University, “the primary characteristic of anxiety is worry, which is fear that future events will have negative outcomes. Anxious children are much more likely than their peers to see minor events as potentially threatening.” This means that things that may seem just normal  for some, will seem scary to a person with anxiety.   

Children with anxiety may shy away from social encounters and not have many healthy relationships with peers. These students tend to miss school more often and can experience academic failure as a result. Anxiety is not something that the child will simply outgrow. If not addressed, it will continue with children into their adult lives. Studies have shown that children that have anxiety are more likely to grow up with substance abuse problems. Diagnoses and treatment are vital to help children learn to manage their anxiety.  

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