Anxious DS ran out of school today.

[LynetteScavo]

I received a report form Clinical Psychologist todaday, which offically tells me DS1 (8) has "Generalised Anxiety Order".

This was demonstrated in school today, when everything just got too much for him,(no obvious reason, accoding to DH or his teacher.) He scribbled on the work he was asked to do and ran out of school. He came back in, though, as it was raining heavily, and was again presented with the work. He slowly and deliberatly tore it up in front of the class, who by this point were all hushed and watching him.

The time he has missed from school this term, I've tried home ed', and quite frankly I'm rubbish at it.

Any ideas any one ?????

Agree with Ruby- he should be allocated a space to go for time out for himself when things get too much for him. it doesn't need to be a big deal- he just needs to know that he can go and sit somewhere like the SENCO's office or the cloakrooms and not be questioned or judged by anyone

Thanks - I rally didn't think anyone would post on this one!

I did sugest to his teacher that he could do with a place to go if everyting gets to much. Nothing was aranged, so I'll mention it again on Monday morning. We told him today school isn't a prison, and he should ask to come home if he really can't cope. (I'd rather he did this than slipped out unnoticed)

Just bumping this incase anyone else has any ideas...........

I'm not sure what a generalised anxiety order is. Is it that he is just very very anxious, I mean, are there definite triggers for his anxiety? Is it pressure of school, social situations and the general blah which makes him tip over sometimes?

I'm asking because it's difficult to know how to address it, without fully understanding his dx, and therefore difficult to make suggestions as to how to avoid the triggers, or alleviate his anxiety.

Not very helpful, am I? Sorry.

Basically he's quite nervous about everything. (flashing lights, loud noises, crowds of people) He finds the crowds of children in school difficult to cope with. Yesterday the class room situation just got too much. He'd been working quietly by himself on the computer outside the classroom, and when he came back in he just felt overwhelmed, I think.

His class teacher is lovely, but obviously has no experience of dealing with a child like this. I think I'm going to have to come up with some sugestions for her over the weekend.

It's hard, as I don't want to apear a namby pamby mother, demanding special treatment for her precious son.

Agree a safe place for him to go would be good. Sorry he feels like this - does the clinical psychologist have any ideas about things that could be done to help him?

The clinical psychologist has recommended a course of cognetive behavioural therapy, whatever that might be. We were seeing him privately out of desperation,(very expensive and a long way to travel) but hopefully we're not too far from an apt' with the local CAMHS. Fingers crossed.

Oh no don't worry about being namby pamby, you're not being anyway. Don't be frightened of standing your ground for him - it's your job and you're the only one who's going to!
Yes, I think suggesting a safe place for him, such as the reading corner or some such. If it's re-entry to the classroom which is a trigger for instance, then he needs to know that he can go there first, to re-acclimatize first, as it were. And hopefully the cognitive therapy will help him to build up a series of proceedures to help him cope with trigger situations, such as re-entering the classroom or, I suspect, lunchtime. Proceedural knowledge can be very helpful at times like these, I think.

Oh and I meant to ask do you think he has other sensory issues? I mean preferring certain clothes, hating waistbands on jeans, preferring certain foods, cutting out labels etc on his clothes? It may be that he's very sensitive to sensory information, including noise and lights, and he overloads when it happens? And looking at a sensory programme may help him too?

Did the Psychiatrist not tell you how to deal with it?

Sensory programme - I've never heard there was such a thing. I think it could be very helpful, as DS has a lot of sensory 'isues'. Everything you've mentioned, apart from food.

Ah well then, that might account for his fight and flight responses do you think? There's a good book on sensory issues which you might like, I'm going to look for it now and I'll tell you what it's called.

Haven't found it yet! LS it might be worth posting in special needs too? A veritable host of experienced and lovely ladies over there, who will have had some experience with this sort of thing I'm guessing.

Ok am going to scour the bookshelves or failing that Amazon. If I find it I can send it to you if you like.

Thanks 100X, I've just grabbed DH's credit card and ordered a huge amont of books from Amazon... Should keep me busy for a while.

DH has written a letter to the head, requesting is provided with somewhere to go when he can't cope with the classroom. We'll see what happens.

I've kept DS of school today. I couldn't bear to send him somwhere he might feel so frightend he needs to run away.

Have handed a letter into the school, asking if they will arange somewhere he can go if it all gets too much. I won't send him back till it's inplace.

i probably havent got anything useful to say buthope it goes well with the head and lets keep this bumped

Iv'e heard nothing from the school today. Do I quietly wait and keep DS at home untill they tell me they've sorted a quiet place, send him in at the risk of him running away, or hassle them? DH is leaving it up to me.

sory I might be ducking in where not wanted and I'm not a professional but I got to the place about sensitivity to noises / lights .. does he have any kind of sensory disorder .. gess has a book recommendation for that with tactics to help

oops I appear to be reiterating information you've already had

I found Gess' post (in her previous name)

does this website help

The Book is called the out-of-sync child

from the website

"SPD can cause a bewildering variety of symptoms. When their central nervous systems are ineffective in processing sensory information, children have a hard time functioning in daily life. They may look fine and have superior intelligence, but may be awkward and clumsy, fearful and withdrawn, or hostile and aggressive. SPD can affect not only how they move and learn, but also how they behave, how they play and make friends, and especially how they feel about themselves.

Many parents, educators, doctors, and mental health professionals have difficulty recognizing SPD. When they don?t recognize the problem, they may mistake a child?s behavior, low self-esteem, or reluctance to participate in ordinary childhood experiences for hyperactivity, learning disabilities, or emotional problems. Unless they are educated about SPD, few people understand that bewildering behavior may stem from a poorly functioning nervous system."

Yes, yes that was the book I was looking for! Did you order it? I can send it to you if not, is here somewhere. Let me know.