educational info

Educational Information

Stress Management for the Learning Disabled. 

cont.

HOW DOES STRESS "DIM ABILITY"?

The emotional discomfort of worry, feelings of being overwhelmed, and the unpleasant physical sensations of anxiety (cold, sweaty hands, butterflies in the stomach, fidgeting and squirming, etc.) distract attention from subtle cognitive tasks. Stress can serve as a signal for a panic reaction, or an anxiety attack (e.g., blanking out during a test).

Stress can also trigger a "flight" response leading to careless "rushing errors" (missing important details, inadvertently marking wrong responses on tests, poor handwriting, etc.) resulting from the strong urge to escape from the unpleasant test situation. A child may learn to avoid stress-producing tasks, a behavior which results in poorer performance, and thus amplifies the child's fear of failure at the task in the future. The aim of stress management is to break the link between irrelevant stress reactions (diffused attention, fear, etc.) and academic tasks.

WHAT ARE SOME ACHIEVEMENT STRESS WARNING SIGNALS?

1. Sudden dramatic increase or decrease in effort in school.
2. Major change in attitude or temperament (irritability, lack of enthusiasm, carelessness).
3. Withdrawal or outbursts.
4. Overactive or distracting behaviors (fidgeting, making unnecessary trips to the pencil sharpener or bathroom, nervous tics, jumping from task to task, showing difficulty in concentrating, being prone to accidents, and sighing).
5. Complaints of fatigue and vague illnesses.
6. Problems sleeping.
7. Headaches or stomachaches.
8. Drug use or abuse.
9. Increase in allergic or asthmatic attacks.
10. Avoidance of school or testing situation by direct refusal or convenient illness (an unnecessary trip to the nurse).
11. Loss of appetite or excessive eating, nail biting, refusing to do chores.
12. Antisocial or disruptive behaviors (Rubenzer, 1987).

A referral to a school psychologist or counselor may be warranted if the quantity or intensity of the above warning signals displayed by the child raises concern. Conversely, decreases in these symptoms would indicate improved stress coping skills.

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THE ABC'S OF STRESS MANAGEMENT

Effective stress management requires a "whole child" approach which addresses the child's attitude, behavior (skills), and circumstances.

STRESS-REDUCING ATTITUDES.

Foster a relaxed classroom environment. Provide humor as an outlet. Encourage one-thing-at-a-time thinking. Emphasize the importance of affirmative, positive thinking on performance. Have the child repeat such phrases as "I can do it," "I am calm and I can remember the right answers," "I have studied hard so I will do well." Encourage the child to discuss his or her problems with counseling personnel and others.

STRESS-REDUCING BEHAVIORS.

After about 10 relaxation training sessions (usually three 10- to 15-minute sessions per week) using such programs as QR, Centering Books, Biofeedback monitor, Stress Dots or Calmpute (see references), have the student practice relaxation while seated at a desk (with eyes open). Make certain the student "unlocks" arms and legs, breathes deeply and slowly, and relaxes muscles. If the child starts frowning or fidgeting during the task, remind him or her to relax. Sitting at a desk will become a cue for relaxation if the child is rewarded (saying thank you, etc.) for relaxing when seated. It may be helpful for a child to engage in some noncompetitive aerobic exercise for a few minutes prior to being seated to help burn off energy.

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