Stress and Anxiety in Children Often Goes Untreated
Today, many students are faced with complicated and perplexing issues. There exists an internal and external struggle between competitive academics, participating in family activities, socialization with friends, keeping up with extracurricular activities, and even more in the average life of a child.
It’s no wonder kids today are stressed out, anxious, and feel the push and pull of the weight, burden, and desire to live a satisfied life resting on their shoulders. For students with learning disabilities or students living with anxiety or continued stress, success becomes difficult to achieve.
Students in the U.S. Are More Anxious Than the Rest of the World
A new international survey shows that teenagers in the U.S. rank only around average for life satisfaction and academic achievement, compared to many other countries.
The survey places the U.S. almost exactly in the middle, right at average, when ranking satisfaction and academic achievement among teenagers. The top five countries with teens who rank very satisfied in both categories include the Netherlands, Mexico, Finland, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica.
Countries don’t have to sacrifice the happiness of students to boost academic success because students in Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands consistently perform well on tests AND say they feel good about their lives. There seems to be a disconnect when it comes to students in the United States. So, what factors determine students’ wellbeing?
According to the survey, four factors that largely predict the wellbeing of students include: teacher support, parental support, socialization outside of school, and higher levels of physical activity.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, anxiety about schoolwork, feeling like an outsider, and excessive internet use are large determining factors of dissatisfaction among students. In America, the number of students who feel like outsiders are at a staggering 24 percent (the global average is at 17 percent). These students were three times more likely to be dissatisfied with their lives.
If your child or student exhibits signs of increased anxiety, stress, or expresses feelings of being an outsider in school or at home, contact us today. We can help.
How Do I Know if My Child Has a Learning Disability?
How can you determine if your child has a learning disability in their earlier stages of life? By first grade, most children will have mastered the beginnings of reading, writing, and simple arithmetic. They even know how to make the best of their school days!
Your fast-growing child may be able to recite the entire alphabet and count to 100, but if they struggle to name individual letters when pointed out or have trouble properly listing numbers on paper, these could be signs of a learning disability.
The term ‘learning disability’ may have gained a negative connotation, however, learning disabilities are simply a category of disorders that make it difficult for them to understand certain concepts. Simply put, learning disabilities mean a child learns in ways different than the average student. Many times, these children have average and even above average level intelligence, but they have trouble expressing their knowledge.
Do these signs sound familiar to you? Learning disabilities don’t disappear with age and often make learning a lifelong challenge. Academic testing allows parents and teachers to understand where a student’s strengths and weaknesses lie in the learning process. Contact us today and learn more about academic assessments.