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The Problem: Mary was experiencing behavior and learning problems at school. She refused to do written work, she was stubborn and her teacher found her difficult to work with. She engaged in a range of concerning behaviors including a tendency to hide under tables when asked to do academic work. Her mother was worried and upset. She also reported that her daughter was experiencing social problems and often complained that she didn’t have any friends. The Assessment: The assessment revealed that a number of concerns were factors in Mary’s learning and behavior problems, including a learning disability that interfered with her ability to learn to read and write. The learning stress and anxiety she experienced, as a result, contributed to considerable emotional distress, as well as behavior problems. She also presented with symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Furthermore, one of Mary’s parents also suffered from Major Depressive Disorder and an anxiety disorder, which increased the risk that she would develop one or both of these disorders. Solutions and Outcomes: So how did we help Mary? I consulted with her teachers and her parents about the assessment findings regarding her learning, behavioral and emotional needs and provided them with information about her learning disability. Then I developed a plan to address her learning problems. I also provided Mary’s parents with information about depression and anxiety. This included information about how environmental stressors like learning stress can trigger this genetic vulnerability, and why children of anxious or depressed parents are at increased risk for developing these disorders. I then developed a plan to help Mary’s parents reduce these risks for Mary by modeling and teaching her more appropriate coping behaviors. With the right program in place, Mary began to experience success at school. Her learning stress decreased. She relaxed, seemed happier and more socially engaged and confident. She stopped hiding under tables and engaging in other avoidance behaviors. She was less anxious and no longer appeared depressed. Another example of why understanding the problem is the key to addressing it. |
