Separation Anxiety In Children

Changes to family circumstances can have a profound effect on children. Separation or Divorce can leave the child with a sense of bereavement, like they have lost one of their parents. They may feel angry or confused and worried about what will happen to them in the future. They may also feel that they are in some way to blame for the family breakdown so carry a burden of guilt. These negative emotions may lead to a lack of concentration at school, or exhibits themselves as withdrawn or aggressive behaviours.

Separation anxiety is very common as children grow and develop. They may fear those few moments during daycare drop-off or that initial first meeting with a new babysitter. These children will often times grow out of this anxiety after they become familiar with their surroundings and caregivers. But, if they continue having these separation anxiety induced outbursts, even after they have been with a trusted caregiver for a time, parents and primary caregivers often worry about the well-being of their child and their child’s development. They may believe that their child has acquired a Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD). I selected this topic because I work with multiple toddlers in a center and their parents have expressed some minor worry towards whether or not their child suffers with SAD or if this anxiety is causing them delays. I would love to be able to know some minor details about this broad topic and refer them to the website and articles that I found helpful when writing this report. This topic is important because it is has many symptoms that are similar to regular and developmentally appropriate separation anxiety. When a child suffers from SAD, it is something that needs attention by a pediatric professional in order for it not to affect the child later in life.

Practitioners should be aware of any changes in the child's behavior or feelings. For the child starting school for the first time may find it upsetting as they are away from their main carer, however if this was a child starting a new school at an older age such as 8 years old, they wouldn't feel the sense of loneliness as much of a younger child as they are used to being aware from their parents for a longer period of time. The effects on a older child starting a new school or a different year group would be different as they are already in the routine of leaving their parents. This key issue is relevant for all children who are going through a transition regardless of their age, all children will have some sort of effects of a transition in the school setting, whether it’s a big effect or just a slight effect. This key issue is important as if the child is really effected by their transition the practitioners needs to be aware of this and help the child as much as possible to overcome this.

When a child is removed from their home at a young age, the consequences can be more severe. During the ages three and four it is not good for a child to be moved but if they do get moved it is good to have a strong bond with their caregivers. If they get moved repeatedly, it makes their attachment issues more sever. Attachment issues create the following troubles such as; poor eye contact, antisocial, problems with learning and lack of physical affection. Theses are not abnormal for a child with theses issues(“Attachment”). There are two different types of attachment issues and they are the one that babies have which is insecure attachment and for older children it is also called Reactive Attachment Disorder. An infant with this disorder may not smile , or coo or make any sounds , or even does not reach out for you to hold them , they may also reject your affection like trying to soothe

This type of separation is often the most difficult to deal with because i stays with you for eternity. Take the loss of a parent or loved one it doesn't matter how they go that emotional scar will stay with our for the rest of your life and for some people it can cause a lot of problems in their life and often it can be seen by the rest of their loved ones or even friends. Everyone deals with grief differently for some crying can help, for others just having some time to themselves to deal with it but for others with in a tough or terrifying situation they choose to ignore it or even pretend it never happened but in the end that all catches up to a person and in the end they will have to deal with it but it's a matter or if the have to courage to face it and the strength to pull through. That's one of the themes Elie Wiesel portrays in his book Night, is the way that he dealt with grief when he was suffering a very horiffict time in his life and having to deal with the loss of his family. In the book young Eliezer first major separation is from his mother and younger sister, at first he wishes to believe that they are fine and that they are just in a different camp but as time goes on he realizes that he cant stop kidding himself and that it will only make it worse in the end. His first reaction

Feelings of sadness and resistance are common as children prepare to leave a familiar setting/situation. Some may loose control, cry easily or revert to habits such as, thumb sucking. Practitioners can assist the child express their emotions by reading stories about children in similar situations. Practitioners need to acquire patience and compassion for the child and family. The separation often proves traumatic for parents in need of support and reassurance. Hamilton et al (2003, pg 16) advise practitioners to be “…patient and understanding”.

Between 6 – 9 months babies might develop what is called “stranger anxiety”. This period is not permanent, and usually fades over time. They will seek attention and show strong feelings about likes and dislikes. Baby begins to recognize and identify their own feelings and that they are different, they will also begin to realize that they are a separate person.

Today, the exact cause of Separation Anxiety Disorder is unknown (According to an article by Psychology Today). Although the exact cause is unknown, we do know of some risk factors. According to various articles, kids that come from very united families are more likely to develop SAD if separation from a parent occurs or a traumatic event such as, physical assault occurs. Boston Children’s Hospital says that, “…a child can also inherit that parent’s anxiety…” and that “…anxiety may be learned from family members and others who are noticeably stressed or anxious around a child.” Those are only some ways a kid might end up developing SAD. Various articles also suggest that a factor that seems to be common in kids with Separation Anxiety

Children experience separation disorder in a more severe form than infant Children may develop physical complications when separated. Children sometimes get an upset stomach, nausea, or vomiting. Symptoms include hyperventilating headaches and diarrhea. Behavioral symptoms that a child might exhibit when they have anxiety include hesitancy or refusal to separate from the caregiver. The children may start begging, whining, and crying. Having tantrums if confronted with separation is normal. They may refuse to go to school or even refuse to sleep alone. Teen’s experience separation anxiety quite frequently. when separated from their cell phone, or friends. Signs of separation disorder included the constant worry of where the phone is located. They worry about battery life. Adults become paranoid and expect the worst. They begin to hyperventilate some get headaches and become very anxious.

The three hardest transitions for a young child are nap time, drop-off time and departure. These are the hardest because they make the child completely shift from one activity to another. Some children do not like to leave the activity they were doing to do something completely different. One example of how to ease nap time is to do a calm activity beforehand. It is important to not do something completely active before nap time because it will make the children not want to sleep. It will also make the transition easier because the child will not be going from one extreme to another. To make drop-off time easier I will make each child feel welcomed and gain his or her trust. Children sometimes have a hard time being separated from their parents

Very young children who are removed face an additional danger added by the experience itself, which is separation. The emotional and developmental harm that may come to them is related to how they perceive the reason for the

2. Yes, the baby is more likely to experience stranger anxiety if the child is only with his parents, because the child will create a bond and will not recognize anyone else later on. These could lead to him only wanting to be with his parents and cause stranger anxiety.

but are quickly soothed upon reunion. The anxious-ambivalent and disorganized infants are characterized with thrilling anxiety during separation and strive for closeness to their attachment figure upon reunion.

The client’s mother referred her son to the agency because he was suffering from anxiety. He was resisting going to go to school and becoming distressed when his parents tried to leave him at home.

SAD is one of the most commonly diagnosed anxiety disorders among children. It is completely normal for adolescents, especially in very young adolescents, to experience some degree of separation anxiety. In comparison, separation anxiety disorder is excessive worry or anxiety that goes beyond the expected amount for the child's developmental level. SAD is characterized by excessive anxiety concerning separation from home or from those to whom a child is attached. While some tend to believe that this anxiety disorder is more common among females than males, it has been determined that SAD occurs at approximately the same rate in males and females (Eisen & Schaefer, 2005). Separation Anxiety Disorder is not permanent. It can be cured; however children with SAD are at higher risk for the development of other anxiety disorders and depression not only in adolescence, but in adulthood as well. Studies have shown that children who are diagnosed with SAD are much more likely to have are much more likely to develop panic disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and several others later in life. Studies have also shown that children diagnosed with SAD have similar symptoms that occur among them. Primary symptoms include excessive worry about potential harm to self or major attachment figures, frequent nightmares about separation, physical ailments such as nausea, headaches, stomach pains, as well as