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THE IMPACT OF ANXIETY ON GIFTED CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERSSally Logerquist, Ph.D.The Nicholls Group

Susan E. Jackson, Ph.D.Celebrating High Potential

NAGC Annual Convention

November 14, 2015

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WHAT IS ANXIETY?

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Anxiety is normal and everyone experiences anxiety from time to time.

Anxiety actually helps us to survive in the face of danger by preparing the body for escape (fight or flight).

Anxiety motivates us to prepare for social challenge (talking in front of class) and to perform the best we can.

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Anxiety is only a problem when it occurs so frequently and so intensely that it interferes with one’s life.

Therefore, the goal is not to eliminate anxiety, but rather to keep the level down to where it is helpful, not harmful.

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Three Components of Anxiety• Physical (what we feel)

• All of the physical sensations we feel when we are nervous or frightened• Heart races to get blood to larger muscles• We breathe more quickly in order to increase oxygen levels• Amygdala is turned on and active and adrenaline is released.

• Cognitive (what we think)• Beliefs that an individual holds about the situation she/he fears.

For example: “The kids at my new school won’t like me.”

• Behavioral (what we do)• Behaviors an individual will use to prevent anxiety from occurring

or reduce the anxiety once it has begun. These behaviors include avoidance and escape.

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Because there’s a grain of truth in anxiety, children tend to think that it’s the truth. So, for children, if there’s a very small chance that something will happen, it will.

(Peters, 2013)

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WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF ANXIETY ON GIFTED CHILDREN?

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Gifted children have either the same or lower risk of depression and anxiety than non-gifted children.

(Martin, Burns, & Schonlau, 2010)

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Children with ASD are more at risk for anxiety than typical peers.

16% of people with ASD under 18 have comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD).

(Kreiser & White, 2014)

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Too much anxiety can lead to unhealthy perfectionism and learned helplessness.

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Perfectionism

Anxiety is common in both gifted children and gifted children with ASD, and is often revealed in perfectionism.

(Webb et al., 2005).

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Healthy perfectionism is characterized by conscientiousness and can lead to positive outcomes.

(Parker, 1997)

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Perfectionism is a problem when having to be perfect prevents children from performing in situations where they have to make an effort and possible make mistakes or fail.

(Peters, 2013)

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Dysfunctional or unhealthy perfectionism is characterized by:• Anxiety about making mistakes• Inability to experience pleasure regarding one’s efforts• Having extremely high standards• Feeling compelled to work towards unrealistic goals• Lacking effective coping strategies• Fear of failure• Procrastinating• Self-worth tied to performance• Seeing others as having high expectations• Internalizing others’ negative comments• Needing approval

(Mofield & Chakraborti-Ghosh, 2010; Parker, 1997)

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Learned helplessness is

“a relationship between one’s own actions and the results of these actions can no longer be perceived.” (Ziegler et al., 2005, p. 7)

“when there is a perception of a strong relation between behavior and adverse consequences.” (Lavelle, Matalsky, & Coyn, 1979; Kuhl, 1981, p. 9)

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Learned helplessness occurs when one attributes failure to low ability and believes that the outcomes are uncontrollable.

He or she sees other similar to himself or herself succeed where he or she fails. This may develop after several failures, even if person puts in effort.

This person blames the failure on external sources when really it was due to internal source.

This is Dweck’s (2007) fixed mindset.

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WHERE DOES ANXIETY COME FROM WITH GIFTED CHILDREN?

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When they focus on past failures and have feelings of inadequacy.

When failures are attributed to uncontrollable causes (whether from others or self).

When control is perceived as being outside and they lack a sense of agency.

When they set unrealistic goals and expectations for themselves.

When they are pressured to succeed by parents and teachers.

When unrealistic expectations are tied to feelings of self-worth.

(Mudrak & Zabrodska, 2015; Salmela & Maatta, 2015: Yadusky-Holahan & Holahan, 1983; Ziegler et al., 2005)

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Intensity and Sensitivity• Overexcitability or “superstimulability” - Dabrowski

• A person has “stronger and more lasting reactions to stimuli” and it takes “less stimulation to produce a response.”

• Life is experienced in a qualitatively different way from that of other people.

• Like temperament, gifted children are born with these overexcitabilities. Gifted people tend to be more intense, with an overabundance of energy.

• Gifted and gifted with ASD tend to have intellectual OE, with intense focus in areas of interest, with possible neglect or disconnection from other people or events.

• Anxiety may occur when the child recognizes this disconnection from other people or events.

• Emotional OE, intense emotions, can also be diagnosed (or misdiagnosed) as anxiety disorders.

(Daniels & Piechowski, 2009)

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WHERE DOES ANXIETY COME FROM WITH GIFTED CHILDREN WITH ASD?

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Anxiety grows with each subsequent negative educational and/or social interaction. A history of poor outcomes leads to low confidence and high anxiety.

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Giftedness is a qualitative way of experiencing life that is very different from that of those who are not gifted.

All gifted people have uneven or asynchronous development. Some gifted children have greater disparities between their strengths and weaknesses. Gifted and twice-exceptional children show remarkable strengths.

(Silverman, 2009)

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Twice-exceptional children are “super-asynchronous,” meaning that they have extreme discrepancies in abilities. This causes them a lot of worry and anxiety, especially in their areas of challenge.

They expect to perform at their highest level and can often compensate for weaknesses and so perform at levels expected for their grades. They may not get support for either giftedness or disability. (Peters, 2013).

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Twice-exceptional children• Anxiety is manifested in some children as extreme

inhibition for some or sense of hopelessness for others.• Some students have poor cognitive, emotional, and social

regulation. • Years of failure can lead to emotional turmoil and high

levels of stress. • Student who experience chaotic classrooms may not finish

work and lack a sense of belonging or community.• Negative emotions can impact working memory and

executive functioning. • Students may feel disconnected, socially rejected,

frustrated.(Baum, Schader, & Hébert, 2014)

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Many gifted children with ASD experience anxiety due to social skill deficits and/or performance deficits. • Social skill deficits are impairment in the processing of social information (i.e., reading nonverbal cues).

• Performance deficits are emotional responses (i.e, anxiety) that impede the individual’s ability to perform a social skill that is in his/her repertoire.

In some cases, an individual may be able to demonstrate a skill perfectly with a familiar person and unable to perform the skill with an unfamiliar person.

(Witt, Elliott, & Gresham, 1988)

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HOW CAN WE KEEP ANXIETY UNDER CONTROL?

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Begin with educating your child on the nature of anxiety.

• Anxiety is normal and everyone experiences anxiety from time to time.

• Anxiety motivates us to study before a test.• Anxiety is only problem when it occurs so frequently and so intensely that it interferes with one’s life and happiness.

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Physical Component of Anxiety

• Mindfulness and meditation• Relaxation techniques

• Diaphragmatic breathing• Progressive muscle relaxation• Visualization

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Cognitive Component of Anxiety • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Addresses the thoughts and beliefs an individual holds about the situation she/he fears.

• Systematic desensitization - the individual is asked to pair anxious thoughts with relaxation, deep breathing, etc.

• Self-talk - involves reflection on the messages we give ourselves. The therapist works with the individual to replace negative, limiting messages with positive empowering messages.

• Problem-Solving Skills• Social Skills

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Developing Social Skills

• We have to control anxiety to increase social skills.

• How do you reverse the trend? Emotional regulation and social skill instruction.

• Once you begin to have positive results, the anxiety goes down and the confidence goes up.

• Practice the skill with familiar people and familiar situations, then familiar people and unfamiliar situations, then unfamiliar people and unfamiliar situations.

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Behavioral Component of Anxiety• The behaviors one will use to prevent anxiety from

occurring or reduce the anxiety once it has begun (avoidance and escape).

• If a child needs to leave a situation due to anxiety, it is important that an adult work with her/him to return to the original situation.

• It is important to extinguish escape-avoidance behavior as soon as possible, as this sequence of behaviors increases the escape-avoidance behavior.• A child enters a situation and anxiety arises.• She/he leaves the situation and the anxiety abates.• When anxiety is reduced, the escape-avoidance behavior will

increase.

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Mindfulness

Mindfulness is moment to moment awareness. It is cultivated by purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment’s thought to. It is a systematic approach to developing new kinds of control and wisdom in our lives, based on our inner capacities for relaxation, paying attention, and insight. (Kabat-Zinn, 1990)

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What Mindfulness Does• Through an open and relaxed system, one has the

capacity to integrate internally and to link with other external systems, so as to allow energy and information to flow easily in and out.

• Meditation can create, physical, neurobiological and even epigenetic changes that can integrate and regulate body and brain function.

• It can reform the organism from a rigid or chaotic system to and open and integrated system.

(Siegel & Bryson, 2012)

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Positive Mental Models• If we change our thinking, we can change our feelings and behavior. (Peters, 2013)

• Model how to use mindfulness techniques. (Siegel & Bryson, 2012)

• Help your child learn how to use his/her thinking brain to overpower emotional brain. (Peters, 2013)

• One way to do this is to use positive self-talk.• Tell your children that “a problem is not a problem unless it’s a problem” and “anxious and uncomfortable feeling always go away.”

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Mindfulness Activities

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IN WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN WE MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF ANXIETY ON OUR CHILDREN?

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• Discuss giftedness and the advantages and disadvantages of being gifted.

• Discuss the differences between unhealthy perfectionism versus pursuing excellence. Identify the sources of perfectionism and discuss what causes feelings of failure.

• Help students understand how they’re being evaluated and make expectations clear. This can lead to reduced test anxiety and improve control expectations.

• Help children see difficulties as opportunities for new chances. Support persistence through difficulties.

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• Provide a safe environment that is welcoming. Support positive relationships among students, staff, and parents.

• Provide teachers who embrace differences and who have an understanding of asynchronous behaviors.

• Provide time for changes and growth to take place. Allow performance to develop at a rate matching abilities. Focus on strengths and talents – integrate students’ interests, strengths, and talents into the curriculum.

• Provide students with choices about their course of development in their area(s) of interest. They’ll have a sense of agency and the ability to overcome obstacles and reach goals. Mastery experiences lead to growth mindset, self-directed learning, and intrinsic motivation.

(Baum, Schader, & Hébert, 2014; Deci, 1985; Dweck, 2000; Mudrak & Zabrodska, 2015; Salmela & Maatta, 2015: Yadusky-Holahan & Holahan, 1983; Ziegler et al., 2005)

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Classroom AccommodationsThat Can Reduce Anxiety

• More time for tests• Reducing distractions• Reducing the need for copying or writing• Allowing the student to determine when ready to read aloud

or speak• Using keyboards or voice recognition software• Using audio books• Reducing homework, especially work that is already

mastered• Providing differentiation and acceleration in areas of

strength (Peters, 2013)

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Contact Information• Dr. Sally J. Logerquist sl@thenichollsgroup.com www.thenichollsgroup.com

• Dr. Susan E. Jackson celebratinghighpotential@gmail.com celebratinghighpotential.com

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References• Baum, S. M., Schader, R. M., & Hebert, T. P. (2014). Through a different lens: Reflecting on a strengths-

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Daniels, S., & Piechowski, M. M. (Eds.) (2009). Living with intensity: Understanding the sensitivity, excitability, and

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Dweck, C. (2000). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Philadelphia, PA:

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Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress,

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