How to Help Your Child with Learning Differences Manage Anxiety

School can be a rollercoaster of emotions and growth for any child, but for students with learning differences, the ride can feel even bumpier. At The Howard School, we see two common sources of anxiety in our students: academic struggles and social pressures

Here are some ways you can support your child when these challenges crop up.

Understanding Academic Anxiety in Students with Learning Differences

If you've ever felt queasy before a test or been so worried about giving the wrong answer that your mind went blank when a teacher called on you in class, you're at least a little familiar with academic anxiety.

Students of all ages and learning profiles can experience academic anxiety, but challenges tied to dyslexia or other language-based learning differences that make expressive and receptive communication difficult can make it even more likely to crop up. If your student has perfectionist tendencies, that can make it even more prevalent.

We see this often. Many of our students come to us after struggling in previous learning environments. Keeping up in class may have been a struggle. Other students may have laughed at them. They may not have been able to express themselves. It might have been difficult to make friends. By the time they reach us, academic anxiety can be at a peak. Questions like, "Will I fail again? Will my teacher give me enough time? Will my peers laugh if I don't get a question right?" are common worries in their minds. They are often unsure if it is OK to relax.

What Parents Can Do To Ease Academic Anxiety

While academic anxiety isn't a clinical diagnosis, it nonetheless creates a barrier to student performance. Ball State University's Academic Anxiety Resource Center identifies four facets of academic anxiety:

1. Physiological (such as a queasy stomach, sweaty palms or headache),
2. Cognitive (such as overwhelming worry, negative self talk and difficulty with attention),
3. Behavioral (such as avoidance, procrastination or low effort), and
4. Social (which often looks like a fear of others' negative reaction).

Students can exhibit symptoms from one or more of these categories.

Parents can help by reminding their children that mistakes are part of learning and growth. Celebrate progress, no matter how small, and reassure them that a "perfect score" isn't the only indicator of success.

Don't tell children to simply "stop worrying." Instead, listen to their concerns and understand how the anxiety is manifesting. That way, you can suggest coping strategies based on the particular facet they're facing.

Navigating Social Pressures

As a middle school principal, I often see students struggle with certain social challenges for the first time. From the heartbreak of a first relationship break-up to the complexity of managing peer interactions, social challenges can escalate anxiety.

Stay involved in your child's social world while giving them room to build independence. Be mindful of who their friends are, and encourage face-to-face interactions over screen time. Social media, while a common outlet for connection, can also deepen feelings of inadequacy or comparison.

While some withdrawal or mood shifts are normal at this stage, extreme behaviors shouldn't be ignored. Signs like isolation, frequent meltdowns, sleep issues or aggression may indicate that intervention is necessary. If concerns arise, don't hesitate to connect with counselors or support resources.

Strategies at The Howard School

Our counselors work directly with students and families through education, programs and one-on-one support. Our goal is to not just watch students but to see them.

As part of this work, we launched the Valor Compass Initiative — a social and emotional learning program created by Valor Collegiate Academies in Nashville, Tenn. It focuses on building school communities that engage the entire community in practicing aligned values and actions, increasing community well-being and growing in body, heart, mind and spirit.

The initiative allows students to engage in hands-on activities that promote essential qualities, such as kindness, respect, perseverance, generosity and relational awareness. In class, students will engage in pre-work focused on self-reflection, aiding in developing their metacognitive skills. Each week, these attributes are celebrated and discussed within the nurturing context of a Compass Circle community.

We made a three-year commitment to the Valor Compass to ensure our students feel recognized, enhance their metacognition and create a psychologically safe environment for sharing their experiences.

Closing the Loop at Home

A strong home-school partnership is key.

When students see their parents and teachers aligned in supporting them, they feel empowered and safe to grow. Anxiety is a natural part of life, but it doesn't have to hold them back.

At Howard, we're here to help you and your child every step of the way. Together, we can turn challenges into achievements and anxieties into stepping-stones for success.

The Howard School is a private K-12 school in Atlanta serving students with one or more of the following learning differences: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, expressive language disorder, receptive language disorder, auditory processing disorder, executive functioning challenges and attention deficit disorder.

To learn more about whether The Howard School is a good fit for your child, complete our inquiry form. Our team will reach out to connect with you and schedule a guided tour of campus.