Anxiety in Students: A Hidden Culprit in Behavior Issues

Traditional behavioral plans for children with Asperger syndrome often neglect what they need to learn to manage their anxiety and the underdeveloped skills that contribute to their anxiety. School personnel often identify a desirable target behavior and try to reinforce it through rewards (stickers, praise, etc.), which usually does not work. When educators do not recognize how anxiety prompts some behaviors, such as meltdowns or withdrawal, their responses can unintentionally exacerbate the students' inappropriate behavior and their anxiety. If students with Asperger are to succeed in school, they need a prescribed behavioral intervention plan that addresses anxiety, explicit instruction in underdeveloped skills leading to anxiety, which helps them learn alternative, more appropriate responses to use when they are flooded with anxiety, and includes accommodations that teachers can use while students learn their new skills. An effective behavior plan needs to avoid reward- and punishment-based consequences and focus instead on teaching the student to cope and to use alternative responses. Incorporating preventive strategies and self-monitoring systems, as part of an overall anxiety management approach to behavior intervention, is practical for school-based settings. (Contains 2 tables.)