Kids Awareness Series

When children are scared of new places or people, this is completely normal. However, if a child continues to have intense fears that something is going to happen to themselves or to their loved ones and they can not participate in normal childhood activities, this is usually an indication that there is a problem. Separation anxiety disorder affects approximately 4% of children between the ages of six and twelve years old. A child’s temperament or personality is a factor that contributes to separation anxiety and children that are in a close-knit family, are extremely shy, children that are very passive, and kids who have parents that are very insecure as parents are alll contributing factors to Separation Anxiety Disorder.

Normal separation anxiety occurs between eight months and one year old and may occur later between eighteeen months and two years. In some children, it may never be experienced. Remember, that some degree of separation anxiety is normal and is a sign that your child has formed a health attachment to you.
Separation anxiety has a variety of physical and behavioral signs and to qualify for a diagnosis of Separation Anxiety Disorder, your child’s doctor or therapist will look for at least three or more of the following symptoms that occur to your child before the age of eighteen years. Also, the symptoms must be present for more than four weeks and interfere with your child’s social and/or academic functioning.

The symptoms are:
Worry about losing you or harm coming to you
Excessive distress when separated from you
Worry that some terrible event such as being kidnapped will come between you and your child
Reluctance to go anywhere even outside to play or be with his/her friends
Reluctance to go to sleep at night, especially alone
Repeated physical complaints, such as stomach ache or headaches
Ongoing distress about being alone at home or outside of the home, especially without you

Symptoms of separation anxiety may begin to occur as a result of a scary experience or something that your child has heard about that is scary to them. In order for a child to resolve these feelings of separation anxiety it is of utmost importance that they are able to develop a feeling of safety in the world, trust in themselves and their parents, and understand that their parents are coming back even though they are apart from them for a period of time. Treatment of separation anxiety disorder usually includes psychological intervention that includes individual and/or family counseling. Techniques in therapy usually include making the child feel safe and systematically having the child spend time away from their parents in increasing increments with incentives for time spent alone in activities.

4 Responses to “What exactly is Separation Anxiety Disorder?”