The Anxiety Workbook for Supporting Teens Who Learn Differently

The teenage years are associated with high levels of uncertainty and anxiety, compounded by academic and social demands, and physical and emotional changes. They can be especially tough for teenagers who learn differently.

This workbook contains a host of practical activities for teachers and other adults supporting young people with learning differences, whether at home or in the classroom. Drawing on their years of first hand experience, and up to the minute research, the authors outline a trans-diagnostic framework for identifying what might be behind a student's behaviour. They show how the first crucial step all practitioners must take is to work out what could be causing a teen's feelings of anxiety or uncertainty, and how this can be addressed.

The activities in this workbook are organised into three sections, each addressing one of the three key areas where anxiety or uncertainty can be found: the structural, sensory and social domains. The tried-and-tested worksheets and activities present a much-needed alternative to a diagnosis-led approach. They can be used with any teenager, with or without a diagnosis, in classroom settings, intervention groups, or one to one work. The Anxiety Workbook will help you to really understand and address the needs of the SEN students you support, thereby improving their well-being, confidence and self-esteem and empowering them to get the most out of their education.

About the Authors

Clare Ward is an independent Speech and Language Therapist specialising in social communication. She consults to primary and secondary schools, having jointly developed and run training for a London education trust for several years and has broad experience across the public sector in Health and Social Services as well as Education. In her clinical practice she works mostly with secondary aged students and young adults, as well as their families as part of Special Networks, a multi-disciplinary group of practitioners based in London.

James Galpin is a chartered Developmental Psychologist who specialises in universal difficulties that children and young people experience. He is Head of Research at The Bridge London Trust and a Senior Teaching Fellow at the Institute of Education, UCL. His research focuses on developing practice-based evidence within Education, translating theory into practice. He delivers ITE and CPD across all areas of SEN as well as providing support to children, young people and their families as part of Special Networks.