Zone’in Workshops

Hi Lenore,

Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist and sensory specialist here again!

With any problem, there is prevention and treatment.

Preventing anxiety in children

Preventing separation anxiety is best addressed by the parent focusing on forming a solid connection or attachment bond with their infant/toddler/child. As the critical period for attachment is 0-7 months, an optimal situation would be to have one primary parent at home for the infant during this period to build and strengthen the attachment bond.

Building a healthy child is akin to building a home, and the parent needs to work hard to prepare a proper foundation for eventual development.

Movement, touch and connection are three critical factors for healthy physical and mental development of the child, and create the foundation. Deprivation in one, two or all of these areas results in child maldevelopment, where the foundation becomes cracked. Subsequently the ‘home’ is unstable and the child fails to achieve normal physical and mental developmental milestones.

Separation anxiety is a healthy reaction of a stable bond between parent and child in the infant and early toddler stage (3 mo. to 2 yrs). Prolonged separation anxiety (> 2 yrs.) is a sign of an attachment disorder, likely stemming from the 0-7 month attachment formation period.

There are three types of attachment disorder: avoidant, ambivalent and disorganized. An avoidant attachment is one where the parent neglects the infant. Examples of avoidant attachment are to let the infant cry or put the infant in a bucket seat in front of a TV. Ambivalent attachment is where the parent is overly involved in a caregiver role, but neglecting the emotional aspects e.g. poor eye contact, limited holding time. Disorganized attachment is where the parent is not consistent, and the infant is unable to predict the parent’s care.

These attachment disorders result in a number of problems. Rage crying is an infant who has not established a strong trust base of attachment with the parent. Rage crying should never be ignored. The parent should first see to the infant’s needs (hunger, wet diaper, gas) and then swaddle and hold the infant close to their own body, whispering reassuring words, and rocking the infant. This ‘deep pressure’ stimulates the tactile or touch receptors, soft words stimulate attachment formation, and rocking stimulates the movement receptors, resulting in reduced anxiety and calming of the infant.

Separation anxiety follows rage crying developmentally, and results again from a failure or maldevelopment of the attachment bond with the parents. The treatment for separation anxiety is again to first see to the child’s needs, and then hold the child close to their body (touch), whisper reassuring words (I’ll be back in…), while rocking the child.

Treating anxiety in children

Deep Pressure Touch (DPT) is a technique used by occupational therapists when treating children to elicit a calming and grounding effect. Parents can be taught these DPT techniques, as well as can use a variety of DPT tools to calm an anxious child.

DPT techniques are inhibitory to the tactile sensory system, thereby helping a child to feel secure and relaxed.

Examples of DPT techniques I teach in my workshops are a ‘shoulder squeeze’ and a ‘lap hug’. The shoulder squeeze is where adult stands next to child and places hands firmly on the child’s shoulders, with one forearm pressing across child’s back. The technique is to squeeze “in and down”. Very effective for immediate calming e.g. grocery store tantrum. The lap hug is simply that…climb up on the parent’s lap and get a DPT hug. Why not read the kid a book too!

Examples of DPT tools are the huggie chair (attached pic) or lycra pod swing (also attached pic). The huggie chair is a hockey shirt over the back of a chair, with bean bags loaded in arms where child sits and pulls arms up and over shoulders, crossing in the front. The lycra pod is a suspended device attached to ceiling. The huggie chair and lycra pod are great for school settings where teachers have been instructed not to hug kids.

Technology use has greatly limited the amount of time parents spend with their children. Adequate touch results in calm and relaxed children. Inadequate touch results in anxious and agitated children.

Sincerely,

Cris Rowan, BScOT, BScBi, SIPT, Approved Provider AOTA
CEO Zone’in Programs Inc.
6840 Seaview Rd
Sechelt, BC V0N3A4
604-885-0986 office, 604-885-0389 fax
email crowan@zonein.ca
website www.zonein.ca