Does your child seem to worry about everything? You always try to calm them down but even seemingly harmless situations like a school presentation or going to the dentist make your child anxious, teary, and fidgeting.

If this sounds like your little one, then they might be a “Worrywart”. In this blog, we’ll explore what this means, why it’s a problem, and how ABA can help you navigate it.

What is a Worrywart?

Worrywarts are children who experience excessive and unfounded fear or worry. These worries often are much bigger than the situation calls for and can interfere with the child’s daily life. 

It’s normal for anyone to feel anxiety, but being a Worrywart is on a different level — it often can be a sign of a broader anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are believed to be caused by a combination of biological and environmental factors, often triggered or exacerbated by stressful events in one’s life. Stressful events that could impact the development of an anxiety disorder include:

• frequently moving house or school
• parents fighting or arguing
• the death of a loved one
• becoming seriously ill or getting injured 
• school-related issues like exams or bullying
• being abused or neglected

It is important to note, however, that the stress itself does not cause an anxiety disorder. It is normal to feel stress when undergoing major life challenges or changes—but when they begin to cause a pattern of more serious and problematic symptoms, an anxiety disorder could very well be present and should be addressed with the help of trained professional experts.

How to spot a Worrywart

Here are signs to look for to find out if your child fits this behavioral category.

• Difficulty concentrating
• Trembling, shaking, or twitching
• Getting restless or fidgety
• Frequent fatigue, getting tired easily
• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability and quickness to anger
• Frequent crying
• Excessive number of trips to the bathroom within a day
• Eating poorly or not enough
• Distress when separated from parents
• Headaches, stomach aches, and other body pains
• Gets easily startled, and reacts intensely when it happens
• Tantrums, freezing up, shrinking, or failing to speak when in social situations

Additionally, the types of scenarios you can expect to see play out with a Worrywart child include:

• Their mind goes blank in the middle of a conversation
• They frequently describe various worries and fears that are bothering them
• They become quick to anger, even over seemingly small things
• They take excessive precautions and extra steps before doing something they perceive as potentially dangerous or problematic
• They try to envision and prepare for every hypothetical outcome of any action or event
• They refuse to go out or try new things—especially if they involve being away from their parents or having the attention of their peers on them
• They do their homework with more care and concern than necessary, to ensure that every little detail of even minor assignments is done correctly
• They frequently seek approval and encouragement from others
• They become nervous when called on in class or required to speak in public

When does it become a problem?

Like with many personality traits, some positive effects can come from behaviors such as worrying and being a perfectionist. For example, a Worrywart might be very prepared for all kinds of situations when others aren’t, since their fears drive them to anticipate all possible scenarios in advance.

However, being a Worrywart can pose serious problems to a child’s health, happiness, and well-being. They experience anxieties that are more frequent and intense, as well as disruptive to daily life.

These are some things your child might struggle with, refuse to do, or might miss out on due to their worrying:

School

• Increased tardiness or absence, which affects social opportunities and academics
• Difficulty eating with other children, participating in school activities, or making new friends
• Decreased school performance or poor grades due to difficulty concentrating during class and on assignments 
• Refusal to give oral reports or read out loud, fear of taking tests or exams

Home

• Difficulty getting along with parents and siblings
• Gets upset when visitors come, might not want to talk on the phone
• Difficulty doing homework
• Trouble getting ready for bed and has trouble sleeping
• Struggle to do fun things

Community

• Trouble visiting relatives, being with a group of strangers, participating in social activities
• Not comfortable with going to events or outside 

How ABA therapy can help

ABA therapists analyze the situations that trigger your child’s extreme nervousness and anxiety. This data helps them understand why your child acts this way and what makes them repeat their behaviors.

With the data collected, ABA therapists can create a behavioral plan that addresses the specific reasons behind your child’s anxieties. Here are some common approaches that ABA uses to help Worrywarts:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – This therapy helps kids stop avoiding or fighting their worries. Instead, they learn to accept their feelings and move forward with their lives, even when they feel anxious.
• Skill building – People with anxiety often struggle with focus, flexibility, and self-control. Therapists can help your child develop these important skills through exercises and games.
• Exposure therapy – For specific fears, like a fear of the dark, therapists might use exposure therapy. This involves slowly introducing your child to the thing they’re afraid of in a safe and supportive environment.
• Social skills training – ABA is great for teaching social skills. One of the methods used is Social mishap exposure – a form of exposure therapy where the person imagines their social fears and then later goes out in public and exposes themselves to those fears, gradually reducing their fear.

Remember: There’s hope! With the help of an ABA therapist, your Worrywart can learn to manage their anxieties and live a happy, fulfilling life.

If you want to learn more about the Worrywart or are considering ABA therapy for your child, please reach out to the Empirian Team. We are always happy to discuss and help in any way we can!