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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]At that age, we did the once per week therapy separately for parents and child. I also reduced EVERYTHING stressful that wasn't school. We tried to have an extremely calm predictable routine. We also did at various points: OT (two years), Karate, yoga, and more. I honestly think that the therapy--especially parent coaching-- and the simplification of our lives is the only thing that made a difference at that point.

At a slightly older age, we did have to medicate (Prozac) and it was life-changing. He was on medication for about two years and then able to be off and handle life/use strategies from therapy.

In the long run (child is 12), the most important things we have done are: 1) finding right school environment 2) patiently and positively building child's strength at favorite sport so he derives real satisfaction and confidence from it and 3) working with excellent therapist.[/quote]

What sort of work did you do with the therapist (both you and the child)?[/quote]

Child did play therapy. They worked on emotional regulation, handling challenges/losing, developing an emotional vocabulary, flexibility, to name just a few things. At first, the most obvious benefit was that the therapist got to know him very well. Every child is different and I am not trying to say that mine is more different than others but it was a huge help that her advice and comments were very specifically about our child, not generic at all. Eventually the benefits of therapy were obvious in other ways, too. My son is much more aware and articulate about his emotions than most boys his age, for example. He was able to take a deep breath, settle himself, find a happy place. It took a while, though.

For us, the benefits were immediate and very powerful. For starters, I immediately felt so supported and reassured, after feeling absolutely lost in this journey. I knew things weren't working but I never knew when to be tough and when to back off--like trying to figure out the strategy for war games. Therapist gave us strategies and a plan--and it really worked. Obviously it didn't "cure" my child--he is who he is!--but we were so much better able to manage his anxiety, prepare him, help him become more independent. Our quality of life improved tremendously. It all takes time, and there are so many ups and downs, but this therapist was worth every penny.

Just want to add, in response to some later posts, that  when my child was old enough to have a neuropsych done he was diagnosed with "severe" ADHD. (He didn't lose anxiety diagnosis, like another PP's child, they are both considered "primary" diagnoses.) I just mention this because the preliminary screens were worthless. His teachers never suspected attention issues AT ALL. Now that he's older, it is so much more obvious that the diagnosis is right. He has so many classic executive function challenges. And, furthermore, the neuropsych done at age 6 totally missed that he has a language based learning difference. The kid loves to read, so again, it wasn't until a much older age that certain issues became apparent. That said, they were obviously always there and contributing to his anxiety. But when a child is bright, has a supportive home environment, intellectual interests, good teachers, or any combination of these... well, the nature of the challenges may take a while to become apparent.

And to continue with the encouragement, I want to say that my son is a great, well-rounded,  and nice kid at age 12, with lots of friends and success in sports and school. In the right school setting, he knows he is bright and has a lot of confidence in his abilities.[/quote]

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