Carmen Knight, M.A.T. Early Childhood and Special Education

Our little patients are faced with so many challenges. We are in their lives because they are facing developmental delays that we can help them work to overcome. Children are also hearing so many anxiety-inducing news stories and experiencing family situations that are causing them to struggle and need assistance. Our children are dealing with the news of COVID and the effects it has had on their families. They are faced with trying to learn the typical developmental milestones while hearing and watching the scary stories in the world around them. As Early Interventionists and Therapists, we need to be able to identify the signs of anxiety and provide them with the tools to help them learn to deal with and meet their emotional needs.

There are several common signs that you can look for to recognize anxiety in preschool children. One of the most recognizable signs is an extreme change in their personality. An example of this would be a child that is typically very happy to see their Early Interventionist begins to be scared or angry several times in a row when they arrive. The separation from their parents is also a very common indicator of anxiety. A child will no longer want to be away from their parents but will see them as comfort they require to reduce their anxiety. One other way to identify anxiety in preschool children is an extended change in their sleep patterns. Anxiety can cause a child to sleep too much, have difficulty sleeping, or experience bad dreams. Of course, these are just a small number of indicators of anxiety in children, but they give you a few things to consider when evaluating your patients.

SmileMakers has a variety of anxiety-reducing toys that can help these children. One of the latest and exciting new toys is the Squeeze and Pop toy. When the child places the toy in the palm of their hand and squeezes it, it makes a small popping noise. This provides sensory stimulation as well as takes their mind off their current surroundings or anxieties they are experiencing. These are fun and portable and won't draw negative attention to a child when they are trying to control their anxiety or stress.

SmileMakers has a large assortment of attention and distraction toys, as well as calming toys, that will help provide your patients with toys they need to reduce stress and anxiety and put a smile back on their face.