Loosening Anxiety's Grip: Helping Neurodiverse Tweens and Teens Build Resilience

Teens and tweens with ADHD, ASD, learning disabilities, and twice-exceptionality often struggle with tolerating uncertainty because of executive functioning challenges around working memory, emotional control, and prioritization. In this session, we’ll discover how to help them worry less, stop expecting the worst, and bounce back from disappointment. We’ll learn to implement a new understanding of the roots of anxiety to help neurodiverse middle and high schoolers realistically evaluate situations and calm themselves down when feeling panicked. We’ll also discuss how to intervene effectively with social anxiety and replace negative thinking with the curiosity and confidence that fosters lifelong resilience. You’ll explore how to:

• Identify and reduce patterns of negative thinking in neurodiverse tweens and teens
• Help teens develop the ability to externalize anxiety and reduce its influence on daily tasks and self-concept
• Use practical tools to deal with the specific worries of alternative learners
• Address social anxiety through the development of confidence and resilience