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Treating Childhood Anxiety in Schools: Service Delivery in a Response to Intervention Paradigm

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Abstract

Millions of youth who attend schools in the United States suffer from clinically significant anxiety. Left untreated, these students often experience significant disruptions in their academic, social, and family functioning. Fortunately, promising treatments exist for childhood anxiety that are amenable for delivery in school settings. However, educational law and new service delivery paradigms such as response-to-intervention (RtI) affect the delivery of anxiety interventions. In light of extant laws and practices that govern education, this article discusses the provision of supportive services to address childhood anxiety. Specifically, this article reviews how RtI, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act guide service delivery and subsequently impact school-based anxiety treatments. Suggestions are provided to address childhood anxiety within a framework that allows for graduated and fluid service delivery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Michael L. Sulkowski & Eric A. Storch

  2. Department of Special Education, School Psychology and Early Childhood Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Diana K. Joyce

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  1. Michael L. Sulkowski
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  3. Eric A. Storch
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Correspondence to Michael L. Sulkowski.

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Sulkowski, M.L., Joyce, D.K. & Storch, E.A. Treating Childhood Anxiety in Schools: Service Delivery in a Response to Intervention Paradigm. J Child Fam Stud 21, 938–947 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-011-9553-1

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