Anxiety can present a significant challenge in the classroom. This can take many different forms depending on its source. Determining why a child suffers from anxiety is the first step in making sufficient accommodations. Coping skills and other treatments for anxiety can present a different set of obstacles in the classroom. However, adapting the learning environment to meet the needs of the anxious child contributes to their overall academic success. Anxiety plays an important role in child development; these feelings of fear and apprehension prevent children from attempting new or dangerous activities and situations that they may not be able to navigate successfully. (worrywisekids.org). However, up to 24% of children experience anxiety that interferes with their daily activities (Headley & Campbell, 2013). There are several types of anxiety in school-aged children today, such as: generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and social phobia. Students with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) may worry about anything and everything. They constantly ask themselves “What if?” » when performing basic daily tasks, so much so that it can distract the student from schoolwork (Worrywisekids.org). OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) is similar to GAD because both include intrusive thoughts, but OCD includes repetitive behaviors such as excessive hand washing, having to count the pencils in your pencil case before starting any work, and tapping your hand. writing utensil for a while. times before you start using it. These rituals and constraints can easily affect a student's abilities in school due to making it difficult for them to concentrate...... middle of paper ......effective intervention for Anxious preschoolers and their parents: Strengthening early emotional development. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 43(4), 544-59. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0283-4Headley, C. and Campbell, M.A. (2013). Teachers' knowledge of anxiety and identification of excessive anxiety in children. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(5). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2013v38n5.2 Storch, EA, Arnold, EB, Jones, AM, Ale, CM, Wood, JJ, Ehrenreich-may, J., Murphy, TK (2012) . The role of co-occurring disruptive behaviors in the clinical presentation of anxious children and adolescents in the context of autism spectrum disorders. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 43(5), 734-46. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0294-1Worrywisekids.org (2013). The Center for Children and Adults for OCD and Anxiety.