Separation anxiety is part of the normal course of development for a child up until the age of 3 years old. In most cases it resolves itself, but if not, it can develop further into a disorder which affects the child’s and parent’s functioning in both the home and school environments. This course provides information to develop an understanding of the nature, causes, and theory behind separation anxiety. It further assists parents, teachers and healthcare professionals to apply practical techniques and strategies to support children of all ages in overcoming this difficulty. The course uses case studies to provide real-life examples and gives the learner a toolkit of strategies and techniques.
This course is a self-study course. When you are registered you will receive: a full colour text book and toolkit, a
portfolio guide, access to expert online tutoring, certificate on successful course completion.
This course has 7 modules. Each module is aimed at ensuring the learner achieves understanding of a specific area within the field of separation anxiety. Assignments which include case studies are interspersed throughout the modules. Each module and its outcomes are listed below:
Module 1 – The key concepts of attachment
• The concept of object permanence. • Attachment theory. • Temperament types. • The link between anxiety and attachment. • Normal levels of anxiety.
Module 2 – What is separation anxiety?
• A brief background and history of separation anxiety. • Definitions of separation anxiety. • When does separation anxiety become a disorder?
Module 3 – Characteristics of separation anxiety disorder
• Recognising symptoms of separation anxiety. • Causes of separation anxiety disorder. • The impact of separation anxiety disorder on school work and learning. • The social and emotional impact of separation anxiety disorder.
Module 4 – Diagnosing separation anxiety disorder
• When to refer for an educational assessment. • Who conducts educational assessments? • What types of assessment can be used for separation anxiety? • Diagnostic interview and questionnaire assessment of anxiety. • Behavioural observations.
Module 5 – Separation anxiety and related conditions
• The impact of separation anxiety disorder on school work and learning. • Separation anxiety and depression. • Separation anxiety and ADHD.
Module 6 – Treatment options for separation anxiety disorderr
• Medication. • Skills-based programmes. • Therapeutic intervention. • Prevention and early intervention.
Module 7 – Strategies and techniques to support children with separation anxiety
• Classroom accommodations and strategies. • General strategies to deal with anxiety. • Relaxation exercises. • Techniques for parents to deal with separation anxiety disorder.
Course Assessment Requirements
This course is comprised of 50 notional hours. These hours are structured within the following manner: • 20 hours of reading and self-study using the allocated readings and learner guide. • 15 hours completing the formative and summative assessment activity requirements for the course. This includes multiple-choice questions, knowledge questions and an essay submission requirement as part of the portfolio of evidence. • 15 hours completing the practical and case study requirements of the course through the use of case studies developed for the purposes of assessing applied knowledge of the content of the course. *Note: hours spent reading, in self-study and completing assessment activity requirements will be recorded in a logbook/ attendance register for the purposes of confirming attendance on the course.
