Overcoming Academic Anxiety: An Integrated Approach to Learning
Academic anxiety is more than just pre-test nerves. As the Child Mind Institute articulates very clearly, it is a powerful form of anxiety triggered by school demands that can significantly disrupt a student’s ability to learn and thrive. While not a clinical diagnosis in itself, this stress often manifests in tangible and disruptive ways. Our team frequently hears students describe physical discomfort or illness related to school, see perfectionism that leads to excessive time spent redoing work, or have to navigate a student’s avoidance that may manifest as inattention, freezing in class, or even school refusal. Parents often report that these patterns have affected their child’s academic success for years, highlighting anxiety as a critical area for our team to address. When left unaddressed, academic anxiety can escalate beyond typical stress and requires an integrated, individualized, and comprehensive approach.
The consequences of untreated academic anxiety can be significant, potentially leading to decreasing self-esteem, disengagement, and a lasting negative impact on a student’s relationship with learning. Anxiety can be complex and difficult to separate from other issues, as it sometimes interferes with focus and often complicates co-occurring learning differences. For our students managing a combination of learning challenges, executive function deficits, and pervasive anxiety, our teachers and staff take a highly supportive and thoughtful approach. We begin by building strong relationships as well as implementing strategies like pacing assignments and school demands, while being careful not to add further pressure in times of heightened anxiety. While our overarching focus is on providing a quality college preparatory education, attending to anxiety is essential to help students fully engage and achieve their potential. Even for students without diagnosed academic anxiety, learning differences, sensory needs, and social challenges can quickly lead to overwhelm.
At Black Mountain Academy, we provide integrated clinical support throughout the school day, fostering a relationally oriented environment that promotes attendance, engagement, and academic performance aligned with each student’s capabilities. Students are encouraged to apply tools and skills directly to their daily school life, with teachers and therapists collaborating on goals and maintaining close communication focused on student success. This approach emphasizes foundational skills essential for managing stress, such as emotional regulation, while also developing executive function skills including organization, asking for help, time management, and follow-through. In line with guidance from the Child Mind Institute, we are also careful not to reinforce avoidance, instead breaking overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable steps and consistently celebrating successes.
Over time, we see students’ engagement and their academic performance improve as they build the emotional, social, and executive function skills that help reduce anxiety. Over time, as our students gain skills to manage academic anxiety, it is truly a joy to witness their remarkable growth and transformation. We also get to celebrate their continued success long after graduation, hearing from alumni who are thriving in college and launching into meaningful careers, powerful evidence of the lasting impact of developing academic skills as well as emotional resilience when they were students.
Brandon Moffitt, LCMHC, Executive Director
