The Anxious Brain: How Stress and Anxiety Impact Learning and Behavior – Webinar

90-minute Live Webinar Webinar - NASP CPD Hours Available

Description:  Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health disorder in youth, with prevalence rates estimated between 5-10% of young people. There is a developmental nature in how pediatric anxiety disorders are expressed, with very young children often demonstrating separation anxiety. In contrast, adolescents struggle with both social anxiety as well as generalized anxiety. Nevertheless, the essential features of almost all pediatric anxiety disorders are avoidant behavior and catastrophic thinking, both of which can hinder academic functioning. Therefore, this webinar will discuss how stress and anxiety impact academic performance and behavior from a brain-based educational perspective. There will be a discussion highlighting the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral manifestations of anxiety, as well as several evidence-based interventions and strategies. Lastly, specific assessment and screening measures will be featured, including the new Student Anxiety Rating Scales (STARS).

Instructors:  Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABPdN  & Scott Winget, Psy.D., ABPdN
Format: 90-minute live webinar
Schedule: 11:00 – 12:30 CST, August 28, 2025
Cost: $60

Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of the training attendees will be able to:

• Identify key brain regions associated with anxiety and be able to distinguish “bottom-up” vs. “top-down” types of anxiety conditions.
• Describe how anxiety impacts reading, writing, and mathematics, and how to differentiate learning disabilities from poor school performance due to anxiety.
• Recognize how the Student Anxiety Rating Scale assesses the nature and severity of school-based anxiety..