The Panicosaurus. Kay Al-Ghani

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      The

      Panicosaurus

      by the same author

      The Red Beast

      Controlling Anger in Children with Asperger’s Syndrome

      K.I. Al-Ghani

      Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani

      ISBN 978 1 84310 943 3

      eISBN 978 1 84642 848 7

      From Home to School with Autism

      How to Make Inclusion a Success

      K.I. Al-Ghani and Lynda Kenward

      Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani

      ISBN 978 1 84905 169 9

      eISBN 978 0 85700 408 6

      Learning About Friendship

      Stories to Support Social Skills Training in Children with

      Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism

      K.I. Al-Ghani

      Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani

      ISBN 978 1 84905 145 3

      eISBN 978 0 85700 348 5

      Making the Move

      A Guide for Schools and Parents on the Transfer

      of Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorders

      (ASDs) from Primary to Secondary School

      K.I. Al-Ghani and Lynda Kenward

      Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani

      ISBN 978 1 84310 934 1

      eISBN 978 1 84642 935 4

      of related interest

      Frog’s Breathtaking Speech

      How Children (and Frogs) Can Use the Breath

      to Deal with Anxiety, Anger and Tension

      Michael Chissick

      Illustrated by Sarah Peacock

      ISBN 978 1 84819 091 7

      eISBN 978 0 85701 074 2

      Six Healing Sounds with Lisa and Ted

      Qigong for Children

      Lisa Spillane

      ISBN 978 1 84819 051 1

      eISBN 978 0 85701 031 5

      Deeno’s Dream Journeys in the Big Blue Bubble

      A Relaxation Programme to Help

      Children Manage their Emotions

      Julia Langensiepen

      Illustrated by Gerry Turley

      ISBN 978 1 84905 039 5

      eISBN 978 0 85700 201 3

      The

      Panicosaurus

      Managing Anxiety in

      Children Including Those

      with Asperger Syndrome

      Written by K.I. Al-Ghani

      Illustrations by Haitham Al-Ghani

      First published in 2013

      by Jessica Kingsley Publishers

      116 Pentonville Road

      London N1 9JB, UK

      and

      400 Market Street, Suite 400

      Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

      www.jkp.com Copyright © K.I. Al-Ghani 2013 Illustrations copyright © Haitham Al-Ghani 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher. Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 84905 356 3 eISBN 978 0 85700 706 3 Printed and bound in China

      This book is dedicated to Ahmed and

      Sarah Al-Ghani for their continued love and support.

      Acknowledgements

      I would like to give a special thank you to Bryony Gladwish, who chose some of the character names in the story and discussed the contents of the book with great honesty. Also to Lynda Kenward, Ashlie Linfield and Audrey Norcross, whose vast experience with children means I can turn to them for advice as well as friendship.

      Introduction

      Anxiety can occur when the demands placed on us by our environment are out of harmony with our ability to cope with them. An area in the brain called the amygdala is responsible for the sensations we experience at these times. When anxiety takes hold, we cannot control these sensations – they happen automatically, without conscious thought. When we experience an emotion like fear our body responds by making us breathe faster, which in turn sets the heart racing. We can react to this fear and anxiety in a number of ways, known as “The Five Fs”:

      1. FLOCK: This is when we go to trusted people who help us to feel safe (for example, Mum, Dad or the police) or when we head for a crowd (safety in numbers).

      2. Fluster: This is when we start to panic and make silly mistakes because we can’t seem to think straight (remember that driving test?).

      3. Freeze: This is when we are caught like a rabbit in the headlights, unable to move or speak.

      4. Flight: This is when our automatic reaction is to run away at the fastest possible.

      5. Fight: This is when we become agitated, angry and aggressive.

      The amygdala is also implicated in the storage of memories; indeed, I once heard it described as the “storehouse of the memory of fear.” When memories are negative, we may come to

      equate certain situations with strong emotions. This could be a fear of the dark, of dogs or of the dentist, for example. Left unchecked, this fear can become overwhelming and it is often difficult to persuade an individual that there is no real danger, especially when the body is subconsciously telling them that there is.

      Most young children, no matter how much we try to protect them, will experience some moments of fear and anxiety. For overly anxious children, however, it is important that we teach them to recognise, and therefore reduce, the uncomfortable symptoms they may be feeling at these times. These children need opportunities to practise calming techniques at times when they are least stressed. By giving them automatic and positive responses to use when a situation becomes frightening or overwhelming, we are arming them with key tools to use throughout