Paweł Wieczorkowski, Natalia Habik, Zofia Śliwińska, Zbigniew Śliwiński

P. Wieczorkowski, N. Habik, Z. Śliwińska, Z. Śliwiński – Anxiety among therapists working with children with autism. FP 2017; 17(4); 76-82

Abstract

Introduction. The anxiety among the therapists working with the children diagnosed with autism is associated with the fear and concerns associated with planning and conducting the therapeutic process. The objective of the study is to analyse the situations in which therapists experience discomfort and anxiety during classes and exercises with the persons diagnosed with autism. The studies conducted included observations of the causes of anxiety behaviours, the degree of their intensity and elimination.
Materials and methods. The analysis covered 16 therapists working in the Polish Autism Society. The research was conducted from December 2014 to January 2015. The therapists were aged between 22 and 45. The research made use of a diagnostic survey conducted using questionnaires.
Results. The most frequent symptoms of anxiety among the therapists working with autistic children are nervousness and higher heart rate. The best way of handling anxiety is relaxation. The most frequent cause of anxiety among the therapists working with autistic children is physical and verbal aggression demonstrated by children and absence of effects of work.
Conclusions. An important think to remember when working with autistic children is that work problems should not be brought home. The point is to eliminate occupational burnout. An important element that eliminates anxiety is finding the time for relaxation.

Key words:
autism, children, therapy, anxiety