Anna, 14

Anna* is 14 years old and was referred to ACS for a diagnostic evaluation after her school filed a Child Requiring Assistance application due to her excessive absences. She has been suffering from severe levels of anxiety since the age of six.

During the pandemic, her anxiety escalated to the point where she became unwilling to leave her home. It became almost impossible for her to attend school once remote schooling ended. Anna desperately wanted her anxiety to go away, attend school, and “be like everyone else.”

Our clinician assigned to the case recommended a therapeutic school placement for Anna, but the school was not immediately willing to agree to this due to the associated cost. Our clinician was a strong and effective advocate for Anna and was eventually able to secure a therapeutic school placement that would support Anna’s return to in-person schooling in an environment that would enable her to be successful. Anna is reportedly attending her new school and doing well.

*To protect confidentiality, ACS does not use the names, photos, or identifying features of our clients.