Coco-Connection

A transition for seperation disorder
About Us

Organization's Background:

Detailed information about the organization, including its founding, mission, and goals.

This organization was founded by four international students studied in the United States of America. Two are former international students who already graduated from college and have stable jobs in the US, and two are currently still in school but have been abroad for more than four years. 
We support and assist international students in facing challenges while abroad. 
Our mission is to form a community where they may receive a sense of belonging. Our goal is to address and alleviate separation anxiety by offering a variety of resources, services, and support. As international students, we can relate to and understand the difficulties they are facing without further explanations because we’ve experienced them along the paths too. Therefore, we try to create a nurturing and inclusive environment for those who are studying far away from their home countries. We understand the struggles many international students may encounter, and we would like to help them.
One of the key focuses of our organization is separation anxiety among international students. We realize that the experience of being away from home and family could be challenging and sometimes very overwhelming. Our organization provide assistance, counseling, and guidance to help students navigate these feelings, develop coping mechanism, and build a sense of security for them.
Organization's Background

Detailed information about the organization, including its founding, mission, and goals.

Team Members


Bios of the founding members and current officers, including their qualifications and roles.

Coco Yang
Senior in High School, Located in Illinois
Ellen Yuan
Working, Located in Florida
Angelina Wu

Junior in high school, Located in Connecticut

Amilly He
Working, Located in New York
Understanding Separation Anxiety
Definition
Separation anxiety is a disorder in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment.
Symptoms
1.Distress when separation from major attachment figures is anticipated or occurs, such as family members, close friends, or pets.
2.Persistent worry about losing, harming, or being separated from major attachment figures. This worry is excessive for the child's developmental stage.
3.Refusal or reluctance to attend school or go to other locations due to fears of separation. This can include tantrums, clinging, or freezing up.
4.Somatic complaints like headaches, stomachaches or nausea when separation is anticipated or occurs.
5.Difficulty concentrating and completing tasks while away from major attachment figures due to worry about the separation.
6.Nightmares about separation.
7.Compulsive behaviors related to safety of attachment figures, such as repeated calls or texts when separated.
8.Excessive sadness or irritability regarding separation from major attachment figures.
Facts and Figures
Prevalence: Around 4-5% of children experience separation anxiety disorder at some point. It's more common in younger children, affecting 3-4% of 6-7 year olds. Gender: Separation anxiety disorder is twice as common in girls than boys. Age of onset: Symptoms usually emerge between ages 6-7 and peak around ages 8-9. The average age children seek treatment is 8 years old. Comorbidity: Up to 75% of kids with SAD also meet criteria for another psychological disorder like generalized anxiety disorder or depression. Genetics: Family and twin studies show separation anxiety has around a 30-40% heritability rate, meaning genetics influence risk. Outcomes: Without treatment, 20-30% of children still have symptoms at age 17-18. But 70-80% significantly improve or recover naturally by adolescence. Treatments: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), specifically exposure therapy, is the gold standard treatment and has up to a 70% success rate. Medications are not usually first-line but can help in some cases. Prognosis: Early and adequate treatment leads to significantly improved long-term outcomes compared to no treatment or late treatment. Most kids respond well and remit from SAD. Risk factors: Shy temperament, overprotective parenting, lack of social supports, negative life events or trauma history increase likelihood of SAD.
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