My daughter has always loved going to school, but this year, something has changed, and school refusal is a big problem. How can I help my child?
School refusal can be an early indicator of future behavioral health challenges. Discover Rogers complete line-up of school refusal resources, including a four-part podcast series to help children get
School attendance difficulties are a huge concern that is widely misunderstood, how can we start to change that narrative to help the learner long-term, and ease the stress of everyone involved?
Inside: Kids refusing school work? Try these 5 steps to get even the most defiant kid on board with e-learning, homeschool or homework. (hint: it's all about Empowerment) Are your kids refusing school work? Does
If your child will not go to school due to school anxiety, here is information on treatment for school refusal and information to better understand and overcome school refusal.
Inside: Kids refusing school work? Try these 5 steps to get even the most defiant kid on board with e-learning, homeschool or homework. (hint: it's all about Empowerment) Are your kids refusing school work? Does
School refusal has been dramatically increasing and this phenomenon has been worrying many parents as their kids are at risk of performing poorly in academics, dropping out, and even being socially isolated.
As we journey through the maze of parenting, there are moments that not only redefine our paths but also impel us to share our discoveries. I don't normally
Understand why your child is refusing to go to school. Commonly, separation anxiety, depression, bullying, and specific learning disorders.
Many people approach the Sydney Couple and Family Specialists for help for school refusal. Typically, this happens after a child or teen has been school refusing for a couple of months and they have not been able to get anywhere with individual counselling. School refusal is a complex issue and requires a multifaceted approach. In order to get a child back to school we often work with parents, the child/teen, other family members and other professionals. It sounds complicated, but it’s the best and fastest way to get results, and your Family Therapist will co-ordinate and sort the team. Without the right team, which might include a School Counsellor, Child Psychiatrist, Individual Counsellor and GP, parents face a much harder and sometimes impossible journey to get their child back at school. Why does school refusal occur? School refusal is usually a symptom of other underlying problems like anxiety, depression or mood disorders in teens. In younger children it is often the first sign of emerging anxiety. Anxiety in younger children can be related to family events or problems between people in the family. Anxiety can also be related to a diagnosis like AD/HD or ASD. Sometimes, school refusal occurs because the child has an undiagnosed learning disability or is experiencing social problems with peers. Occasionally, school refusal occurs because there is an addiction to gaming, screens or non-prescription drugs. Foster children lost in the system can school refuse because they are unsettled. Abuse in the home can lead to teens living on the streets or couch-surfing and not attending school. Why do some teens and children experience anxiety and depression to the point that they refuse to attend school? This can be for a range of reasons like the following:- Social problems in school Bullying at school Negative social media experiences Worrying about an unwell parent or family member at home High conflict between parents who are together or separated Learning disabilities that impact self-esteem Hormonal changes AD/HD and ASD can present with co-morbid factors like anxiety or depression Addiction in the home When we work with the entire family where school refusal is occurring, we assess all aspects of the problem and put together an individualised treatment plan that can be supported by the school and other professionals. What are some things parents can do right away to help with school refusal? Put your child or teen into a good sleep routine. The great majority of teens we see who school refuse are going to bed after midnight and sleeping through to the afternoon. Your child/teen will not go back to school unless sleep patterns are sorted out. Get your child/teen moving. Many school refusers spend large amounts of time in their bedrooms. Get them to help you with shopping and chores around the house. Get them moving with exercise. Take your child/teen to be assessed for any underlying mental health illnesses or problems. Undiagnosed attention problems for example, affect academic performance and impact self-esteem. Many teens who have AD/HD and ASD start school refusing for this reason. Take your child/teen off screens. Especially when they are supposed to be at school. You need to make their school day at home as boring as possible, not reward them with screen time. You are probably going to have to be hardcore with this measure – which might mean confiscating phones, computers, game consoles and tablets. Address any social concerns at the school. You will need to contact teachers and the School Counsellor to help with this. If you are concerned that the school is not providing enough support, escalate the issue (ask to speak to the Principal, for instance) and/or consider changing to a school with good pastoral care. Is your child or teen on medication? Check to see that the medication is not causing your child/teen to be tired in the morning and unable to get up for school. Many medications have side-affects which make it harder for children to wake up. Is there family conflict at home or are you a separated family? Conflict or difficult family relationships can cause anxiety in both young children and teens. Seek family counselling if this is your situation. Incentivise your child/teen to go to school. Make sure you incentivise with age approach activities and rewards that are not over the top. There are many other things that Family Therapists like me put into place from a professional perspective to get a school refuser back to school. Note that the longer the child/teen has not been in school the longer the process will be to get them back to school. This is why it is crucial that professional help is sought ASAP. The author of this blog, Jacqueline McDiarmid runs regular training on how to treat school refusal for School Counsellors, Therapists and Psychologists. Her next training will be on the 28th August 2020 – please visit www.couplefamilytraining.com for more details. About Jacqueline Jacqueline has been in private practice for more than two decades, helping individuals, couples and families. She has extensive experience in couple and family therapy and is considered a specialist in these areas. In her clinical practice, she has helped people deal with complex trauma, affairs, complex mental health issues, eating disorders, adolescent behavioural problems (including self-harm and suicidal ideation), behavioural issues in young children which are impacting parents and families, relationship issues and post-separation work. Jacqueline works with many different dynamics: couples, parents, families with young children, same-sex couples, foster/adopted families, families with teenagers and also adult families. She is particularly interested in helping parents of children with behavioural issues, or with diagnosed conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, ASD and so on. Although Jacqueline’s work is supportive and friendly, she will challenge her couples and families to make the necessary behavioural changes, to repair relationships and to move towards healthier communication styles in the future. Jacqueline’s style is direct and fast paced and she is known for quickly getting to the heart of the matter. Clients report that they feel safe and understood with Jacqueline. Qualifications and Professional Membership Jacqueline has a Masters in Couple and Family Therapy (UNSW). She has a Read More
Use this easy-to-implement, Autism-positive guide to handle your Autistic child's school refusal with the Embracing Autism Method in three simple steps!
If you're struggling with school avoidance with your children, this article has several school refusal tips for parents to solve the problem.
School refusal can be such a frustrating challenge for teachers, families, and of course - students. Learn research backed strategies to support.
Your child refuses to go to school. What can you do? A list of options for parents. These school refusal tips are for all kids, with or without an IEP/504.
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Throughout my years teaching middle school, I have had the experience of seeing many "work refusals". These are the situations when kids, for a variety of reasons, just refuse to start the work you give them. They might shut down and rest their head on their desk or lash out in anger, shouting about
Our School and Me Toolkit has been created by children experiencing EBSA and School Anxiety to support children to communicate their worries and help them return to school.
