What is school avoidance?

School avoidance is a disorder affecting school-aged children who, because of anxiety, depression, or social factors, avoid attending school because attendance causes stress.

What causes school avoidance?

Some children have severe separation anxiety and can't tolerate being apart from their parents. Other anxiety-related problems that motivate children and teens to avoid going to school include social anxiety, phobias (such as of illness or germs) and obsessive-compulsive disorder, along with depression.

How do you treat school avoidance anxiety?

Treatments include cognitive behavior therapy, educational-support therapy, pharmacotherapy, and sometimes parent-teacher interventions. Providers may provide psychoeducational support for the child and parents, monitor medications, and help with a referral to more intensive psychotherapy.

Is school refusal a mental illness?

School refusal, also known as school avoidance and school phobia, is not classified as a mental illness by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).

Is school avoidance a diagnosis?

School Avoidance is Not a Diagnosis

School avoidance/school refusal is not a clinical diagnosis.

Emotionally Based School Avoidance - be kind to parents...

Does ADHD cause school avoidance?

Children with developmental disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are at high risk of school-refusal behavior (SRB) compared with their peers. One of the most used scales to assess SRB is the school refusal behavior scale – revised (SRAS-R).

What medication is used for school avoidance?

Separation Anxiety and School Refusal Medication: Tricyclic Antidepressants, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Anxiolytic Agents, Antihistamines, Beta-Adrenergic Blocking Agents, Anticonvulsants, Alpha-Adrenergic Agents.

How do you handle school avoidance?

Managing school refusal

Return the child to school. Make sure the school officials understand the situation and don't send the child home for the wrong reasons. Think about family counseling if other problems exist. Let the child talk about his or her concerns and fears.

What are the consequences of school avoidance?

School refusal behavior is marked by considerable symptom heterogeneity. Common internalizing problems include general and social anxiety/shyness, depression and social withdrawal, fear, fatigue, and somatic complaints such as stomachaches, headaches, nausea, and tremors.

What is the best treatment for school refusal?

Cognitive behavioral treatment is the most effective approach. This involves teaching a child and parent specific skills that can help the child learn to cope with the thoughts, emotions and behaviors associated with their school refusal.

Why does my child have no friends at school?

Around puberty, some kids develop social anxiety and start to worry a lot about what other people think of them. Kids with social anxiety will often avoid socializing when they are worried about embarrassing themselves or feel a strong need to be perfect and not make mistakes.

How common is school refusal?

The most widely accepted prevalence rate is 1–2% of school-aged children. In clinic-referred youth samples the prevalence rate is 5–15%. There are no known relationships between school refusal behavior and gender, income level, or race.

Can I call the police if my child refuses to go to school UK?

You should speak to the school who will be able to offer support and assistance. The police do have powers to remove a child of compulsory school age from a public place and take them back to a school or to another place designated by the local authority (unless that child is home educated).

What is emotionally based school avoidance?

Welcome to Somerset's EBSA website. Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a term used to describe children and young people (CYP) who experience challenges in attending school due to negative feelings (such as anxiety).

Why does my child never want to go to school?

School avoidance can be caused by numerous factors, including anxiety, learning differences, social and emotional issues, and bullying—to name a few. And whatever the cause, your child should be seen and heard. Their concerns and complaints should be taken seriously.

What causes avoidance in children?

Avoidance is a coping mechanism that children may use when they have no other coping skills. It can become their primary coping strategy later. Avoidance is a lonely endeavor. It tends to take you further away from others and your true self.

What are avoidance behaviors in the classroom?

They might be discrete like Jayne, asking politely to go somewhere else, but task avoidance behaviors can also take a disruptive form, like creating confrontations with the teacher or classmates, talking out of turn, phone use, or putting their head down.

What happens if my child never goes to school?

The adult a child lives with is responsible for making sure that child goes to school. So if your child lives with you, this means you! If you don't make sure your child attends school regularly, you may be brought to court on a civil violation. The school must follow certain procedures first.

What are avoidance issues in children?

All kids avoid doing things they're asked to do from time to time. But some go to extremes to avoid or resist anything they perceive as a demand. Avoidance can take many forms, including making excuses, creating a distraction, intense focus on something else, withdrawing, escaping, or having a meltdown or panic attack.

How can I help my child with avoidance?

If your child is avoiding a situation, gently explain to them how avoidance can actually strengthen their worry. Help them think through the things that they would enjoy doing if anxiety wasn't bullying them, such as spending time with friends, having fun, or playing sports.

What is school anxiety called?

But children with scolionophobia feel insecure or anxious at the thought of going to school. They may even become physically ill. A child with scolionophobia often misses many days of school for vague or unknown reasons. School phobia or school refusal is often associated with other anxiety disorders.

What is the school avoidance master class for parents?

In The School Avoidance Master Class for Parents, You Will Learn: All about exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, which are important components for treating school avoidance, so you can inform your therapist and school what works and how it should look for your child.

What is the most common disorder in schools?

Among the more common mental disorders that can be diagnosed in childhood are ADHD, anxiety, and behavior disorders, such as ODD. It is important to watch for mental disorders in children and understand how they are treated because they can have a significant effect on overall health and relationships throughout life.

What is pathological demand avoidance in children at school?

PDA children often feel a need to be on par with or better than others, although they are unable to put in the work needed to achieve this. They may show an inability to accept responsibility for mistakes, instead blaming others or creating elaborate excuses. May become the class scapegoat or class clown.

Can a school tell you that your child needs medication?

There's nothing in the law that prohibits teachers from suggesting medication, either. But it's very bad practice, and they should avoid doing it. If your child's teacher or an IEP team member pressures you or says medication is required, there are steps you can take.