Strategies for Early Identification and Early Intervention.
Teacher led identification and intervention for students who refuse school can be a considerable challenge however given the importance of stabilising attendance of students, the role of the teacher can be crucial. School refusal is the term given to refusal or difficulty in attending school due to reasons associated with emotional distress or anxiety (Maynard et al., 2015). A prolonged absence from school not only means missed opportunities to learn, it has been linked to many short and long-term consequences including academic failure, lack of peer relationships and an increased likelihood of future treatment for mental health problems (Kearney, 2008).
This workshop will enable participants to:
- Understand the features which define school refusal and how the research literature sets it apart from school refusal behaviour.
- Identify factors that have been shown to place students at a higher risk for school refusal.
- Implement practical steps towards decreasing the likelihood of school refusal.
- Take away strategies aimed at stabilising the attendance of school refusing students as a first step towards intervention.
- Utilise function-based assessment processes to assist in understanding school refusal from the perspective of the student.
Taylor Behavioural 