Understanding school avoidance, together
Research, practical strategies and lived experience for parents, caregivers and school professionals.
66 articles
By Jayne Demsky
School-Based Intervention Teams, School Avoidance, School Refusal, and Truancy
When a child begins missing school consistently, families often hear a mix of terms—school avoidance, school refusal, and truancy. These words are sometimes used interchangeably, yet they describe very different realities. Understanding these distinctions is essential, not only for parents, but for schools tasked with responding appropriately.
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By Jayne Demsky
More Than a Tardy Slip: Georgia’s SB 123 Marks a Turning Point in School Attendance and Why School Avoidance Training Is the Missing Link
Georgia's new attendance law, SB 123, is here, and it's a major shift. No longer can schools expel students solely for absenteeism. Instead, the law, effective July 1, 2025, mandates a deeper look at the root causes of why students are missing school. This article explores why SB 123 is a critical opportunity, not a compliance burden. It's a chance to move from punishment to empathy. But to succeed, schools must address one critical, often-overlooked piece of the puzzle: "school avoidance." Disc
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By Daniel Levi
Navigating Texas Attendance Laws for Students with Disabilities and Health Needs
For Texas families of children with disabilities or chronic health needs, frequent school absences are often unavoidable. However, Texas law has strict rules about attendance, including the 90% attendance rule and truancy laws that may impact class credit and graduation. This guide explains those rules in depth and offers practical strategies for staying in compliance, protecting your child’s rights, and building strong partnerships with your child’s school.
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By Daniel Levi
Understanding Truancy Laws in Texas: A Parent’s Guide to Rights, Risks, and Remedies
Truancy laws in Texas have evolved significantly over the past decade. Once criminalized, student absences are now handled through civil procedures and school-based interventions. But that doesn’t mean the consequences are light—or the system easy to navigate. If your child is struggling with school attendance due to anxiety, disability, or external stressors, it’s critical to understand how truancy laws in Texas operate, what schools are allowed to do, and how to respond before things escalate
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By Daniel Levi
Understanding Truancy Law in Florida: What Parents Need to Know
Florida's truancy law can turn school absences into legal battles, even for children who are missing school due to anxiety, medical needs, or disability. If your child has five or more unexcused absences in a calendar month—or 15 in a 90-day period—you could face court, fines, or mandated programs. But enforcement isn't black-and-white. This article breaks down the legal process, the role of truancy officers, how Florida law defines noncompliance, and what families can do to advocate for support
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By Daniel Levi
Inside Truancy Court: A Parent’s Wake-Up Call
What happens when a child battling anxiety is pulled into a legal process meant for lawbreakers? One parent shares a personal story—and what it reveals about the flaws in our approach to school attendance. When my daughter was summoned to truancy court for missing school due to severe anxiety, I thought we’d finally get support. […]
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By Daniel Levi
The Role of the Truancy Officer: Ally, Enforcer, or Both?
Truancy officers are often the first point of contact for families facing school attendance issues. But what exactly do they do, and how can parents navigate that relationship when mental health is part of the story? For families of students struggling with school refusal, the knock on the door from a truancy officer can feel […]
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By Daniel Levi
Recognizing and Responding to Truancy: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents
Understanding the Timing of Truancy and How to Detect It Early to Support Your Child Truancy, or unexcused absence from school, is a growing concern for parents, educators, and communities alike. While occasional absences are expected due to illness or family needs, consistent, unexcused absences can quickly escalate into a significant academic and behavioral issue. […]
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By Daniel Levi
Truant Meaning: Understanding Truancy, Its Causes, and How to Combat It
In the landscape of education, one term frequently discussed—but often misunderstood—is truant. School absenteeism, especially without valid reasons, can have severe academic, social, and legal consequences. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or student, understanding what it means to be truant, the truancy definition, and how it affects education is crucial. This article will explain the […]
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By Daniel Levi
The Importance of Educating Truancy Professionals on School Avoidance
Why you should prioritize educating your staff on school avoidance Providing your school team with a comprehensive education on school avoidance is foundational and essential to improving your attendance and outcomes. Your role as a school team in early identification and intervention is crucial. Your proactive approach allows for effective support at the early signs […]
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By Daniel Levi
Breaking Down Old-School Stereotypes: Empowering Families in Marginalized Communities
Marginalized communities refer to groups of people who experience systematic social, economic, and political disadvantages due to various factors such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, or immigration status. These communities often face discrimination, oppression, and barriers to access resources, opportunities, and social mobility, which perpetuate cycles of disadvantage and marginalization. […]
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By Daniel Levi
Breaking Down the School vs. Parents Mentality: Fostering Collaboration for Student Success
Within the vast landscape of education, a longstanding and deeply entrenched schism persists: the notion of an inherent schism between schools and parents. This entrenched “School vs. Parents” paradigm, often characterized by adversarial dynamics and a sense of mutual distrust, serves as a formidable barrier to the cohesive collaboration essential for fostering student achievement and […]
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By Daniel Levi
Breaking the Chains of School Avoidance: The Power of Exposure Therapy
School avoidance, a distressing phenomenon characterized by persistent and excessive reluctance or refusal to attend school or engage in school-related activities, can have far-reaching consequences on a child’s academic progress, social development, and emotional well-being. While the roots of school avoidance can be multifaceted, ranging from anxiety disorders and social difficulties to academic stress and […]
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By Daniel Levi
Unraveling Anxiety: How To Guides Yourself Through the Anxiety/Avoidance Cycle
Anxiety can turn everyday tasks into daunting challenges. From answering the phone to attending social gatherings, individuals grappling with anxiety often find themselves caught in a cycle of fear and avoidance. This avoidance only serves to reinforce anxiety, making it even more difficult to confront fears in the future. Understanding the Anxiety/Avoidance Cycle The […]
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By Daniel Levi
Navigating Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA): A Guide for Parents to Support Their Children's Return to School
As a parent, supporting your child’s return to school can be challenging, especially if your child experiences Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). PDA is a complex profile within the autism spectrum characterized by an extreme avoidance of everyday demands and expectations. Children with PDA may struggle with transitioning back to school due to the overwhelming demands […]
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By Daniel Levi
Unveiling the Impact: How Anxiety Affects Teenagers
Anxiety is a common and often debilitating mental health issue that affects people of all ages, but its impact on teenagers can be particularly profound. As adolescents navigate the challenges of adolescence, they are often confronted with academic pressures, social expectations, hormonal changes, and existential uncertainties. In this article, we will explore the various ways […]
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By Daniel Levi
Navigating Tantrums and Meltdowns: Strategies for Parents and Caregivers
Tantrums and meltdowns are common occurrences in childhood, but they can be particularly challenging for parents and caregivers to manage. Whether it’s a toddler’s explosive outburst or an older child’s meltdown, understanding the underlying causes and employing effective strategies can help diffuse these situations and support the emotional well-being of the child. This article delves […]
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By Daniel Levi
Unveiling Pathological Demand Avoidance: Understanding the Signs
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a complex behavior profile that is increasingly recognized within the autism spectrum. Characterized by an individual’s overwhelming need to avoid everyday demands and expectations, PDA is rooted in anxiety and an intense aversion to feeling controlled. This unique condition requires a nuanced understanding, especially in identifying its signs, to ensure […]
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By Daniel Levi
Decoding Dyscalculia: A Guide to Recognizing Math Learning Challenges in Children
In the diverse landscape of learning differences, dyscalculia stands out as a specific learning disability that significantly impacts an individual’s ability to understand numbers and perform mathematical calculations. Often overshadowed by its more widely recognized counterpart, dyslexia, dyscalculia receives less attention but poses equally challenging obstacles for those affected. This article aims to shed light […]
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By Daniel Levi
Strategies to Prevent Passing Anxiety onto Your Children
In today’s fast-paced world, where stress and anxiety are often seen as commonplace, a significant concern for parents is the inadvertent transmission of these feelings to their children. Anxiety can be contagious, and without intending to, parents might find themselves passing on their anxieties to their kids, affecting their well-being and outlook on life. This […]
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By Daniel Levi
Bridging the Gap: A Comprehensive Guide to Combating Truancy in Schools
Truancy, a symptom of the broader issue of absenteeism in schools, poses significant challenges to educational institutions and societies at large. It is a multifaceted problem that requires a nuanced understanding and a strategic approach to address effectively. As educators and school leaders grapple with increasing rates of absenteeism, it becomes crucial to dissect its […]
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By Marian Chiara
How School Leadership Effectively Responds to School Avoidance
There are Five Tenets that will create a positive impact on addressing School Avoidance: Raise Awareness Identify and Respond to Student Attendance Data Address Root Causes of School Avoidance Evaluate System Effectiveness Refer to Appropriate Supports Raise awareness: It is imperative that all school community members are fully aware of the effects of chronic absenteeism. […]
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By Jayne Demsky
What You Need to Know About Accommodations
There are effective new tools families and schools can use to help kids w anxiety disorders or school avoidance get back to school. These interventions have created some confusion around the meaning of the word "accommodations."
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By Jayne Demsky
A big challenge for schools and families right now
Children are supposed to go to school. We could equate kids going to school with adults working every day. So, when your child starts to avoid or refuse to go to school, it throws you for a loop. Going to school is their job, right? When kids begin missing school days at a time or […]
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By Jayne Demsky
Feel Safe and Supported When You Need it Most
School avoidance is challenging on so many levels. One aspect that doesn’t get much attention is the judgment and blame assigned to parents of kids with chronic school absences. There are a few reasons for this: There has been little to no discussion, education, or awareness about school avoidance in our schools, media coverage, and […]
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By Jayne Demsky
Get Your State's Guide for Parental Rights in Special Education
Your child has the right to an education regardless of their school attendance problems. Getting your individual state's guide to parental rights is the first step to understanding how your school can help your child.
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By Jayne Demsky
Just Released ! The Ultimate Guide to Working with Your School
Many schools don’t understand school avoidance, so parents must take on the role of advocate and educator. You may feel judged at times and resentful if you are not getting the help you need. Introducing, the Ultimate Guide to Working with Your School. Parents get easily overwhelmed when they start hearing about IEPs and 504s […]
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By Jayne Demsky
The Anxiety Institue Explains How To Help Your Acutely Anxious Child
School avoidance families will be nodding in agreement and appreciation when reading this series of information from Anxiety Institute Co-Founder Linda Geiger. In addition to being the CEO of a leading school avoidance treatment program, Linda is also a mother who lived through the trauma of her son’s school avoidance. Linda addresses the fundamental questions […]
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By Jayne Demsky
School Avoidance Expert Dr. Albano: How To Help Your Child's Anxiety
School avoidance families will find value as Dr. Albano addresses escape as avoidance and how natural parent instincts lead to accommodations that enable our kid's avoidance. Her guidance and insight are helpful for us to understand so we can work on correcting this pattern.
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By Jayne Demsky
Hear a 15-year-old describe how CBT & Exposure Therapy helped his school avoidance
Parents, clinicians, and researchers covet school avoidant kids’ insights and thoughts to help us find better solutions. So, when we see a teenager who speaks about it, wow, we surely want to hear what they have to say.
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By Jayne Demsky
Simple Steps to Get Help From Your School for School Avoidance
In this video, I explain some important, yet simple steps for working with your school at the beginning stages of school avoidance. This video will aslo help families farhter along in their journey as I explain the nuances of dealing with your school and sharing school avoidance information.
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By Jayne Demsky
Hear a Child's Perspective: Top 5 Tips for Helping with Back to School Worries
It's not often we get to hear about school anxiety from a child's perspective. Kade gives insight into his thoughts and how he copes with uncomfortable feelings. We appreciate his courage and his passion for helping other kids.
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By Jayne Demsky
Fearless & Funny: Inspiration to Fight for Your Child's Educational Rights
For all you parents reading about 504 Plans, FAPE, IEPs, IDEA and ADA, laws, take a minute to laugh and get inspired.
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By Jayne Demsky
School Avoidance Kids Can Qualify For 504 Plans: See 5 Reasons Why
The Americans with Disability Act (ADA), Amendments Act of 2008 Expanded Section 504’s Reach. Clarifying How School Avoidant Kids Can Qualify for 504 Plans
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By Jayne Demsky
Helpful Modifications and Accommodations For School Avoidance
Whether you have an intervention plan, 504, Plan, or IEP, schools can provide, accommodations, and modifications that are effective for school avoidance.
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By Jayne Demsky
Dear Schools, We Need Your Help Now More than Ever.
Dear Schools and Educators, We wish you all an excellent start to the 2021 school year. We know your staff has been challenged just like families as we faced school closures last year. Hopefully, you had some time to relax this summer. Thank you for caring for our kids and for all your hard work. […]
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By Jayne Demsky
Do Schools Address Chronic Absenteeism and School Avoidance Differently?
Our states have offices dedicated to chronic absenteeism. They don't mention school avoidance, but some of their guidance would help kids with school avoidance as well.
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By Jayne Demsky
Listen Now: School Refusal-What Parents Can Do
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from leading School Avoidance expert Chris Leonard LCSW, M.Ed Chief Learning Officer at Thrive Alliance Group In this episode, Chris Leonard shares advice for parents to help their school-refusing child get back to school. Chris and his guest also touch on how schools can partner with parents to form […]
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By Jayne Demsky
The School's Role in Successful School Avoidance Interventions
Learn how schools and families can greatly improve outcomes for their students with school avoidance.
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By Jayne Demsky
The Year the Schools Refused Students
This is the first post written by L. Reddan, who is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) on a High School Counseling team, and an experienced professional helping kids with school avoidance get back to school.L. Reddan will be writing under a pseudonym in order to speak freely about pervasive issues in our school system as it relates to school avoidance and inclusion.
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By Jayne Demsky
7 Tips from Inside the Child Study Team
The following information is from a candid discussion that I had with Dr. Steven Myers, Licensed Psychologist, Certified School Psychologist, and Board Certified School Neuropsychologist. He has been a practicing School Psychologist in New Jersey for the past 14 years and maintains a private practice in Bergen County.
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By Jayne Demsky
School Avoidance Treatment Options: What is Rapid Return?
A discussion with Dr.Naoki Maeda of the School of Social Welfare, Kyushu University of Health and Welfare, Nobeoka, JapanHave you heard that exposure therapy is the treatment of choice for school avoidance?
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By Jayne Demsky
How Can a Behaviorist Help my School Avoidant Child Get Back to School?
For some reason, the role of the behavior analyst (Board Certified Behavior Analysts, BCBA) has been under the radar. They shouldn't be, though. They can play an integral part in helping kids get back to school.
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By Jayne Demsky
School Refusal: A Plan for Reintegrating Students
I had a lightbulb moment when I read this article by John Reily’ which discusses using hybrid learning as an opportunity for school refusal reintegration. Why wait until the Fall when it will be the same environment as before. Now is the time for schools to work with the families while there are fewer kids in the building.
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By Jayne Demsky
School Avoidance from a 5th Graders Point of View
This is one of my top ten learning resources regarding anxiety-based school avoidance.It is a video from Lyra, a very articulate 10 years old discussing her difficulties of going to school.She provides keen insight into what has helped her get back to school.
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By Jayne Demsky
This is How a Kid with School Refusal Feels
We know that school avoidance is often misunderstood. Our friends and schools may question our parenting skills. They may share simplistic and insensitive advice. They usually mean well, but sometimes it hurts.
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By Jayne Demsky
A New Solution for Schools: In-house Mental Health Programs
A few years ago, NPR did a piece called “Mental Health in Schools: A Hidden Crisis Affecting Millions of Students.” They cited that “nearly 80% of kids who need mental health services don’t receive them. Experts say schools could play a role in identifying students with problems and helping them succeed. Yet it's a role many schools are not prepared for.”
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By Jayne Demsky
What A Child with School Anxiety Wants You to Know
The following are some very powerful insights that will help you better understand what a child who has an anxiety disorder, school refusal, or other emotional disorder feels while at school.
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By Jayne Demsky
New Way to Combat Childhood Anxiety: Treat the Parents
This article from Yale News features promising research about how parent training can help improve anxiety levels, tolerance and outcomes in their children. According to Dr. Eli Lebowitz, Director of the Program for Anxiety Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center.
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By Jayne Demsky
How to Empower Your Child to Deal With School Anxiety by Karen Young, Psychologist and Founder of Hey Sigmund Blog
During an anxiety-fueled situation with my daughter, she has often yelled at me that I just don’t get it. I understand her point. I do have a general idea of her thoughts and feelings but I am not in her shoes per se to feel the extreme discomfort and hear her mind speaking to her.
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By Jayne Demsky
My Child Has School Refusal: What Can I Do?
It’s quite bewildering when your child starts refusing to go to school. This isn’t anything that we were trained for as parents. Once this becomes a pattern, a disruption, or starts to cause a negative impact, then it is time to take immediate steps to help your child.
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By Jayne Demsky
Helping Kids Manage Anxiety during Covid
This is a good piece put together by Lauren Hoffman, PsyD and Steve Mazza, Phd from Columbia Psychiatry. It covers a few simple ways that you can help manage you and your child’s anxiety right now. They also provide some useful links for relaxation and entertainment.
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By Jayne Demsky
Building Inner Wealth Within Your Child Who Has School Refusal
"Every Child has a Portfolio of Who They Think They Are."When I heard these words at a presentation of The Nurtured Heart Approach; I immediately felt them through the eyes of a child who has school refusal. I sensed how using the Nurtured Heart Approach could build inner-wealth within a child who is challenged with school refusal.
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By Jayne Demsky
Was Your Child Denied Access to a Higher Level Course? (IDEA & FAPE)
Today I realized that this is a real issue. In some instances, schools have denied children with Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s) or 504 plans access to advanced classes. This is clearly against the laws of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 and the right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
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By Jayne Demsky
Important Do’s and Don’ts: From a Fellow School Refusal Parent
When I was in the thick of things with my son’s school refusal, I wish I could have spoken to other parents dealing with the same problem; discuss what was working, what failed, and just the support from another human living a similar experience would have provided comfort. School refusal is complicated. There is no universal protocol and there is limited research to guide us. Therefore, an interchange of ideas and information is key to helping our kids.
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By Jayne Demsky
School Refusal is a Universal Problem: Spotlight on Japan
School Refusal is a universal problem. Our website gets most of its traffic from the United States, but there are also many visitors from Australia, Canada, The UK, and France. I was surprised to see Cyprus and The United Arab Emirates. too. This story from By Alessia Cerantola from BBC World Service focuses on the school refusal problem in Japan.
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By Jayne Demsky
You Are Not Alone..The Value of Social Media
We know how much our kids value social media. They socialize, vocalize and entertain themselves with all the content and capabilities these platforms contain. What would you think if I told you that getting on a platform like Twitter could be helpful to people dealing with mental illness? And more specifically to our website’s audience; families with children who have school refusal
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By Jayne Demsky
What do you think about school districts allowing excused absences due to mental health?
Oregon, Minnesota and Utah have passed laws allowing excused school absences for mental health. Both New York (NY Bill S6687) and New Jersey (NJ Bill 5780/S4122) are in the process of considering similar bills. I was pretty excited when I first heard about these bills. On one hand; this will help to reduce the stigma
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By Jayne Demsky
SCHOOL REFUSAL | 5 Ideas for Schools and Parents
Educational Psychologist, Phylly Prtichard provides helpful ideas for schools and parents. It may sound basic, but these steps are often overlooked when helping kids dealing with school refusal. In addition, these strategies can be used for both young and older students. lmk what you think.
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By Jayne Demsky
Homework Strategies For Helping Students With Anxiety
Trouble with homework can be an early sign of your child’s anxiety. The International OCD Foundation has a new website specifically for Anxiety in the Classroom. Their following teacher recommendations can be helpful to parents when discussing ideas for helping your child with anxiety.
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By Jayne Demsky
She graduated High School: Ann's Personal Story of Her Daughter's School Refusal
The following story is from an email that I received from a mom discussing her daughter’s journey through school refusal.
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By Jayne Demsky
Should You Consider A School Refusal Treatment Program For Your kid? from Brook Road Academy
This is a helpful article written and posted by Brook Road Academy, a day school in Richmond Virginia that welcomes school refusal kids and their families.
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By Jayne Demsky
Are You Being Covered Fairly for Your Mental Healthcare Insurance?
The uncertainty about mental healthcare costs keeps a lot of people from seeking help. Then the confusion about how your health insurance covers and reimburses for these costs adds another dimension of stress to families seeking help.
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By Jayne Demsky
How to Find Your Local Community Mental Health Resources
An often-overlooked resource is your county’s division of mental health. The federal and state government provide funding to support local mental health services.
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By Jayne Demsky
Listen to leading school refusal expert Dr. Christopher Kearny
Psychologist Dr. Christopher Kearny is a leading expert in the research and treatment of school refusal. He is world renowned and a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Director of the UNLV Child School Refusal and Anxiety Disorders Clinic.
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By Jayne Demsky
Understanding School Refusal by Joel L. Young MD from Psychology Today
Dr.Joel L. Young’s article makes a very important point; school refusal is not a behavioral problem but a form of anxiety that demands treatment and not punishment. He goes on to provide good first steps for getting help.
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