An immediate intervention for chronic absenteeism — share it with your parents today
The School Avoidance Master Class for Parents, licensed for your school or district. Hand expert school avoidance education to families at the first sign of an attendance problem, so home and school start pulling in the same direction from day one.
6 modules · 30 lessons · Sold in user packs of five
Can you relate to these challenges?
Demanding case loads and burnout
When school avoidance is not addressed quickly, timelines stretch and the window to help a student closes.
Parents don't know the signs
Most families have never heard of school avoidance, so early warning signs pass unrecognised and intervention is delayed.
Early intervention is hard to operationalise
Research is clear that early response improves returns — but it is difficult without a process to act on the first sign of absence.
You hear about it too late
Families often don't know an intervention team exists, who to contact, or what your staff can actually do for them.
School avoidance destabilises families
Parents feel helpless, frightened and isolated, and are desperate for expertise to help their child back to school.
Cost and litigation exposure
When families feel appropriate steps aren't being taken, districts risk significant litigation, settlement and out-of-district placement costs.
Collaboration stalls
Parents who feel judged withdraw. Families need to feel understood before they will build a plan with your team.
Families lack treatment literacy
Parents rarely understand first-line treatment — CBT and exposure — which they need in order to seek effective care.
Practical guidance is almost nonexistent
Families arrive scared and confused, many describing being on the verge of collapse because of their child's absenteeism.
Chronic absenteeism in the form of school avoidance is our only domain
Since 2014 the School Avoidance Alliance has been a leading provider of school avoidance education in the United States and worldwide. We know where school teams get stuck, and exactly how to help you and your families take positive steps forward.
We are not a corporate machine publishing material on every issue schools face. We produce premium, curated content that is relevant, practical and usable right away.
Our instructors are leading researchers, clinicians, authors and professors from some of the country's best programs for children with anxiety disorders and school avoidance. They set your team up for success and shorten the time it takes to get students back to learning.
Our experts work at
The clinicians your families will learn from
Dr. Dina Nunziato
Clinical Director — The Anxiety Institute
Twenty years supporting young people in anxiety-related clinical and educational settings, specialising in cognitive-behavioural treatment of anxiety and school avoidance.
Dr. Anthony Puliafico
Director, CUCARD Westchester — Columbia University
Associate professor of medical psychology who directs an anxiety day program and consults with schools and agencies on school avoidance.
Dr. Anne Marie Albano
Founder — CUCARD, Columbia University
Professor of medical psychology in psychiatry, co-author of over 200 articles and chapters, and co-author of the SRAS-R.
Dr. Jonathon Dalton
Founder & Director — Center for Anxiety & Behavioral Change
One of the country's leading psychologists treating anxiety-based school refusal, and a fierce advocate for evidence-based treatment.
Dr. John Piacentini
Director, CARES Center — UCLA
Professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, author of over 300 scientific publications on childhood anxiety and OCD.
Krystina Dawson, M.S.Ed.
Certified School Psychologist & Founder — Center for One
School psychologist and mental health supervisor experienced in leading teams and building reintegration plans for school-avoidant students.
Promoting school–home collaboration that improves outcomes and saves time, money and frustration
It educates parents on school avoidance, evidence-based solutions and the critical teamwork between school and home, so families arrive ready to collaborate on a plan right away.
It immediately shows parents that your team understands and is ready to help, setting the tone for empathy, trust and collaboration.
It is a primer that gives families the detailed school avoidance information it would otherwise take them years to compile.
Our expert instructors empower parents with skills and knowledge, delivering hope and compassion.
It cuts weeks, months and years off your intervention effort, improves outcomes and reduces financial outlay.
This response to intervention can preclude the need for an IEP or 504 plan — or be used alongside them.
It makes your job easier while giving students with school avoidance the best chance of a successful return.
The Master Class improves school avoidance outcomes when…
- Parents learn how exposure therapy works and why it gets school-avoidant kids back to school.
- They learn the components and process of building a gradual reintegration plan.
- Parents feel supported and understood by the school team.
- Families see that your school understands school avoidance and what a return actually takes.
- Schools can intervene early, before avoidance becomes entrenched.
- Families communicate openly with the school about the challenges they face.
- Parents receive expert guidance directly from leading clinicians.
- Families experience your school as flexible and accommodating to their child's needs.
- Your team's guidance to families is grounded in evidence, not improvisation.
Resources for your families — and for your team
What your parents will get
- The School Avoidance Master Class: a Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention — 6 modules, 30 lessons.
- Tier 2: an immediate RTI enabling early intervention that improves outcomes and can reduce 504 and IEP requests.
- Tier 3: psychoeducation, hope and knowledge that drive effective responses and structured reintegration planning.
- Guidance from five leading school avoidance clinicians and a school psychologist who leads reintegration teams.
- A Parent Reintegration Plan worksheet plus a guide to building thoughtful, effective reintegration plans.
- A listing of useful strategies, accommodations and modifications for school avoidance.
- A reference sheet for alternative assessments from Indiana University's Center for Learning and Innovative Teaching.
- An exposure explainer with a sample exposure hierarchy, and a parent reflection worksheet.
What your school team will get
- A School Reintegration worksheet.
- A template from Dr. Patricia Graczyk (University of Illinois at Chicago) used to reintegrate students returning from inpatient or partial programs.
- A guide to building thoughtful and effective reintegration plans for school avoidance.
- A reference sheet for alternative assessments from Indiana University's Center for Learning and Innovative Teaching.
- An exposure explainer with sample exposure hierarchy for quick reference.
Trusted by school teams and the families they serve
What a great resource! I wish you had been around ten years ago for my son. We have a small staff and no school social worker, but I recognise the signs and am in touch with the child and her dad. A big thank you for providing so much great information.
Parents need this information, and they are lucky you are sharing it all. A lot of kids and families are struggling right now. The schools also need this information.
I recently found your website and am in the midst of a very challenging time with my 8-year-old son at school. Thank you so much for your help and guidance.
Frequently asked questions
We share the most up-to-date guidance from world-leading clinicians and researchers. Thousands of families, therapists and school professionals have used our resources, and our Master Class features experts sharing strategies you could not otherwise access.
A one-of-a-kind parent intervention to reduce chronic absenteeism
Our Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention is sold in user packs of five. That is purposeful: the resource is ready to go at all times, so you can give it to a family the moment attendance becomes a concern. Bundle it with our School Avoidance Professional Learning for your staff.
Eligible for Title I, Title II-A of ESSA and ARP ESSER funds