512- School Avoidance & Refusal: Root Causes and Strategies for Parents and Educators
Jul 24, 2024
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Alana Cooperman, LCSW discusses anxiety-driven school avoidance, root causes, and evidence-based strategies. Topics include addressing school refusal in children with ADHD, anxiety, and autism, coping strategies, and navigating oppositional defiance. Strategies for ADHD kids, sensory overload, and explosive reactions are also explored.
School avoidance is often triggered by anxiety due to various factors like academic struggles, bullying, trauma, or home issues.
Untreated school refusal can have short-term consequences like declining grades, strained family dynamics, and long-term effects including difficulty graduating and increased anxiety and depression in adulthood.
Symptoms of school refusal differ by age, with younger children displaying physical resistance and separation anxiety, while older children may exhibit procrastination and defiance, allowing tailored intervention strategies for each child.
Deep dives
Identifying School Avoidance Root Causes
School avoidance stemming from anxiety may be triggered by academic struggles, bullying, trauma, or home issues. The behavior is often a symptom of underlying challenges like ADHD, anxiety disorders, or learning difficulties. Differentiating school refusal as a distinct issue is crucial, not to be confused with genuine absences due to illness or family circumstances.
Effects of Untreated School Avoidance
School refusal left untreated may lead to short-term consequences like declining grades, strained family dynamics, and social isolation. Long-term effects can include difficulty graduating, increased family tension, and elevated anxiety and depression in adulthood. Understanding and addressing the root causes early are key to preventing detrimental long-term outcomes.
Recognizing School Avoidance Symptoms
Symptoms of school refusal can vary by age, with younger children showing physical resistance, separation anxiety, and verbal expressions of worry. Older children may exhibit procrastination, defiance, irritability, and increased self-consciousness. Identifying these diverse symptoms enables tailored intervention strategies for each child.
Risk Factors Contributing to School Avoidance
Academic challenges, social struggles, and personal traumas are significant risk factors for school avoidance. Children with ADHD, executive functioning issues, social anxiety, or conflicts with friends are particularly vulnerable. Understanding these risk factors allows for targeted support and interventions to address the root causes effectively.
Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) plays a key role in addressing school avoidance behaviors by focusing on thoughts, emotions, and actions. Exposure therapy, gradually exposing children to feared situations with support, helps build distress tolerance. Developing coping strategies, supporting positive behaviors, and fostering a collaborative approach with families and schools are essential in managing school avoidance.
From elementary through high school, absenteeism is growing. Alana Cooperman, LCSW, discusses the underlying anxiety that often propels this behavior, how it can present differently, and evidence-based strategies to support students with school refusal behaviors.
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