Overcoming School Refusal: A practical guide for teachers, counsellors, caseworkers and parents

School refusal affects up to 5% of children and is a complex and stressful issue for the child, their family and school. The more time a child is away from school, the more difficult it is for the child to resume normal school life. If school refusal becomes an ongoing issue it can negatively impact the child's social and educational development.

Psychologist Joanne Garfi spends most of her working life assisting parents, teachers, school counsellors, caseworkers, and community policing officers on how best to deal with school refusal. Now her experiences and expertise are available in this easy-to-read practical book.

Overcoming School Refusal helps readers understand this complex issue by explaining exactly what school refusal is and provides them with a range of strategies they can use to assist children in returning to school. Areas covered include:

• types of school refusers
• why children refuse to go to school
• symptoms
• short term and long term consequences
• accurate assessment
• treatment options
• what parents can do
• what schools can do
• dealing with anxious high achievers
• how to help children on the autism spectrum with school refusal

Table of Contents

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 What is school refusal?

Chapter 2 Why do children refuse to go to school?

Chapter 3 The impacts of school refusal

Chapter 4 What professionals can do

Chapter 5 What parents can do

Chapter 6 Treatment for school refusal

Chapter 7 Treating high achievers who are school refusing

Chapter 8 Treating students with autism spectrum disorder who are school refusing

Resources

Endnotes