When it comes to addressing school avoidance, evaluation and assessment is the first step. Interventions can then be applied to help students maintain regular attendance going forward.
Evaluation
Evaluation is the first step. The Center for School Engagement has experts that are available to examine a student’s needs. Every child is different, so the Center for School Engagement structures assessment based upon a student’s needs. The CSE is able to provide the following:
- Academic review: File review and consultation with the school.
- Diagnostic assessment: Is there a psychiatric diagnosis that is impacting the child’s school attendance (i.e. anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, depressive disorder).
- Examination of the function of school avoidant behavior. Does missing school/class provide the child an escape from negative emotions or social fears? Does missing school because they prefer to be spending time with trusted adults or doing fun things? The IOL can complete a functional analysis of school avoidant behavior that looks at four functions of school avoidance (Kearney & Silverman, 1999):
- Avoidance of Negative Affect
- Escape from Social Evaluation
- Attention Getting Behavior
- Pursuit of Tangible Reinforcement
- Consultation with student’s current medical and mental health providers.
- Assessment of motivation to return to school.
Interventions
Credit recovery classroom:
- For students that are behind on credits and need the right environment to catch up.
- Small classroom setting.
- Low stimulation.
- Individualized academic instruction.
- Opportunity for academic independence.
- Clinical consultation (e.g., individual check-ins, seminars, family meetings) when needed.
Motivational enhancement consultation approach:
- We respond to referrals from school districts or other agencies (e.g., DCF)
- Assessing and utilizing the student’s motivation and desire to change.
- Consultation with family and school to develop realistic re-entry plan.
- Advocating for child’s needs for a successful school re-entry.
- Facilitating communication between the school and family.
- Regular meetings with student & family to assess progress, address any obstacles, and problem solve.
- Serve as interface between student, parents, schools, and districts but remain neutral party in process.
- Provide morning outreach services to assist and support to improve morning routine, remove family dynamics/conflict, and encourage independence of student in getting to school.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for School Refusal (CBT-SR)
Therapy is tailored to match the child’s specific needs and may involve:
- Diagnostic evaluation
- Functional analysis of behavior
- Cognitive restructuring
- Exposure based therapy
- Emotion regulation skills
- Social skills training
- Parent management training
- Consultation with school accommodations
- Academic
- Social
- Emotional
CBT-SR through the Center for School Engagement is an intensive treatment program that includes 15 sessions of CBT, delivered five days per week for three weeks. Each session lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. CBT is provided individually or with the child's parents or guardians.