Overcoming School Refusal Together

For an increasing number of young people, school anxiety is reaching levels that make school feel impossible, unsafe, and out of their reach. We know that ‘school refusal’, as it is commonly known, is not an intentional response. It’s anxiety. We also know that with the right strategies, support, and a holistic, collaborative, ‘wrap-around’ response, children can find their way back to feeling safe, strong, and happy at school. This workshop is designed to offer a sense of community and a compassionate, powerful way through for parents, educators, and students dealing with school ‘refusal’. We will explore proven, innovative strategies to support young people back to school. The pivotal component of this workshop involves evidence-based, practical strategies, information, and scripts for working with a child’s key adults in a collaborative approach.We explore:

• the common triggers in school and home, even the best ones;
• how anxiety grows into school refusal;
• how to manage anxiety-fuelled behaviours in ways that preserve connection and influence;
• techniques for parents and teachers to move through resistance and avoidance, and facilitate engagement;
• what to do when children are disengaged and resistant;
• how to build high-quality relationships with all children that will strengthen against anxiety and school refusal, build brave behaviour, and minimise incidents of critical behaviour;
• how to respond to anxiety and resistance in the moment to make way for calm and courage;
• when children won’t get out of bed, house, car - what to do;
• when parents feel ‘stuck’ - moving past the impasse;
• when school comes with vomiting, sick tummies or sore tummies - what to do;
• when peer relationships are tricky;
• strengthen all children against anxiety, build confidence and courage;
• the critical elements of ‘presence’ that children need from their parents;
• the three conditions necessary to facilitate school engagement.