School Refusal Behavior: Effective Techniques to Help Children Who Can't or Won't Go to School

• • Recognize the behavioral and clinical features of school refusers
• • Analyze the functional purpose of school refusal behavior
• • Differentiate between school refusal and truancy
• • Identify co-morbid psychological disorders associated with school refusal
• • Design treatment plans for school refusers
• • Determine the four significant factors in school refusal behavior
• • Examine individual, family and pharmacological approaches to treatment of school refusers

Successfully Confronting School Refusal Behavior
"I don't want to go to school!" Who hasn't heard that phrase before? While we may chuckle remembering the lengths we might have taken to avoid school, there are many children who truly struggle with going to school. School refusal behavior is a real issue that is stressful for children, their families, and even school personnel. School refusal is often associated with co-morbid disorders such as anxiety or depression. Not addressing these problems carefully could result in significant effects on children?s social, emotional, and educational development.

This 1-day seminar examines the complexity of school refusal behavior and explores solutions to help children successfully return to school. Learn to perform functional analysis to determine the motivation and particular reinforcement systems that support school refusal behavior. Examine psychological disorders that may be causing/co-morbid with school refusal including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, social phobia, panic attacks, major depression, Persistent Depressive Disorder, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation disorder, ADHD, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Review the latest evidence-based treatments with a focus on tailoring standard approaches to specific situations. Lastly, participants engage in several case studies and develop intervention plans for cases of school refusal.