This book is designed to help educators, school administrators and counselors address this behavior early, before clinical intervention is needed. It is most beneficial for children who have demonstrated refusal behavior for a short period of time, whose symptoms are not yet severe, and who display few comorbid problems such as ADHD, conduct disorder, or severe depression.The book guides readers through the description, assessment, resolution, and future prevention of school refusal behavior. Various evidence-based strategies are presented which address the specific needs of the child based on age and reason for refusal. Designed as a workbook, the book contains worksheets, question-and-answer sessions, case vignettes, and step-by-step instructions for exercises to increase incentives for school attendance.

School refusal behavior is a common and difficult problem facing parents of children and teenagers. The behavior can have severe consequences by contributing to a child's academic, social, and psychological problems. A child's absence from school can also significantly increase family conflict. If your child experiences anxiety or noncompliance about attending school and has trouble remaining in classes for an entire day, this workbook, and the corresponding Therapist Guide, can help. This Parent Workbook is designed to help you work with a qualified therapist to resolve your child's school refusal behavior. The Workbook outlines four possible treatment procedures that may be prescribed by a therapist, depending on your child's reasons for refusing school. Scientific evidence has shown these programs to be highly effective in treating youth 5-17 years old who exhibit school refusal behavior. Regardless of whether your child refuses school to relieve school-related distress, to avoid negative social situations at school, to receive attention from you or another family member, or to obtain tangible rewards outside of school, the flexible treatments described in this book will help you and your child overcome school refusal behavior. The Workbook describes what you can expect during your child's assessment and treatment and provides answers to questions you may have about the process. It also provides instructions for continuing certain aspects of the program at home, including relaxation and breathing techniques, as well as exposure exercises to decrease your childs anxiety. Instructions are also given for completing daily logbooks with your child to track progress, creating a morning routine to keep you both on schedule, and developing written contracts to enhance attendance and discourage nonattendance. With this user-friendly manual, you can take an active role in your childs successful return to school.

"This chapter provides an overview of types of school attendance problems, including full-day absences, partial absences or skipped classes, tardiness, morning behavior problems in an attempt to miss school, and distress during the school day. This chapter also includes a summary of what the book is about as well as a discussion of conditions under which the book will be more helpful or less helpful to parents. This chapter also includes suggestions for seeking outside professional help if the book is deemed less helpful. This chapter also covers prevalence of school attendance problems, common characteristics of this population, adjusting to a new school, medical conditions associated with absenteeism, and how to define success. This chapter also asks parents to collate main contact information for parties needed to help resolve a child's school attendance problems"--

School refusal is a crippling condition in which children experience extreme anxiety or panic attacks when faced with everyday school life. This book aims to explore, raise awareness of the problem and provide plans and strategies for education, health and social care professionals for identifying and addressing this problem

Annotation Kearney, a clinical child psychologist at the U. of Nevada, Las Vegas, has written his book mainly with the school psychologist in mind. The problem of school refusal is put into a context in initial chapters which give an overview of the historical literature on school refusal behavior and describe the characteristics of these youth, while also critiquing the classification strategies employed. After introducing a functional model, Kearney summarizes treatment strategies and discusses methods for prevention as well as the reality of extreme cases. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Adolescents face unique pressures and worries. Will they pass high school? Should they go to college? Will they find love? And what ways do they want to act in the world? The uncertainty surrounding the future can be overwhelming. Sadly, and all too often, if things don’t go smoothly, adolescents will begin labeling themselves as losers, unpopular, unattractive, weird, or dumb. And, let’s not forget the ubiquitous ‘not good enough’ story that often begins during these formative years. These labels are often carried forward throughout life. So what can you do, now, to help lighten this lifelong burden? The Thriving Adolescent offers teachers, counselors, and mental health professionals powerful techniques for working with adolescents. Based in proven- effective acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), the skills and tips outlined in this book will help adolescents and teens manage difficult emotions, connect with their values, achieve mindfulness and vitality, and develop positive relationships with friends and family. The evidence-based practices in this book focus on developing a strong sense of self, and will give adolescents the confidence they need to make that difficult transition into adulthood. Whether it’s school, family, or friend related, adolescents experience a profound level of stress, and often they lack the psychological tools to deal with stress in productive ways. The skills we impart to them now will help set the stage for a happy, healthy adulthood. If you work with adolescents or teens, this is a must-have addition to your professional library.

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

One in six American children live in poverty. One in six struggle with a developmental disability. An estimated 70 percent of American adults have experienced a traumatic event.Despite the overwhelming prevalence of these circumstances, societal expectations and the country's fragmented, under-resourced service systems make it nearly impossible for families experiencing hardship to keep up. In many cases, the system makes their situation worse.In her book, Zilberstein, Clinical Director of the Northampton, Massachusetts chapter of A Home Within, provides a candid look at how parents contending with poverty, illness, disability, or other constraints are expected to do so much with so little-and the price they and society pay.Through the unforgettable portraits of six overburdened families, Parents Under Pressure shows how health crises can quickly devolve into the loss of jobs and homes, how public perceptions of poor people hamper the chances for a better life, and the ways in which race and income affect access to assistance. Judged by family, friends and professionals who question their abilities and choices, parents feel inadequate and drained, rather than supported.

Children who miss substantial amounts of school pose one of the most vexing problems for school officials. In many cases, school personnel must assess these students and successfully help them to return to the academic setting. This can be difficult considering most school-based professionals are pressed for time and do not have access to proper resources. The information in this book can help school officials combat absenteeism and reduce overall dropout rates. Designed for guidance counselors, teachers, principals and deans, school psychologists, school-based social workers, and other school professionals, Helping School-Refusing Children and Their Parents outlines various strategies for helping children get back to school with less distress, all of which can be easily implemented in schools. This fully-updated second edition provides recommendations for a multi-tiered approach to school absenteeism that concentrates on prevention (Tier 1), early intervention for emerging cases (Tier 2), and more extensive intervention and systemic strategies for severe cases (Tier 3), with each tier based on empirically supported strategies grounded in scientific research. A chapter on assessment describes several methods for identifying school refusal behavior, including time-limited techniques for school officials who have little opportunity to conduct detailed evaluations. Worksheets for facilitating assessment are included and can easily be photocopied from the book. Other chapters provide advice for working collaboratively with parents, preventing relapse, and special issues. Topics such as poverty, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, violence, and school safety are also addressed, as are individualized education or 505 plans and consultation with other clinicians.

It’s time to say NO to trying to fit square-peg kids into rounds holes, and YES to raising them from a place of acceptance and joy. Today millions of kids are stuck in a world that doesn’t embrace who they really are. They are the one in five “differently wired” children with ADHD, dyslexia, giftedness, autism, anxiety, or other neurodifferences, and their challenges are many. And for the parents who love them, the challenges are just as numerous, as they struggle to find the right school, the right support, the right path. But now there’s hope. Differently Wired is a revolutionary book—weaving together personal stories and a tool kit of expert advice from author Deborah Reber, it’s a how-to, a manifesto, and a reassuring companion for parents who can so often feel that they have no place to turn. At the heart of Differently Wired are 18 paradigm-shifting ideas—what the author calls “tilts,” which include how to accept and lean in to your role as a parent (#2: Get Out of Isolation and Connect). Deal with the challenges of parenting a differently wired child (#5: Parent from a Place of Possibility Instead of Fear). Support yourself (#11: Let Go of Your Impossible Expectations for Who You “Should” Be as a Parent). And seek community (#18: If It Doesn’t Exist, Create It). Taken together, it’s a lifesaving program to shift our thinking and actions in a way that not only improves the family dynamic, but also allows children to fully realize their best selves. “In this generous and urgent book, Deborah Reber lets the light in. She helps parents see that they’re not alone, and even better, delivers a positive action plan that will change lives.”—Seth Godin, author of Linchpin “Differently Wired will help parents of children who think differently to accept their child for who they are and facilitate their successful development.”—Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and The Autistic Brain