School Avoidance: What It Is, Why It Happens and How You Can Help

This presentation will introduce you to school avoidance facts, misconceptions, common causes, and what research and real-life show as the most critical factors in improving outcomes.

You will hear about school avoidance from the perspective of families and students to help you build collaborative relationships needed to help these students back. Also, you will learn about educational and disability law and specific ways to support these students through RTI, 504s, and IEPS. Leave feeling ready to develop an effective reintegration plan for returning students to school.

Learning Goals:

1. Distinguish school avoidance from other school attendance problems

2. Recognize signs, common causes, and contributing factors of school avoidance

3. Identify systemic roadblocks that derail students, families, and school professionals and how to overcome them

4. Review and reevaluate current parent communications and outreach to ensure positive school and family collaboration

5. Build an individualized reintegration plan for students who have school avoidance

6. Interpret IDEA and Section 504 through the lens of school avoidance

7. To institute appropriate accommodations, modifications, and service

8. The urgency to advocate for the removal of punitive measures that are negatively impacting student outcomes