School Avoidance is not a Diagnosis
Anxiety has been identified as a key feature of school avoidance. Although a certain level of anxiety is considered a normal and natural part of growing up, some children and young people may experience heightened levels of anxiety, which impact their functioning and school experiences.
School avoidance in itself is not a clinical diagnosis, however, it is a symptom that can be associated with several other diagnoses, for example, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and depression among others (Kawsar et al, 2022).
When school avoidance becomes entrenched, it can have negative impacts on children and young people in terms of their mental health and wellbeing. It can also influence educational attainment and may affect future employment opportunities. The impact on families trying to support children and young people to return to education can also be considerable. If an educator feels that there is an underlying mental health issue that may be affecting the child or young person’s attendance, it is beneficial at this point to connect with external supports for the child or young person. The school should contact NEPS support at this stage and suggest the parent go to their GP or seek support from Jigsaw (youth counselling). The Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) should be the last point of contact. If there are mental health concerns, advice from a medical professional should be integrated into the steps outlined in Section 3 of this toolkit.
School avoidance may arise as a response to trauma that children or young people have experienced in their personal lives. When addressing school avoidance, adopting a trauma-informed approach can prevent further trauma or retraumatisation. The Clare Toolkit includes a section designed to help schools approach school avoidance with a trauma-informed perspective.
Additional Resources
Trauma-Informed Education
For more information, visit the Trauma-Informed Education project’s website. The project aims to raise awareness and build capacity for trauma-informed practices within education systems.
NEPS Trauma Training
NEPS have also created a training for school staff on being trauma informed, available here:
Clare Toolkit Section on Trauma
Clare Child and Young Person’s Service Committee (CYPSC) has devised a school avoidance toolkit that has a significant amount of information on trauma.