When School Feels Impossible: Understanding and Supporting Students with School Refusal

What Will You Learn?

• Identify the emotional, sensory, and mental health factors that commonly drive school refusal in neurodiverse students
• Distinguish between school refusal and deliberate truancy to respond with appropriate compassion and strategy
• Apply a collaborative, family-centred approach to build trust and co-create re-engagement plans with students and caregivers
• Use practical, low-barrier strategies to reduce anxiety triggers and increase a student's sense of safety at school
• Design gradual re-entry plans that are realistic and sustainable within Australian school settings
• Communicate effectively with families to avoid blame and strengthen the home-school partnership
• Adapt classroom environments and daily routines to reduce the likelihood of future school refusal episodes
• Connect students and families to appropriate external supports, including mental health services and NDIS pathways