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OuR Process
At the School Refusal Clinic we use a collaborative and innovative approach that involves the child, parents and the school. Our approach includes evaluating your child's school refusal behaviours, developing a tailored action plan, collaborating closely with parents and school staff, and providing ongoing support to ensure a smooth transition back to regular school attendance where possible.
STEP 1.
1. Initial Assessment
Our assessment process involves carefully gathering information through discussion with parents and child in addition to structured school refusal assessment tools. This allows us to understand the child's school refusal patterns, including their intensity, frequency, triggers, and impacts. Our assessment may also uncover co-existing mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression.
2. Individualised Therapy
Equipped with these valuable insights, we create a personalised therapy plan with the ultimate goal being a successful return to school.
This step may include therapeutic approaches like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), exercise therapy, dog-assisted therapy depending on the child's needs and interests. Sessions can be delivered face to face in clinic, outdoors, via tele-health or a combination of all.
3. Family Engagement
Engaging the family is vital to address any contributing familial issues and to ensure the child's home environment supports their return to school. This can also include parent education and support with the focus on assisting parents develop the strategies they ned to support their child's return to school.
4. School Visits & Liason
We collaborate closely with your school with the aim of facilitating your child's smooth return to school and ensuring that the school environment supports their ongoing attendance.
By making sure everyone is aligned regarding the child's progress and needs, we are able to implement practical strategies that can guide your child in overcoming school refusal behaviours.
This approach not only aids your child but also promotes a supportive dialogue between the home and school environment.
5. Review & Follow-Up
Once therapy has commenced, regular follow-up is essential to assess progress, address any new issues that may arise, and adjust the treatment plan as necessary.
Extra Assistance:
Group Therapy
In addition to or instead of individual therapy, group therapy may be employed to help the child develop social skills, gain peer support, and learn effective strategies from others experiencing similar issues.
This could include our exercise based groups, social skills groups specifically designed for neurodiverse children or our frequent holiday programs.
