Overcoming School Avoidance

A compassionate guide that tackles one of the fastest-growing issues facing families everywhere: the increasing number of children who are refusing or reluctant to attend school. When a child stops going to school, the entire family feels the impact. School avoidance may look like defiance, but it’s often rooted in anxiety, depression, or other emotional challenges—and influenced by factors within the school environment that can make attendance feel overwhelming. Yet many families and educators are left unsure how to respond. In this groundbreaking guide, Jayne Demsky—founder of the School Avoidance Alliance—provides a practical roadmap for parents navigating this isolating and often overwhelming experience. Demsky offers strategies that help parents to confidently collaborate with schools, navigate truancy laws, and provide the emotional support kids need to return to a productive and fulfilling school life. Drawing on over a decade of experience supporting families, Demsky brings deep insight and unwavering commitment to this issue. Her perspective is further enriched by a diverse group of experts, professionals, and advocates who contributed their knowledge and expertise to this book, including these leading authorities: Dr. Christopher Kearney, Director, UNLV Child School Refusal & Anxiety Disorders Clinic; Dr. Daniel Villiers, counseling psychologist; cofounder, the Mountain Valley Treatment Center and the Anxiety Institute; and Dr. Mona Potter, child psychologist and psychiatrist; cofounder and CMO, InStride Health, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.