When Children Refuse School: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach

This program is a unique prescriptive model for the treatment of school refusal behavior of children ages 5 to 17. Using a two-component program, this model divides the school refusal behavior into four basic groups based on the reasons why children refuse school: avoidance of school situations that provoke general negative affectivity; escape from aversive social/evaluative situations; attention; and positive tangible reinforcement. Use it with children who are completely absent from school, who attend but then leave school during the day, who go to school following intense morning behavioral problems, or who display unusual distress during school days leading to pleas to parents or others for future non-attendance.