This webinar was held on 19 March 2024
You can view the recording of this webinar below.
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These resources provide additional information on this topic:
- raisingchildren.net.au – School refusal: children and teenagers
- raisingchildren.net.au – School refusal: autistic children and teenagers
- raisingchildren.net.au – Schools, teachers and parents: building strong relationships
- Emerging Minds - Families
- Headspace – Understanding school refusal
- Parenting Strategies – Responding to school reluctance or refusal: Strategies for parents
- Pop Culture Parenting – Episode 9: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off + kids who are struggling to attend school
- Pop Culture Parenting – Episode 10: Kids who are struggling to attend school Part 2
- Orygen – Orygen launches new toolkit to address rising rates of school refusal
- raisingchildren.net.au – Raising Health Minds app
School refusal and children who can’t or won’t go to school
School refusal is when children find it difficult to go to school. They might get extremely upset and often miss some or all of the school day. This distress doesn’t go away. But having a positive school experience is good for children’s and teenagers’ overall development and social and emotional wellbeing.
School refusal might start gradually or happen suddenly. For example, it can happen at the same time as or after stressful events at home or problems at school.
If your child struggles to go to school, it’s important to start by trying to understand the issue from your child’s point of view and acknowledging their feelings. The next step is working with the school to address the issues that are making it hard for your child to attend school. You can work with the school on strategies to help your child with school refusal.
There are also professionals who can work with you and your child to help with any challenges your child is experiencing, including anxiety, depression or learning difficulties.
In this webinar, you’ll learn:
- how to spot early signs of difficulty attending school at different ages
- how children feel when they find it hard to go to school
- what strategies can help children get back to school regularly
- when children might need more support and where to get it.
In the webinar, you’ll be able to ask questions, share experiences, and hear other parents’ experiences and ideas.
If you have a child aged 5-18 years and you have concern about their difficulties attending school, this webinar is suitable for you.
If you register for the webinar, we’ll send you a link to the recording, even if you can’t make it on the night.
Presented by: Dr Billy Garvey
Billy is a developmental paediatrician with over 20 years’ experience working with children. His clinical and research interests include child development and mental health, multidisciplinary collaboration, health literacy and community engagement to support all families. He is currently undertaking a PhD piloting a model to support child emotional and behavioural development in primary schools and is a Churchill Fellow exploring how social media can be used to support parenting. Billy is the co-founder of the Pop Culture Parenting podcast.
When: Tuesday 19 March 2024, 7 pm AEDT or at these times in other states
Duration: 40 minutes, followed by a 20-minute question and answer session
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I’ve signed up: what happens next?
About 10-15 minutes after you sign up, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link that gives you access to the webinar. You’ll be able to access the webinar 30 minutes before the start time. We’ll also send you a reminder email the day before the webinar.
We’ll send you a link to the recording a few days after the webinar.
About this webinar
This webinar offers free, live advice from a trusted parenting expert. It offers support without the need for appointments or fees and is delivered in real time to the comfort of your home. It’s also a chance to hear from other parents facing challenges like yours.
Please note that this webinar provides general information. Presenter Billy Garvey won’t be able to provide individual consultations on the night, but he will give you plenty of ideas for where to go for help if you need it.
This webinar was developed by the Parenting Research Centre in collaboration with Australian experts, brought to you by raisingchildren.net.au, and funded by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.
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