School Avoidance: What it is, Why it Happens, and How You Can Help

This presentation will introduce you to school avoidance facts, misconceptions, common causes, and what research and real-life show as the most critical factors in improving outcomes. You will hear about school avoidance from the perspective of families and students to help you build collaborative relationships needed to help these students back. You will also learn about educational and disability law and specific ways to support these students through RTI, 504s, and IEPS. You will also learn the components of an effective reintegration plan for returning students to school.

Training Objectives:
- Distinguish School Avoidance from other School Attendance Problems.
- Recognize signs, common causes, and contributing factors of school avoidance.
- Identify systemic roadblocks that derail students, families, and school professionals and how to overcome them.
- Review and reevaluate current parent communications and outreach to ensure positive school and family collaboration.
- Build an individualized reintegration plan for students who have school avoidance.
- Interpret IDEA and Section 504 through the lens of school avoidance to institute appropriate accommodations, modifications, and service.
- Reimagine the role of truancy professionals and the removal of unnecessary court involvement.
- Advocate for the removal of punitive measures that are negatively impacting student outcomes.


About Jayne Demsky, Founder, School Avoidance Alliance (SAA)

Over the past ten years, Jayne has been helping families and schools navigate and overcome the challenges of school avoidance. She founded the School Avoidance Alliance in 2014 due to the firestorm of frustration and heartache from her son's chronic avoidance and the lack of support and information needed to help him. SAA is dedicated to broadening school avoidance as an existent and factual challenge that must be addressed by stakeholders right now. All children deserve the equal opportunity to engage in their education and social emotional growth regardless of their school avoidance.

School Avoidance Alliance supports families and schools by providing parent education and professional development for educators.

Some of their resources that are helping kids return to school are The School Avoidance Master Class for Parents, A School edition of The School Avoidance Master Class for Families, that schools use as a Tier 2 and Tier 3 Intervention and their comprehensive educator professional development course, Everything You Need to Know to Get Your Students Back to School.

Jayne and School Avoidance Alliance have been featured in USA Today, Education Week, The Washington Post, EdSurge, Fox News, Good Morning Arizona, and CBS News NY.