Understanding & Supporting Children & Young People with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

A practical user-friendly toolkit of resources providing an overview of EBSA and strategies to support return to school, with a focus on transition from primary to secondary school and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children and young people miss school for a variety of reasons - as a response to personal, family, school or wider environmental issues. Emotionally Based School Avoidance or Refusal (EBSA) is a pattern of absence where reluctance, or refusal, to attend or stay in educational settings is rooted in anxiety or fear.

Risk factors vary, and it is important to understand the reasons for poor or non-attendance. This resource provides an overview of EBSA, useful assessments and key tools to help identify and support those young people who find school attendance a struggle owing to anxiety or fear.

Many children and young people - especially those with existing mental health issues – have found the experience of lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic particularly stressful and increased levels of anxiety are widespread. As a result, the need to provide support for increased levels of anxiety will be ongoing

This toolkit of resources will give confidence to anyone working with or looking after young people in understanding the basis for EBSA and will provide practical, helpful strategies that can be implemented by parents and school-based staff to support young people back into the learning environment.

Table of Contents

List of Handouts, Tables & Figures

About the Author

1. Introduction to EBSA & Links to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• The Rationale for Writing this Book
• The COVID-19 Pandemic
• The Need for Adults to be Resilient & Trauma-informed
• Understanding Non-Attendance & Expectations
• Prevalence of EBSA
• What Does EBSA Look Like?
• Possible Triggers
• Transition from Primary to Secondary School: A Special Focus
• Understanding Anxiety
• Managing Anxiety
• The Role of the Key Adult in School: Building a Nurturing Relationship
2. Identification, Assessment & Intervention Tools & Resources for Practitioners
• Supporting Children & Young People
• Identification & Assessment
• Working with Parents during the Assessment Process
• Working with Young People during the Assessment Process
• Planning a Return to School.
• Taking on the Roll of the Key Worker
• A Step-by-Step Approach to School Reintegration
3. Activities for Children & Young People to Support the Reintegration Process

Activities for Younger Children

1. This is Me
2. My Life Graph
3. Thoughts & Feelings about School
4. My Pupil. Passport
5. My 'Can-Do' Cards
6. Worry Words
7. My Worry Ladder
8. My Worry Plan
9. Negative Thoughts
10. 'What Ifs' Game
11. My Circle of Support
12. Time to Talk
13. Visualisation
14. Affirmation Cards
15. Grounding the Senses
16. My Happiness Shield
17. Make a Calm Box
18. Calm Cards
19. Calm My Senses
20. Strengths Cards

Activities for Teens

21. My Timeline
22. Thinking about School
23. What Happens in Your Body When You are Anxious?
24. What Happens in Your Head When You Feel Anxious?
25. Making an Anxiety Ladder
26. My Pupil Passport
27. The Miracle Question
28. Challenging My Negative Automatic Thoughts (NATs)
29. The Best Things about Me
30. Beating Your Worries
31. Problem Solving in Steps
32. Visualisation
33. My Playlist to Reduce Anxiety
34. Seven-11 Breathing
35. Distraction Techniques
36. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
37. My Positive Journal
38. My Exercise Diary
39. Letter to My Future Self
40. My Wellbeing Plan

Helpful Websites

References and Further Reading