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School Refusal Triage & Re-entry Plan

A structured plan for anxiety-driven school avoidance

Breaks school refusal into actionable steps: identify likely drivers, coordinate with school, create a graded re-entry plan, and know when urgent mental health support is needed.

House RecipePersonal5 min

PROMPT

Help me address school refusal. Ask for age, timeline, symptoms, and school context. Output: driver hypotheses + school email draft + graded re-entry plan + safety red flags.

How It Works

Treats school refusal as a pattern to assess and plan for — not a simple "defiance" problem.

Triggers

  1. Child repeatedly refuses school or frequently leaves early
  2. Somatic complaints spike on school mornings
  3. Parent-school conflict escalates

Steps

  1. Clarify pattern: onset, frequency, triggers, relief behaviors.
  2. Identify likely function: avoid anxiety, seek reassurance, escape performance pressure, seek outside rewards.
  3. Coordinate with school: point person, accommodations, attendance goal.
  4. Build graded exposure re-entry plan (small steps).
  5. Safety screen for self-harm talk, severe depression, or acute risk.

Constraints & Edge Cases

  • High-risk mental health signs require urgent professional evaluation.
  • Neurodevelopmental conditions may require specialized accommodations.

Expected Outcomes

  • A concrete plan instead of daily fights
  • Better parent-school alignment
Tags:#parenting#school#anxiety#school-refusal#planning