Overcoming School Avoidance

A compassionate guide that tackles one of the fastest-growing issues facing families everywhere: the increasing number of children who are refusing or reluctant to attend school.

When a child stops going to school, the entire family feels the impact. School avoidance may look like defiance, but it’s often rooted in anxiety, depression, or other emotional challenges—and influenced by factors within the school environment that can make attendance feel overwhelming. Yet many families and educators are left unsure how to respond.
    In this groundbreaking guide, Jayne Demsky—founder of the School Avoidance Alliance—provides a practical roadmap for parents navigating this isolating and often overwhelming experience. Demsky offers strategies that help parents to confidently collaborate with schools, navigate truancy laws, and provide the emotional support kids need to return to a productive and fulfilling school life.
    Drawing on over a decade of experience supporting families, Demsky brings deep insight and unwavering commitment to this issue. Her perspective is further enriched by a diverse group of experts, professionals, and advocates who contributed their knowledge and expertise to this book, including these leading authorities: Dr. Christopher Kearney, Director, UNLV Child School Refusal & Anxiety Disorders Clinic; Dr. Daniel Villiers, counseling psychologist; cofounder, the Mountain Valley Treatment Center and the Anxiety Institute; and Dr. Mona Potter, child psychologist and psychiatrist; cofounder and CMO, InStride Health, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

• “What an achievement! . . . an empowering resource for families.”
  Dr. David Heyne, Deakin University, Founding Director, International Network on School Attendance, Founder, Excellence in Attendance Support
• “A publication with a heart and a pen. Loved the emotion and care that jumped up from the pages. As a schooling-dependent world, parents and systems are trying to get it right and find solutions for when children do not want to go to school. Schools, too, are finding it harder to offer the care needed to negotiate alternative plans to attend. Overcoming School Avoidance offers a window into the depth of the problem through expert interviews and parent insights. It offers one lens through which to begin to unite education and care. Demsky offers explanations, guidance, and hand delivers to attendance stakeholders, especially parents, a vital resource with strategies to navigate support.”
  Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, PhD, Founder, Attendance USA; Professor and Inaugural Dean, Butler University Founder’s College
• “Jayne Demsky masterfully guides readers into the daily lives of families who have children who struggle with school avoidance. An urgent and critical read, this book provides evidence, and practical strategies in combination with the lived experiences of individuals who have struggled with and overcame school avoidance. This is a holistic and compassionate roadmap for educators, mental health professionals, and families to understand the foundations of school avoidance, gain confidence in their practices, and begin to reconnect and be together.”
  Heather Walter, EdD; Assistant Professor of Special Education; Senior Scholar, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, George Mason University
• “As a parent who lived through the heartbreak and helplessness of my own child’s school refusal, I know how isolating and overwhelming this journey can be. When I founded our anxiety and OCD intensive program, it was with the hope that no family would have to navigate these challenges alone. Jayne Demsky’s Overcoming School Avoidance is a beacon of hope and practical guidance for parents. It is filled with compassionate insight, evidence-based strategies, and real-life wisdom that empowers families to advocate for their children and collaborate effectively with schools and mental health professionals. This book is a lifeline—offering both comfort and actionable steps, and reminding us that recovery is possible. Every parent facing school avoidance should have this invaluable resource at their side.”
  Linda E. Geiger, CEO & Founder Anxiety Institute