Truancy vs School Refusal: A Crucial Insight Series

Discover the Hidden Depths of Truancy vs School Refusal: A Crucial Insight Series

When you think of truancy, what comes to mind? Perhaps images of rebellious behavior, a child who is using drugs, or juvenile delinquency surface. How about a student with overall disdain for authority and the sarcasm to prove it?

What if I told you that for a significant number of students in the Truancy system, there's a deeper layer, a tangled web of unaddressed mental health issues intertwined with the act of skipping school all of which should be addressed under Child Find and IDEA, not the criminal justice system? Truancy isn't just about absenteeism; it's a multifaceted issue that demands understanding, nuance, and collaboration between systems that often fail to communicate effectively. For many students, it is like navigating a vast, uncharted ocean where what lies beneath the surface holds far greater significance than the surface which is just the manifestation of their unidentified or unaddressed disability presenting as absenteeism.

In our upcoming series, we dive into the intricate world of truancy versus school refusal, shedding light on overlooked complexities that remain unresolved. It's not a simple matter of skipping class. We will address:

• A spectrum of unmet mental health needs exacerbated by unsuitable school environments and interventions, 
• Inappropriate school evaluations that do not identify the students educational needs and 
• Use of invalid evaluation tools that drop the student into the justice system and perpetuate the schools in not doing their job under the federal idea law. 
• Healthcare providers who are tired of dealing with school personnel who won’t do their job and are afraid of getting involved in fear of retaliation. 
• The different prejudices, emotions and challenges associated with truancy versus school refusal and the required distinct approaches for effective intervention.

Why is This Knowledge Crucial?

Today's students face unprecedented challenges within the school environment, once thought to be a safe haven, which often becomes a battleground for mental health struggles left unaddressed. These issues aren't isolated incidents but daily realities for many young individuals.

 The use of the criminal justice system for Truancy to address a behavioral issue is statistically a huge catalyst in the school-to-prison pipeline, exposing systemic gaps that fail our youth. Undetected learning difficulties and unaddressed mental health issues often lurk beneath the surface, and surface as delinquent behavior. This only reinforces the urgent need for individualized educational evaluations and interventions vs the use of the justice system. 

Because  school refusal manifesting as truancy is such a layered, difficult topic, it cannot be addressed in a blog or two. Put your big girl (person) pants on for the coming series of 6 blogs that will be addressing the topic of school refusal vs truancy from multiple points of view. 

Our series aims to bridge these gaps by exploring the intricacies of truancy advocacy, distinguishing between truancy and school refusal, and empowering parents and advocates with the tools they need to advocate effectively across multiple sick and damaged systems. 

Join us on this transformative journey as we unravel the complexities of truancy vs school refusal from multiple perspectives. Don't miss out on the vital information that can empower you to make a lasting impact on the lives of our youth. Sign up today for the blog so you do not miss any of the vital information that will help you to be an effective advocate for your child or your client.

We need you to be part of the conversation that shapes a brighter future for all students. The following lays out the article  "REDEFINING TRUANCY PREVENTION AND FAILURE" by DR. MARIE LEWIS, PHD, BCEA to be published over the next six blogs.

  1.  BREAKING THE CYCLE OF TRUANCY

A HIDDEN EPIDEMIC

ARE TRUANCY INTERVENTIONS NEGLECT?

PREVALENCE AND IMPACT

HEADS IN THE SAND

2.  THOSE NOT DOING THEIR JOBS

HISTORY OF TRUANCY LAWS

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

EMPOWERING PARENTS

CROSS-TRAINING SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCATES

3.  DEFINING TRUANCY VS SCHOOL AVERSION / SCOLIONOPHOBIA

SYSTEMIC CHAOS

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS CRITERIA FOR SCHOOL REFUSAL AND TRUANCY

DEFINING TRUANCY

TRUANCY RISK FACTORS

DEFINING SCHOOL AVERSION

SCHOOL REFUSAL RISK FACTORS

4.  TRUANCY INTERVENTIONS

A COMPREHENSIVE MODEL OF INEFFECTIVENESS

RESEARCH BASED INTERVENTIONS

INAPPROPRIATE USE OF TOOLS

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

SECONDARY INTERVENTIONS

TERTIARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS

MULTILEVEL INTERVENTION

5.  PREVENTION of SCHOOL REFUSAL AND TRUANCY

IMPLEMENTATION ISUES AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE NEEDED

PREVENTION IMPLEMENTATION PREPARATION

NAVIGATING SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCACY AND TRUANCY ADVOCACY

FACING THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

BUILDING A FUTURE OF EQUITY MEANS DISMANTLING BARRIERS

6.  WHAT SHOULD A PARENT DO WHEN SCHOOL REFUSAL OR TRUANCY RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD?

NSEAI's online courses efficiently lead parents and professionals to an expert level of education advocacy in just 12 days of on-demand courses that you can do at your convenience.

OUR CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE TIME TO WASTE.

LEARN TO DEVELOP A CHILD FOCUSED IEP CORRECTLY FROM THE START 

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LEGALLY SUFFICIENT  TO HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IEPs

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AUTHORS

Marie Lewis is an author, consultant, and national speaker on best practices in education advocacy. She is a parent of 3 children and a Disability Case Manager, Board Certified Education Advocate, and Behavior Specialist Consultant. She has assisted in the development of thousands of IEPs nationally and consults on developing appropriately individualized IEPs that are outcome-based vs legally sufficient. She brings a great depth of expertise, practical experience, and compassion to her work as well as expert insight, vision, and systemic thinking. She is passionate and funny and she always inspires and informs.

MJ Gore has an MEd in counseling and a degree in elementary education and natural sciences. She worked as a life-skills and learning support teacher She has been honored with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. She is the Director and on the faculty at the National Special Education Advocacy Institute. Her passion is social justice, especially in the area of education. She is a Board Certified Education Advocate who teaches professional advocates, educators, and clinicians the best practices in education advocacy.]