SCHOOL REFUSAL - AN OVERVIEW

Traditionally, mental health professionals and school authorities have found school refusal to be a perplexing and challenging problem. Rele vant to an understanding of school refusal, we initially review some i mportant developmental-normative considerations. The clinical features , epidemiology, and etiology of school refusal are also briefly discus sed. We then describe a number of behavioural strategies that have bee n used in the management of school refusal. Finally, we review the res earch support for the efficacy and acceptability of behavioural strate gies in the treatment of school refusal.