Book Review: Overcoming School Refusal: A Practical Guide for Teachers, Counsellors

While statistically, the number of children in Australia who struggle with school attendance is around 1-5 per cent, recent data suggests this rate is increasing. This is concerning on many levels to parents, caregivers and educators. Unchecked and persistent interruptions to attendance can contribute to significant negative impacts in both the short and long term. Parents and caregivers of school refusers often feel ill-equipped and/or hopeless about getting their child back to school regularly. For some, it is just all too hard, and they give in to the child's demands to stay home. The issue is complex, and unless everyone involved with the child (e.g. parents, school staff, other professionals) is on the same page, intervention efforts may be ineffective.

The book is accessible to a general audience, including parents, caregivers, teachers, and other interested readers. As both a counsellor, educator, and a grandparent of a sporadic school refuser, her book reached me at all three levels. There was sufficient theory to gain new knowledge, and it challenged my current thinking on some aspects of the topic. Yet the simple language, layout, and style also appealed to me as a grandparent who, for two years, was "hands-on" with a school refuser, and I wish I had read that book during that period. I see the book being enjoyed and valued by diverse readers because of its practical bent.

What I appreciated most about the book was that it was "not too heavy and not too light"! The book was under 120 pages, and I was able to read it in just under two sittings. It was practical and authoritative, thanks to the writer's credentials and experience. In the end, I felt like I had been to one of her seminars and walked away informed and hopeful. I recommend this book to clients, not as a self-help tool, but as an adjunct to professional intervention. The book provides a range of strategies that professionals may find helpful in assisting a child to return to school.

The book is subtitled – “A practical guide”, and that is what it is. It is not exhaustive, nor a workbook, nor a critical review of current theory. If readers accept these limitations, they should enjoy and benefit from it as much as I did. For readers seeking the latest trends, a workbook complete with exercises or an introduction to the newest intervention models, there are other, more targeted books on the market. While the book provides a solid foundation, more recent literature from the past 3-5 years would strengthen the content. Further, some may find her narrow reward-based approach incompatible with other modalities they work with. However, if you haven't been able to attend one of her workshops or engage her as a clinician, this practical guide is the next best thing.