Background. It appears that students with intellectual disability (ID) are more frequently absent from schoolcompared with students without ID. The objective of the current study was to estimate... Show moreBackground. It appears that students with intellectual disability (ID) are more frequently absent from schoolcompared with students without ID. The objective of the current study was to estimate the frequency ofabsence among students with ID and the reasons for absence. Potential reasons included the attendanceproblems referred to as school refusal, where absence is related to emotional distress; truancy, whereabsence is concealed from parents; school exclusion, where absence is instigated by the school; and school withdrawal, where absence is initiated by parents. Methods. Study participants were 629 parents (84.6% mothers) of Australian school students (Mage = 11.18 years; 1.8% Aboriginal and/or TorresStrait Islander) with an ID. Participants completed a questionnaire battery that included the SchoolNon-Attendance ChecKlist via which parents indicated the reason their child was absent for each day orhalf-day absence their child had over the past 20 school days. The absence data presented to parents had been retrieved from school records. Results. Across all students, absence occurred on 7.9% of the past 20 school days. In terms of school attendance problems as defined in existing literature, school withdrawal accounted for 11.1% of absences and school refusal for 5.3% of absences. Students were also absent for other reasons, most commonly illness (32.0%) and appointments (24.2%). Of students with more than one absence (n = 217; 34.5%), about half were absent for more than one reason. Students attending mainstream schools had lower attendance than those attending special schools. Conclusions Students with ID were absent for a range of reasons and often for multiple reasons. There were elevated rates of school withdrawal and school refusal. Understanding the reasons for absenteeism can inform targeted prevention and intervention supports. Show less
School refusal (SR) signals a young person’s difficulty attending school. It jeopardizes their development, often contributes to distress for parents, and places an extra burden on school personnel... Show moreSchool refusal (SR) signals a young person’s difficulty attending school. It jeopardizes their development, often contributes to distress for parents, and places an extra burden on school personnel. Reviews of empirical studies indicate that intervention for SR helps to increase school attendance, but not for all youths. This practice-based manuscript aims to support practitioners and organisations addressing the needs of youths and families affected by SR. Specifically, we present 14 signposts for the development and delivery of intervention for SR. The signposts represent important conditions for effective intervention based on key findings from the Knowing What Works project in the Netherlands. During that project, 76 professionals shared their views about the important elements in SR interventions they delivered, and 39 youths and 86 parents shared their views about the helpful elements in SR interventions in which they participated. These 201 stakeholders were variously associated with 21 SR interventions across 9 of the 12 Dutch provinces, most situated in mainstream or special education settings. Their responses informed the development of the 14 signposts presented here, supported by the extant literature on SR intervention. Wedescribe the essence of each signpost and conclude with suggestions for using the signposts and evaluating their utility. Show less
