School Phobia In Kids

Introduction:
School phobia, School avoidance or School refusal are the terms used to describe a condition in which a child refuses to go to school on a regular basis and has an irrational persistent fear of going to school. These children want to stay in close contact with their parents or a care giver and often feel insecure, sensitive and have difficulty to cope with their emotions.

Symptoms:
A child having school phobia usually complains of physical symptoms just before the time for school and these may include headache, stomachache, nausea, diarrhea etc. If the child is allowed to stay home the symptoms disappear quickly, just to return the next day again before going to school. The child may even have nightmares and trouble going to sleep. He may have fear of dark or staying alone as well as too much separation anxiety when required to leave the parent or caregiver leading to clinginess, tantrums and panic.

Cause:
In order to find out the reason behind this fear and refusal for school it is important to consider issues at home as well as school. Some of the causes include:

• A child who has experienced a recent family change for example death, divorce, illness etc
• Recent move or financial problems at home
• Having been absent from school for long due to some illness
• A fear that something will happen to parent when he is at school
• A need to get parents attention when not at school.
• A fear of criticism or punishment by teacher at school
• Having some underlying undiagnosed learning difficulties.
• Being afraid of not getting the perfect test scores
• A victim of peer bullying at school
• Fear teasing due to appearance of clothes, height, weight etc
• Difficulty adjusting with a new school
• Difficulty adjusting with a new teacher at school
• Fear of using school restroom.

Management:
The most important thing a parent can do is to get an evaluation of the child by a mental health professional, This evaluation will help find out the reason behind the school refusal and offer the best kind of treatment. Meanwhile it is important to try to keep the children regular at school as avoiding leads to increase in the problem rather than improving it. 

The following tips are helpful in managing kids with this problem:

• Expose children in small degree, increasing slowly over time which will help gradually remove the fear that something bad will happen.
• It is important to talk to the child and try to ask what are the fears that troubles him,
• Communicate with the child’s teacher and have the teacher or a school counselor help establish a caring relationship with the child.
• Help the child build self confidence by discoveries his/her abilities to perform good and school.
• Monitor and stop any bullying that ma be causing the problem.
• Help the child establish a support system including teachers and friends at school.
• Have the child see a healthcare provider on every morning he stay at home to work up for any illness.
• Read book to the child that helps him encourage to go to school and overcome his fears.
• Parents should attend school related activities to help the child feel secure.