Does your child frequently have vague complaints about a headache, sore throat, upset stomach or cough? Children will sometimes present these types of symptoms in an attempt to get parental permission to stay home from school.
Dr. Perri Klass, M.D. wrote an interesting article in the Science section of the New York Times, Tuesday, 2010. The title of the article is "When A Doctor's Note for a Student Doesn't Help."
What Dr. Perri points out is that when a child is absent from school a great deal of the time, it may be the result of anxiety and depression. Naturally, it is important to make certain that the child is in good physical health. He reports one case of his where, as a result of constant sore throats and coughs, he sent the child home with a note forgiving his absence from school attendance due to illness. It later turned out that the child was avoiding school for a variety of reasons.
Contrary to what was believed several years ago, we now know that even the youngest of children experience depression. Also, they can be overwhelmed with anxiety and fear alongside the depression. Therefore, according to Dr. Klass, school avoidance should be seen as a symptom of other problems and not as a separate disease or behavioral disorder.
Why would a child want to avoid school?
There are a variety of factors that cause a child to want to stay home instead of going to class.
1. A learning disability makes classroom attendance painful and scary until it is diagnosed and treated. Treatment includes classroom assistance for these youngsters.
2. Children are easily intimidated by bullies at school.
3. Some children are very frightened by tests and quizzes and do everything they can to avoid these.
4. Leaving the classroom to go to the restroom can cause lots of anxiety. For example, if there are not doors on the stalls, the bathrooms are not clean or other children are hiding there, trying to bully children.
5. Staying at home can feel too pleasurable because there are video games, television and other toys that children do not want to leave.
6. There are those cases when a child wants to remain home because they fear their parent will leave or abandon them. This is sometimes caused by separation anxiety. However, it can also be caused by the child witnessing domestic violence.
7. Being home sick for a long time often makes the return to school difficult. There is lots of anxiety about catching up on homework, new leaning and tests.;
Dr. Klass emphasizes the fact that parents, teachers, pediatricians and psychologists work together when a child is presenting symptoms.
If the professionals agree that the child is displaying a wish to avoid school, then it is time to investigate the possibility of anxiety and depression affecting the life of the youngster.
In addition, the team of professionals and parents can take steps to alleviate the sources of anxiety and depression so that learning can take place. Also, the team needs to teach the child how to cope before school becomes a place that is truly hated by the child.
Your comments and questions are strongly encouraged. I also urge all parents to read the original article.
Allan N. Schwartz, PhD
