EPISODE · Dec 17, 2025 · 10 MIN
School refusal vs. sick days: What’s really going on?
from Opportunity Gap: For Families Navigating Special Education · host Understood.org
In this episode, Julian breaks down “chronic absenteeism.” What is that, you ask?As parents, you’re probably familiar with kids avoiding school. But when does a feeling turn into a pattern? And what can that tell us about a child’s school experience? Julian will explain the difference between occasional sick days and ongoing patterns, what true school refusal really looks like, and what you can do about it.For more on this topic: Listen: School refusal (when kids say “no”)Read: How to help kids cope with school refusalDownload: Find out why your child doesn’t want to go to schoolFor a transcript and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected]. Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What this episode covers
In this episode, Julian breaks down “chronic absenteeism.” What is that, you ask? As parents, you’re probably familiar with kids avoiding school. But when does a feeling turn into a pattern? And what can that tell us about a child’s school experience? Julian will explain the difference between occasional sick days and ongoing patterns, what true school refusal really looks like, and what you can do about it.
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School refusal vs. sick days: What’s really going on?
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