Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) parental guidance
This guidance has been produced by Lancashire Educational Psychology Service. It has been created based on current research/best practice and on what local families and schools have told us about things that are helpful for pupils with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).
Autism and EBSA
Some parents who attended focus groups to contribute to this guidance have children who are autistic and are also experiencing EBSA. They queried whether the resources within the toolkit are the most appropriate way to support their children.
Autistic children can often face additional challenges in school. Sensory processing differences can make a child’s surroundings unpredictable and overwhelming. School life can include busy corridors, uncomfortable uniform materials and bright lighting which all may be difficult for a child to tolerate. Autistic children may find it difficult to understand their own and other emotions which can make it difficult to process and regulate their emotions.
All of this uncertainty can contribute to autistic children experiencing feelings of anxiety. It is important, however, to remember that anxiety is not simply a part of Autism and it can be supported in its own right.
As with other children experiencing EBSA, it is important that adults supporting the autistic child work to identify what they are finding difficult to tolerate in school and the barriers they are experiencing. Hearing the child’s experiences from their perspective is the most important step. Resources from the Lancashire EBSA toolkit can be really helpful for this, such as the ‘Mapping the Landscape’ activity which explores environmental and sensory experiences. Parents and carers can also be invaluable in sharing their knowledge of how to support a young person with the sensory and social challenges they experience and how this is managed in situations outside of school.
Schools should be well equipped to support autistic children. There is information on whole school approaches and intervention through quality first teaching within the Teaching And Learning Toolkit: Ordinarily Available Provision (PDF 1.49 MB) (pages 54 to 58).
The Autism Education Trust has also created the following video providing insight into how autistic young people experience school and their advice on how schools can support them: Top Tips on How to Support Autistic Young People from the AET Autistic Young Experts on YouTube.
There are also some helpful examples of adaptations to supporting autistic young people created by autistic young people that can be found here: Our key principles on the Autism Barriers to Education website.