The day after my daughter went face first down the icy walk way, she couldnt move her arms...sat at hosp for 5 hours... went to neurospine dr etc. upon all that...just very banged up and strained her spine in a very bad way...she is fine. After a couple days off of school, we had a meeting...(ugg) it was mentioned that when we return to court for that lovely truancy charge that if she has a relapse and fights going to school,. they want to put forth a motion for placement...Can you imagine...take her out of the home and put her in a place for kids or a foster home...they now want her labeled as O.D.D. dont you love that abbreviation...it stands for Oppositional Defiance Disorder...
I cannot believe that this is what can be done for a kid with anxiety.
The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. I could see if she was just being stubborn...and just all around not listening..but this isn't the case at all. All I know is that I am thrilled that shes been going to school without a hitch after all this. I am also thrilled to know that their are lawyers available at the ready because I'm thinking that this is going to get ugly somewhere down the line. All you parents know what happens when your protecting your own....especially when a kid is scared...need I say more....
We need a manual for kids with anxiety and school....
Thanx for letting me rant .....good day to all.....

Hi Bonnie,

That sounds incredible - can they really threaten that!? Truancy is one thing - but this is SR....do they realise that? There are websites in the US that refer to School Refusal - and I notice there is a 'Child School Refusal and Anxiety Disorders Clinic at the University of Nevada - which may be a long way from you - but might be worth mentioning so that your case is taken as real. They use cognitive behaviour therapy to get the kids back to school.
It has been one thing after another for you - but through this your daughter has gone to school and that is fantastic. Like Simon always reminds us keep records of attendance and meetings (content also) for back up if needed.
Yes it seems that the authorities just don't get anxiety. It is almost as if our society is afraid of anxiety - perhaps because it is more common even in adults they they will let on. The old saying 'those who criticise others are most unsure of themselves' seems to come to mind here.
I have come across ODD in a couple of the books I have read over time and while some symptoms do cross over it has really made me wonder whether there is such a thing as ODD in the first place!! It sounds like over labelling to me.
Hang in there - and feel free to share your story at any time and if we can be of any help we certainly will do our best. Have you had a doctor or private psychologist assess your daughter? Take care -
Linda

Thanx for the support.

Yes they can threaten and this is why I'm told....

ODD=School Refusal which means that if the child is defiant enough to just say i'm not going to school then they will just become more and more defiant..I can understand their way of thinking to a limit however, anxiety that "our" kids are displaying seems to me to be fear. Not so much defiance. I'm told they go hand in hand. All I do know is my girl has a great Psyc. Therapist and the right dose of only one med (zoloft) and support and her confidence level has gone up and shes doing remarkably well...at least today. Time will tell. So again, I thank you for all the support. Just hearing everyones point of views and experiences make it all just that much more validating to me.

hi Bonnie,

Glad to hear things are going well today.
I have spoken at length with the university in Melbourne that is conducting the Research on SR and they certainly aren't going down the ODD road at all. Nor does any of the research I have done or the books I have come across.
According to the researchers here - SR has been around but only became defined as something separate from truancy during the 1990s. Therefore research is fairly new and they believe many individuals, psychologists and schools are behind the times and still putting them both under the 'truancy' term. It might be worth pointing those who have diagnosed ODD and are giving you a hard time in the direction of the research at Monash University (see the site URL I gave in another post) and the books that they have mentioned to me (which I have already come across)

The School Wobblies by C. Weaver (1994). Sydney: Shrink Rap Press. (Good for reading with children)
Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step by Step Guide for Parents (2nd Edition) R. Rapee, A. Wignall, S. Spence, V. Cobham, & H. Lyneham (2008). Oakland, California: New Harbinger.

Getting Your Child to Say Yes to School by C. Kearney (2007). New York: Oxford University Press.

You might find these of interest to - as might others.
ALl the best and take care -
Linda

Thank you Linda.

I have added two of these to
our Bookshop

I was unable to find the 'Wobblies' book.

Simon

The bookstore is looking good. Maybe the Wobblies one is a local one or even out of print?
Another couple of books I also found interesting and helpful for me to dive into on and off are:

Freeing your child from negative thinking by Tamar E. Chansky (Perseus books 2008)

Helping your anxious child (a step by step guide for parents) by Rapee, Ronald, Wignall, A, Spence S, Cobbam, V and Lynehan H.
(New Harbinger 2008)

Linda