Does your child seem fine one moment… and completely shut down the next? Tears, tummy aches, hiding under the duvet, or total silence on school mornings? 💔 You’re not alone — and your child is not broken. 💛 These are often signs of school avoidance, when anxiety and overwhelm become too much for a child’s body and brain to cope with. And the truth is, this isn’t rare. Research shows that in one sample of children experiencing school attendance difficulties, 92.1% were neurodivergent, with 83.4% being autistic. This means the majority of children struggling to attend school aren’t refusing — they’re unable, because their environment feels unsafe and their nervous systems are in survival mode. This School Avoidance Awareness Week, let’s replace judgment with understanding, and work together to give our children the safe space and compassion they need to heal and reconnect. In the Classroom: To support this important awareness week, I’ve created a free, gentle resource to help families: - A special Magic Moment Story – “The Mystery of the Missing Sparkle” – with a calming audio to help children understand their feelings and know they are not alone. - A parent/carer workbook – packed with simple strategies to help adults support their child’s emotional wellbeing, rebuild safety, and open calm conversations at home.