Ready...Or Not? Supporting Students with School Refusal Course

Addressing School Refusal with Structure, Empathy, and Tools

Student refusal can feel frustrating, personal, and disruptive, but what if it’s actually communication?

In this self-paced mini course, educators are guided through a powerful mindset shift that reframes refusal as a readiness issue rather than defiance. Learners explore why students refuse, how adult interpretations can unintentionally escalate behavior, and how to respond with strategies that preserve dignity, structure, and learning expectations.

Grounded in Functional Communication Training (FCT) and practical classroom application, this course equips educators with tools to teach students how to safely communicate “I’m not ready yet” without escalating to unsafe or disruptive behaviors. Through reflection, real-world examples, and ready-to-use templates, participants learn how to replace power struggles with predictable, supportive responses that build trust and independence.

Objectives: 

• Reframe your thinking around student refusal.
• Explore effective intervention tools to support student refusal.
• Develop a plan you can put in place the next time you are confronted with a student refusal.
  

Target Audience:

Teachers

Format:

• Self-paced eLearning course with interactive knowledge checks and real-world scenarios.
• The estimated time to take the course is 60 minutes
• Downloadable Templates and editable templates are designed to support smooth transitions by helping students recognize when they are ready to learn. A School Refusal Checklist, which is a step-by-step checklist, that guides educators through planning, introducing, implementing, and monitoring visual or verbal supports in the classroom. 
• A completion certificate is available after completing the course.