FEATURE: SEND


Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA): understanding the barriers and finding a way forward


or overwhelming. Elements of a mainstream school environment can be extremely difficult for some neurodivergent young people. Sensory overload can be a significant trigger, particularly in busy classrooms and corridors, or where school routines are unpredictable. Children and young people, perhaps especially those who may be autistic, can respond very differently to these experiences, and those responses need to be understood accordingly. Changes


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annah Ackroyd, Managing Director of SENsational Tutors, explores how specialist tutoring providers and schools can work together to support young people experiencing anxiety and difficulties accessing school.


A note on terminology: Throughout this article, I use ‘EBSA’ as a commonly recognised term. Avoidance, and particularly refusal, can imply choice when for many children with SEND the reality may be closer to ‘can’t’ than ‘won’t’. These terms should not be understood as placing responsibility on the child, but as describing difficulties accessing an environment that may currently feel overwhelming or unsafe. It’s not uncommon for children with special educational needs to experience significant difficulties attending or accessing school. For some children who are unable to verbalise their distress, difficulties attending school may be an indication that they are experiencing significant anxiety, fear or overwhelm.


The anxiety the child is feeling can present in a number of ways: • Morning distress – meltdowns, panic or tears before school could mean the child is already anticipating stress before the day has even begun.


• Physical symptoms – stomach aches, headaches, nausea or shaking can appear when stress levels become more chronic. These can be genuine physical manifestations of anxiety.


• Shutdowns – the child may become quiet, withdrawn or non-responsive. This can be a protective response when a child is overwhelmed.


This can all be very upsetting and worrying for families, so gentle support from schools is vital. Understanding and empathy are central to providing the right response.


Stress and anxiety


The first thing to recognise is that the responses associated with EBSA are not necessarily a choice; they can be a response to significant stress. For some children, difficulties attending school can arise when the environment feels unsafe


October 2026


The first thing to consider is whether there have been any recent changes that may have contributed to the shift – such as new teachers, louder environments or friendship issues. Small adjustments might be possible and could go a long way towards reducing fear and anxiety. It’s also important to recognise that there might not be one dramatic event or tipping point behind a young person’s difficulties attending school. It could be the result of years of cumulative experiences.


This is why we need to be very careful about viewing EBSA primarily through the lens of attendance or asking how we can persuade a child back through the school gates. Sometimes the behaviour we are trying to change is communicating something important about the environment to which they are being asked to return.


Sensory Adjustments


There are changes that can be made to the everyday school experience – such as noise- reducing headphones, dimmed lighting, access to quiet spaces and sensory breaks. If you have not already done so, your school could carry out a sensory audit and consider any adjustments that may help individual children feel calmer and more in control.


Routine


Creating a predictable routine that works for the young person can also really help. Visual timetables so that the child knows what to expect each day, alongside carefully managed transitions between classrooms and other learning areas, can help to build trust and confidence.


Learning away from school: Interim Tuition or EOTAS


Sometimes EBSA may lead to a period where a child needs to access some or all of their education away from the school environment. In some cases, the local authority may agree to provide them with interim specialist tuition or an EOTAS package (Education Otherwise Than At School). This is different from elective home education.


Specialist providers can provide a bridge between school, home and education, supporting the young person through a consistent educational presence while recognising that anxiety, distress, overwhelm or previous experiences may currently make accessing the school environment difficult.


Low-demand, relationship-based tutoring can provide a calm space where a struggling child can begin to rebuild confidence and reconnect with learning. Personalised sessions can include child-centred learning that draws on the young person’s interests while working towards appropriate educational outcomes. Scaffolded approaches can help ensure learning materials are accessible, supporting the young person to rebuild confidence. Where appropriate for the individual child, this support may also help to facilitate a carefully paced transition back into school. For others, a different educational arrangement may ultimately be more suitable. In some cases, the trauma associated with their school experience is so great that the child or young person may be unable to return to school. In such cases, it may be emotionally safer for them to continue to receive specialist tutoring support at home, and perhaps also in the community to help provide access to social experiences.


Communication


Ongoing communication between your SENCO and specialist education providers or tutors is important, with parents and, wherever possible, the young person themselves involved. Open, honest and calm conversations help to show that everyone is on the same team.


The key is then to work together to ensure those lines of communication remain open between the school, family and tutor. That way, progress can be monitored and the next steps considered according to the individual young person. If returning to school is appropriate, this might include a gradual and carefully planned reintegration. For other young people, the priority may be identifying an alternative educational arrangement that better meets their needs. Pressuring a young person to return before they are ready can increase anxiety and distress. Instead, families, schools, tutors and care providers should focus on restoring a sense of emotional safety. This might involve low-demand learning, predictable routines and, where appropriate, gentle reintegration at the right time.


Timeframes


Each child is different, and the time needed to rebuild a sense of safety and engagement will vary. What matters most is creating safety and predictability, and moving at a pace that respects the young person’s emotional needs. We work with young people all over the UK, providing supplementary or standalone tutoring that is bespoke each time, operating in close partnership with schools, local authorities and families.


This is sometimes long-term provision, but it can also be short-term support for a child or young person experiencing EBSA. The key is not to rush them. What a young person needs first is to feel safe, known, understood and that they belong – at home and within their education.


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