School-based support for emotion-related attendance challenges: effectiveness of @School when implemented with neurodiverse adolescents, their parents, and school staff
Karel,Evelyne Defourny,Cynthia Keppens,Gil Graczyk,Patricia A. Sauter,Floor Heyne,David
Karel,Evelyne
Defourny,Cynthia
Keppens,Gil
Graczyk,Patricia A.
Sauter,Floor
Heyne,David
Abstract
Emotion-related school attendance challenges (ER-SAC) among neurodiverse adolescents are a growing concern due to their impact on both academic and social-emotional development. Despite the prevalence of ER-SAC, few school-based interventions specifically addressing this challenge have been evaluated in real-world settings. The current effectiveness study examined outcomes of the @School intervention, a modular, developmentally sensitive cognitive behavioral intervention that had previously only been evaluated in a research context. In this study, it was delivered by school-based psychologists in a specialized educational setting. Nineteen neurodiverse adolescents aged 12-17 years, all experiencing ER-SAC, participated in the study along with their parents. @School comprises individualized modules for adolescents and parents, as well as structured collaboration with school staff. Outcomes were assessed at pre-, post-, and five-month follow-up, and included adolescents' school attendance, anxiety, school-related fear, depression, and self-efficacy, together with parent self-efficacy. Results revealed significant improvements in school attendance, adolescent anxiety (reported by both adolescents and parents), adolescent depression (reported by parents), and school-related fear. No significant changes were observed in adolescent or parent self-efficacy. Post-hoc analyses indicated significant reductions in social anxiety symptoms, although these reductions did not predict school attendance outcomes. Findings support the effectiveness of the @School intervention, delivered in a real-world setting, for improving school attendance and reducing emotional distress among neurodiverse adolescents. The results also highlight the value of school-based interventions that integrate support across multiple levels-addressing the needs of adolescents, their parents, and the school environment-to respond to the complex emotional and contextual factors contributing to ER-SAC.
Description
Date
2025-06-23
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Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
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Keywords
Anxiety, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Depression, Emotion-related school attendance challenges, Neurodiversity, School attendance, School refusal, School-based intervention, SDG 4 - Quality Education
Citation
Karel, E, Defourny, C, Keppens, G, Graczyk, P A, Sauter, F & Heyne, D 2025, 'School-based support for emotion-related attendance challenges : effectiveness of @School when implemented with neurodiverse adolescents, their parents, and school staff', Frontiers in psychology , vol. 16, 1613712. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1613712