School Refusal Assessment Scale

Discover the benefits of using Carepatron’s School Refusal Assessment Scale (SRAS-R) — a trusted tool for identifying & addressing school refusal behavior.

By Telita Montales on May 15, 2024.

Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.

Use Template

What is a School Refusal Assessment Scale (SRAS-R)?

The is a comprehensive assessment instrument employed by mental health professionals to determine the specific underlying causes prompting a child's refusal to attend school.

The SRAS-R is based on a functional model of school refusal, categorizing the triggers into four primary categories — avoidance of school-related stimuli that provoke negative affectivity, escape from social or evaluative situations causing distress, pursuit of attention from significant individuals such as parents or caregivers, and desire for tangible reinforcement outside of the school environment.

This carefully structured model aids in delineating interventions tailored to address diverse types of school refusal behavior. Comprising 24 items, the SRAS-R is typically administered through a joint parent and child report. It ensures a comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand, facilitating the identification of accurate profiles for the root causes of school refusal.

In turn, this aids in devising effective treatment strategies and interventions, enabling the child to overcome their reluctance and embrace education positively. The SRAS-R is an essential tool in the arsenal of mental health professionals, contributing significantly to the child's welfare and academic success.

Printable School Refusal Assessment Scale

Download this School Refusal Assessment Scale to identify and address school refusal behavior.

How does it work?

The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) is methodical and insightful, offering a deep understanding of the underlying issues contributing to the child's reluctance to attend school. Here are the stages involved:

Distribution of SRAS-R Questionnaire

The initial step involves the distribution of the SRAS-R questionnaire to the child and the parent by the mental health professional. This questionnaire is constructed carefully and carefully, with its queries tailored to extract meaningful responses indicative of the root causes of school refusal behavior.

Completion of the SRAS-R Questionnaire

In this phase, the child and the parent independently answer the questionnaire.. Their perspectives are critical as they often provide complementary insights into the dynamics of the school refusal behavior, offering a holistic view of the problem.

Scoring the SRAS-R

Once the questionnaires are completed, the SRAS-R scoring system evaluates and scores the responses. This standardized scoring system ensures consistency and accuracy in interpreting the results, providing a reliable measure of the different functional conditions linked to the child's school refusal.

Analysis of Results

Upon scoring, the results are then analyzed. The analysis aims to identify the predominant underlying causes for the child's school refusal behavior. This step is crucial as it determines the direction for the upcoming intervention planning.

Intervention Planning

Drawing upon the analysis, the mental health professional can plan targeted interventions to address the specific issues highlighted by the SRAS-R. These tailored interventions help create a safe, supportive, and conducive environment that encourages the child to return to school.

To facilitate your understanding and usage of the SRAS-R, you can download our printable School Refusal Assessment Scales here. It's a user-friendly resource designed to help professionals and parents navigate the complexities of school refusal.

School Refusal Assessment Scales Example (sample)

An example of a query in the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) is, "My child would rather be with me or a family member instead of going to school." Such a statement aims to reveal the child's preferences and inclinations when attending school.

Both the parent and child are requested to rate the accuracy of this statement on a Likert scale, ranging from 0, indicating "never," to 6, representing "always." This rating scale measures the frequency and intensity of the child's school refusal behavior.

By evaluating these responses, professionals can discern recurring patterns and establish the root causes driving the child's refusal to go to school. This intricate and insightful process allows for a comprehensive understanding of the unique circumstances of each case, guiding the development of an effective intervention strategy.

For a more in-depth understanding, consider examining the full School Refusal Assessment Scale PDF sample here. This sample clearly illustrates the SRAS-R, demonstrating its structure and the types of questions included.

Download this School Refusal Assessment Scale Example:

School Refusal Assessment Scales Example (sample)

When would you use this Template?

The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) is a valuable tool in various situations and for several professionals working in child education and mental health domains. Here are specific instances when this tool can prove particularly useful:

When a child exhibits consistent patterns of school refusal, such as:

  • Persistent tardiness
  • Frequent unexplained absences
  • Regular complaints of illness to avoid school
  • Manifestation of extreme distress related to school attendance

When traditional disciplinary methods fail to produce the desired change in a child's school attendance behavior.

When there's an indication that emotional or psychological factors might influence the child's school refusal behavior, not just behavioral issues.

Various professionals may find the SRAS-R instrumental in their practice:

  • Psychologists: They may use the SRAS-R as part of a comprehensive diagnostic process to uncover potential mental health conditions contributing to school refusal behavior.

  • School Counselors: This tool can assist in identifying students in need of targeted interventions and in formulating individualized support plans.
  • Other Mental Health Professionals (Therapists and Social Workers): The SRAS-R can be employed to develop tailored interventions addressing specific causes of school refusal. It can also be used to monitor the progress of these interventions, facilitating necessary adjustments to treatment plans.

  • Educational Consultants: These professionals can use the SRAS-R when collaborating with schools to devise broad strategies for managing school refusal at an institutional level.

The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised is a powerful tool for understanding and addressing school refusal behavior in a targeted and effective way.

Benefits

Comprehensive Understanding

The SRAS-R provides a detailed understanding of the reasons for school refusal behavior.

Targeted Interventions

The tool helps develop specific, targeted interventions based on the child's needs.

Easy to Use

The SRAS-R is easy to administer and requires no special training.

Reliable and Valid

The SRAS-R has proven to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing school refusal behavior.

You can download our Free School Refusal Assessment Scale to understand how it works practically.

Why use Carepatron as your School Refusal Assessment Scale app?

Carepatron presents a range of unique advantages that make it the ideal choice for your School Refusal Assessment Scale application. Some of these include:

  • Ease of Use: Carepatron is designed with convenience in mind,, allowing you to focus more on crucial assessments and less on navigating complex software interfaces. No extensive training is required, making it an accessible choice for professionals.
  • Global Compliance and Robust Security: Meeting global security standards, including HIPAA, GDPR, and HITRUST, Carepatron ensures your assessments and sensitive data are handled with top-tier security measures. This provides peace of mind when managing and storing sensitive SRAS-R scores and intervention plans.
  • Effective Collaboration: Carepatron is designed to facilitate communication between professionals, children, and parents. Progress tracking is simplified, and updates can be easily shared, fostering a collaborative environment as if all involved were physically in the same room.
  • Trusted Worldwide: Carepatron is a globally recognized practice management system trusted by a large community of users. Its dedication to providing a user-friendly, secure, and efficient experience makes it a top choice for managing school refusal assessments.

Take a look at our School Refusal Assessment Scale app to understand more about its beneficial features and offerings. 

Like what you see? Sign up today!

Electronic Health Records Software
Who uses the School Refusal Assessment Scale?
Who uses the School Refusal Assessment Scale?

Commonly asked questions

Who uses the School Refusal Assessment Scale?

Mental health professionals, school psychologists, and counselors commonly use the School Refusal Assessment Scale.

When do you use the School Refusal Assessment Scale?

The SRAS-R is used when a child exhibits persistent school refusal or avoidance patterns.

How is the School Refusal Assessment Scale used?

The SRAS-R is used by administering a questionnaire to both the child and the parent, scoring the responses, analyzing the scores, and then planning interventions based on the results.

Join 10,000+ teams using Carepatron to be more productive

One app for all your healthcare work