Help getting my 15 year old daughter back into a routine!

My daughter is a school refuser and is currently spending most days at home isolated and alone. This is really affecting her mental health. 

Both myself and my husband work full time and her younger sister attends school.

I really need her to access something that will help her to gain confidence and realise her diagnosis doesn't mean she cant carry on a normal life. 

Secondary school has been a very traumatic experience for her and i'm afraid this has broken her.

Thanks.   

Parents
  • Hi this is my first time on this page and your situation sounds extremely similar to mine. My 15 year old daughter is also a school refuser to the point where she has been out of education for 3 years. She has suffered and still suffers with anxiety, depression and OCD and like you say her experiences of secondary school, and school in general has left her broken. I haven’t got any answers I’m afraid just wanted to say I feel your pain!

  • Don't CAMHS and SEN do anything at all?

    CBT, specialist school, or are you home educating?

  • My daughter hasn’t been well enough to consider any other education provider. She does have an EHCP and we have regular update meetings with our SEN lead worker but unless we can somehow integrate her back into the world she continues to feel totally isolated and her anxiety prevents her moving forward. 

Reply
  • My daughter hasn’t been well enough to consider any other education provider. She does have an EHCP and we have regular update meetings with our SEN lead worker but unless we can somehow integrate her back into the world she continues to feel totally isolated and her anxiety prevents her moving forward. 

Children
  • I must say my daughter is in the same limbo of depression, anxiety and not functioning at all for 4 years, while going through the motions of going to college and failing.

    We had a meeting at CAMHS and finally she will be getting some help. But it will take time. I came to the conclusion that my daughter needs CBT, some peer group social activities and proper support at school. Her staying at home in a black hole is my worst nightmare, because it would be even more difficult to engage her. Did you look into specialist residential schools? Did you get any psychology support and more? Nothing will happen unless you bring in some new element. PM