Divergent Discussion: When School Feels Impossible: Understanding and Responding to “School Can’t”

Hosted by: Michelle Ridsdale, Founder and CEO at Kaboose

📍 Online (virtual event)

🎥 Replay available

When School Feels Impossible: Understanding and Responding to “School Can’t”

A Divergent Discussion with Richard Crawshaw

School attendance challenges are rarely caused by one issue and they are rarely resolved by attendance pressure alone.

For neurodivergent students, anxiety, sensory overwhelm, bullying, academic demands and unmet support needs can combine until attending school feels unsafe or unmanageable. Avoidance may then extend beyond school to friendships, community activities and appointments with support professionals.

At the same time, educators are often trying to respond within systems shaped by limited time, heavy workloads, staff burnout and financial constraints. Families and students may feel judged or blamed, while schools may feel unsure about what to try next.

In this Divergent Discussion, Richard Crawshaw and Michelle Ridsdale will explore how educators can respond to “School Can’t” with greater understanding, flexibility and collaboration.

Together, we’ll consider how schools, families, mental health practitioners and allied health professionals can build a shared understanding of the student’s needs and develop coordinated approaches that reduce shame, rebuild trust and make re-engagement possible.

We’ll explore:

• How “School Can’t” and attendance challenges can present for neurodivergent students

• The roles of anxiety, sensory needs, bullying and academic pressure

• Why adolescence is a particularly important period for identity, self-efficacy and self-esteem

• How shame and fear of blame affect students and families

• What teachers, psychologists, occupational therapists, families and other professionals each contribute

• Barriers to effective collaboration, including workload, burnout and systemic constraints

• Flexible, gradual approaches to reconnecting students with education

• A practical example of multidisciplinary support in action

Who is this event for?

This conversation is designed for:

• Classroom teachers

• School leaders

• Learning support and inclusion teams

• Wellbeing and student support staff

• Education support professionals

• School counsellors and psychologists

• Allied health professionals working alongside schools

• Anyone seeking more compassionate and effective responses to attendance challenges

What you’ll take away

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of what may sit beneath school attendance challenges, questions that can help shift conversations away from blame, and practical ideas for working collaboratively with students, families and other professionals.

This is not a conversation about forcing attendance at any cost. It is about understanding what is getting in the way and creating the conditions in which a young person can feel safe enough to reconnect.

Join us for a thoughtful, practical and honest Divergent Discussion about what educators can do when school feels impossible.

🎟️ Register now to join the discussion live or watch the replay via the Kaboose App.