A child who has a history of avoiding school may need extra encouragement. Younger children, Naar-King suggests, may benefit from a weekly calendar on which a child gets a star each day for going to school without complaining. Then after a week, the child gets a reward. She scoffs at the suggestion that giving a reward is like bribing a child to go to school. It teaches children that they can earn things by being good.
Positive reinforcement is a much stronger shaper of behavior than negative.
If your child still doesn't talk or shows signs of depression, he or she may need to see a therapist or counselor. Signs of depression, particularly in adolescence, should be taken seriously. They include not eating or overeating, loss of interest in school or other activities, and unexplained drop in grades. The seriousness of any emotionally based problem is determined by its persistence and whether it's impairing the child in other ways. Naar-King and other doctors say the most important thing is finding out the source of the problem and not giving in to children who just don't want to go to school.