Intervention for children with school refusal behavior in an elementary school in Iceland

• Main Author: Tinna Sif Bergþórsdóttir Bender 1985-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn í Reykjavík
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Hagnýt atferlisgreining; Meistaraprófsritgerðir; Applied behaviour analysis; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/47729

School refusal is an increasing problem among children in Iceland, where attendance is tracked with a color-coded system: green for good, yellow for poor, and red for unacceptable, with child protective services notified for a red category. Function-based approaches can help design interventions, assessed using the School-Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R). This study examined the impact of function-based interventions from the SRAS-R on school refusal behavior (SRB). Four participants were initially involved, but one withdrew before the intervention. A study introduction email was sent to elementary schools in Iceland's capital area to find participants in level 2 school refusal. Parents, children, and teachers answerd open-ended interviews, and parents and children completed the SRAS-R to assess the function of SRB. The results were used to develop individualized interventions for each participant. Two children received a token reward system, and one received an additional teacher in the classroom as an intervention. Results showed the interventions were effective: school attendance increased for all participants, and SRB decreased for two. Social validity feedback from parents and children indicated the intervention was well-received, with children becoming more positive about school. Two children answered the questionnaire, and both thought the intervention was enjoyable, particularly earning points for attending class and engaging in rewarding activities with their parents. Additionally, for one participant, an interobserver agreement (IOA) of 90% was achieved between the teacher and researcher regarding school attendance. Procedural integrity for the intervention plan was executed with 100% accuracy by parents and the researcher for two participants.