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This page explains how some children and young people have difficulty accessing school or college due to anxiety or feeling unsafe in the environment. It explains the language you may hear, including EBSA, and what this means for children and young people. It also explains the support that can help.
You don’t need to read everything in one go; you can dip in and out, or use the section links on the right to jump to what’s most relevant for you.
When DASCA (difficulty accessing school or college due to anxiety or feeling unsafe in the environment) is happening, it can feel like attendance becomes the main focus.
But for many children and young people, attendance is not the first thing that needs to change.
What usually helps first is:
reducing pressure
helping the child feel safer
understanding what is making the environment hard
When stress is higher than the support around a child, anxiety often increases. When support increases, anxiety can begin to settle.
Not every child or young person will return to full-time attendance, and that is okay. For some, progress may look like attending for shorter periods, fewer days, or in different ways.
This does not mean giving up on education.
It means finding an approach that protects well-being and supports learning in a way that is realistic and sustainable. To learn more about the support education settings are expected to provide, visit our “Understanding support from education” page.
Small steps matter. Going slowly is okay. If your child’s education setting is not supportive of this approach, come along to one of our peer support sessions for additional support.
Language matters
If your child or young person is finding it hard to go to school or college, this can feel worrying, confusing, and exhausting. Many families tell us they feel stuck, unsure what to do next, or worried they are doing something wrong.
You may hear different words used. Some people talk about Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). Others talk about school anxiety, barriers to attendance, or school refusal.
On this page, we use the phrase difficulty accessing school or college due to anxiety or feeling unsafe in the environment, shortened to DASCA. Families tell us this wording feels clearer and kinder. It focuses on what is making education hard, rather than suggesting a child is avoiding something on purpose or that they are being too emotional.
Whatever words are used, they mean the same thing:
A child or young person wants to access education, but is not able to right now because of anxiety or because the environment feels unsafe.
This experience is very often linked to unmet needs, including some special educational needs or disabilities which may not be recognised or understood.
Every child’s experience is different, but you are not alone. What matters most is figuring out what is making the child or young person upset and finding a way to help them.
When we talk about DASCA, we are describing a situation, not labelling a child.
It means that school or college currently feels too overwhelming, frightening, or unsafe for a child or young person to manage. This might be because of anxiety, sensory overload, social pressures, changes, or needs that are not yet fully understood or supported.
DASCA is not about bad behaviour, poor parenting, or a lack of effort. It is not a diagnosis. It is a way of understanding that something in the environment is not working for the child right now.
Your child is not choosing this. They are doing their best to cope.
Because DASCA is about a child’s experience, the most helpful response is usually one of curiosity and understanding, rather than pressure or punishment.
This means noticing what the child is telling us through their feelings and behaviour, being curious about what makes school feel hard or unsafe, and thinking about what really matters to them – such as feeling safe, understood, and able to succeed in small steps.
It also means looking at the environment around the child. When anxiety is high, behaviour is often a way of communicating distress. Changing what is happening around the child and increasing support can reduce distress.
Approaches that focus on understanding emotions, listening to what behaviour is communicating, and adjusting the environment tend to fit well with DASCA. They help children build confidence over time, and help adults focus on support rather than blame.
DASCA can affect children and young people in different ways, and families often notice that this can change over time.
For some families, this may mean:
A child does not need to be totally absent to be experiencing DASCA. Some children work incredibly hard just to get through the day, even when that effort is not easy for others to see.
When DASCA is happening, it can feel like attendance becomes the main focus.
But for many children and young people, attendance is not the first thing that needs to change.
What usually helps first is:
reducing pressure
helping the child feel safer
understanding what is making the environment hard
When stress is higher than the support around a child, anxiety often increases. When support increases, anxiety can begin to settle.
Not every child or young person will return to full-time attendance, and that is okay.
For some, progress may look like attending for shorter periods, fewer days, or in different ways.
This does not mean giving up on education.
It means finding an approach that protects well-being and supports learning in a way that is realistic and sustainable. To learn more about the support education settings are expected to provide, visit our “Understanding support from education” page.
Small steps matter. Going slowly is okay. If your child’s education setting is not supportive of this approach, come along to one of our peer support sessions for additional support.
You can ask the school or college for a conversation about what is happening for your child.
It can help to explain that your child is experiencing anxiety linked to the environment and that this is affecting their ability to access education right now. It is helpful to take a small list of issues which are causing problems.
You can ask your child what three things they would like to change about school if they could. Some children and young people may be reluctant to answer or may not know what to say. It can be helpful to phrase the question playfully or imaginatively, for example: “If you could wave a magic wand…” or “If a genie granted you a wish…”
Support from the education setting might include:
a calmer or more flexible start to the day
a quiet or safe space
reduced pressure around work
sensory or environmental adjustments, such as leaving class before the bell, or eating lunch in a quiet area
a phased or flexible approach to attendance
Support work best when plans are written down, agreed upon together between families and schools and reviewed regularly.
If you are having difficulty working with your child’s education setting, get in touch with us, and we can make sure you get the right help.
You may also find it helpful to look at the Resources section at the bottom of this page. It includes practical tools that children and young people can use to help them identify areas where they may need support. These have been kindly shared by Barriers to Education.
Some families find it helpful to speak to their GP when their child or young person is experiencing DASCA. Others may not need to, or may choose to do this later. There is no single right path.
A GP can help by:
Listening to concerns about anxiety, well-being, or stress
Recording what is happening in medical notes
Offering advice or reassurance
Considering whether further support, referrals or a sick note might be helpful
Supporting with any needs connected to eating and other health needs
You do not need to wait until things feel extreme to speak to your GP. It is okay to go, to talk things through and understand what help health services can offer.
Some families worry about needing a diagnosis or “proof”. A GP appointment does not have to be about labels. It can simply be about understanding and support.
Speaking to a GP does not mean your child will automatically be referred to a health service, and it does not mean school attendance decisions will suddenly change. It is one part of a wider picture.
If you are unsure whether to speak to your GP, or what to say, Bristol Parent Carers can help you think it through at your own pace. Come along to one of our peer support sessions for support.
If your child is struggling with anxiety, emotional regulation or behaviour, you can ask for a school nurse referral for emotional support or refer your child yourself.
The service is open to all, including children not currently attending school.
Your child may also be able to access a Mental Health Support Team via their school.
Off The Record (11+) also offer services for some young people. Young People can also access anonymous emotional support from Self Injury Support UK, silvercloud, Kooth or CYN.
If you are struggling to access this suport, let us know, and we can help you find the right support for your family.
You also may be eligible for a Carer’s Assessment, and if your child’s needs are impacting siblings, they also may be eligible for support. Read our “support for your family” page for more information and watch our videos.
Bristol Parent Carers may also be able to support you so that you can support your child via our Children’s Wellbeing Support Service, which offers short-term support for parent carers of children aged 5–10 who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges. You can read more about this here.
Difficulty accessing school or college due to anxiety or feeling unsafe is more common for autistic and ADHD children and young people.
School and college environments are often busy, noisy, and unpredictable. There can be lots of people, constant movement, unclear expectations, and sudden changes. For autistic children and young people, managing sensory input, social demands, and change at the same time can be exhausting.
Over time, this can build into anxiety. What may look like “coping” on the outside can involve a huge amount of effort on the inside. Some children hold everything together during the day and then experience distress, shutdown, or exhaustion afterwards.
When the environment feels overwhelming or unsafe, anxiety can increase and accessing education can become much harder.
Support should focus on changing the environment, not changing the child; even if the child or young person has no diagnosis, support should still be offered. Support may include:
clearer routines and expectations
more predictability and preparation for change
visual supports to reduce uncertainty
reduced sensory demands, such as noise or crowding
reasonable adjustments to help reduce pressure
These supports are not about lowering expectations. They are about removing barriers, reducing anxiety, and helping children and young people feel safer and more able to engage.
Anxiety is not just part of being neurodivergent. With the right understanding, support, and adjustments, anxiety can be reduced, and experiences can improve.
When a child is experiencing DASCA, home often becomes their safest place. This can bring relief, but it can also bring worry about doing the “right” thing.
There is no single way to support a child at home. What helps most is staying curious, calm, and focused on what your child is communicating.
It can help to:
Notice when anxiety seems higher and what might have led up to that
Look for patterns, such as certain times of day or particular demands
Help your child name feelings in a simple way, if they can
Reassure them that their feelings make sense
keep routines predictable where possible
Reduce unnecessary pressure, while also reassuring your child that feeling anxious at times is understandable and something everyone experiences at times
For some children, it can help to talk through their worst-case scenario and make a simple plan for what would happen if that did occur. Knowing there is a plan – and that they would not face it alone – can make worries feel more manageable.
These approaches are not about fixing or pushing. They are about helping your child feel safer and more understood, which can lower anxiety over time.
When behaviour changes or distress increases, it is often a sign that something feels too hard. Listening to that message, rather than reacting to the behaviour itself, can help guide next steps.
Small moments matter. Feeling safe at home gives children the breathing space they need to begin coping again.
When a child is anxious, it can be tempting to say “don’t worry” or “that won’t happen”. This comes from a place of care, but for some children it doesn’t offer reassurance.
Many parents recognise this from when their child was younger. Telling a child there are no monsters under the bed often doesn’t stop the worry.
What helps more is doing something that makes them feel safe – like checking together, or using a “monster spray”.
Anxiety works in a similar way. Feeling understood, and knowing there is a plan if things go wrong, can help anxiety settle.
The following tools have been shared by Barriers to Education, a website created by a wide group of people working to reduce barriers to education. The site has been designed as a practical and flexible resource for anyone supporting children and young people who are finding education hard to access.
These tools are intended to support adults – including families and professionals – to think together about what may be getting in the way of education. They are especially relevant for children and young people who have experienced long periods of non-attendance.
The tools are designed to be used reflectively and collaboratively. They can help explore challenges, plan support, and agree on practical next steps.
🔗 Practical tools for young people visit here
🔗 Practical tools for adults, visit here
When using these tools, it is important to be clear about how information will be recorded, stored, and shared.
Everyone involved should understand what information will remain confidential, and when information may need to be shared more widely – for example, to support safety or help coordinate support.
Being open and clear about this from the start helps build trust and supports respectful, effective collaboration.
You do not need a diagnosis for your child to get help.
If a child is finding things hard, schools and services should notice this and respond early. Support should be based on what your child needs, not on having a diagnosis.
Families should be listened to, kept informed, and involved in decisions. You know your child best.
Support should always help your child feel safe, included, and able to take part in everyday life. If you need any help, get in touch.
Before you go… We’ve recently launched our new website. We’d really value your quick feedback.
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