A child with school avoidance anxiety is more than just a little reluctant to go to school and consistently avoids going to school or, if they do manage to get there, has problems staying in school.
This is a child who avoids school because of feelings of fear, dread and doom, not because of rebelliousness or delinquent behavior.
School refusal or school avoidance anxiety is usually a sign of a deeper problem, and if not dealt with right away it can have long term effects.
This can cause problems in the areas of normal social behavior, confidence and self-esteem, as well as home life and academics.
Recognizing the problem and getting help early is the key to the positive outcomes for school avoidance anxiety or any other types of anxiety disorders.
Prevalence School avoidance anxiety is a problem for approximately 2 to 5 percent of kids in school at sometime or other.
Younger children at the preschool to kindergarten level are normally going through the very common experience of separation and some may have a harder time with it than others.
Most get over it on their own, but sometimes a severe case of separation anxiety can turn into School Avoidance Anxiety as the child grows older and the anxiety and fear have not been treated.
Common Sources of Stress The stressors change as a child grows older, but some of the more common School Avoidance Anxiety stressors are:

• Separation anxiety, leaving home
• Concerns about academic performance
• Anxieties about making friends
• Fear of a teacher or bully

Children tend to develop school avoidance anxiety in the 5 to 6 and 10 to 11 age groups, as this is the usual timeframe for major school transitions.
Physical Symptoms Stress appears in various physical symptoms, as well as noticeable behavior changes.
In children, the physical signs of School Avoidance Anxiety are:

• Headaches
• Stomachaches
• Nausea
• Diarrhea

Behavior Symptoms In addition to the physical symptoms listed above, kids may display behavioral signs as well.
Here are some of the common behavior signs of stress:

• Fits of anger
• Refusal to cooperate
• Separation anxiety
• Somatizations
• Avoiding sources of anxiety/stress
• Defiant, talking back

School avoidance anxiety is quite common and can be treated very effectively, usually through counseling.
Finding and dealing with the source of the anxiety is a part of the process, as well as learning ways to deal with stress and stressful situations.
In order to get better, the child must deal with the source of the anxiety by facing their fears and learning coping mechanisms and ways to deal with it.
According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), it is important that your child stay in school, even if it is a struggle to do so.
Being allowed to miss school enables the negative behavior (and the anxiety), and does not make it go away.
You will find it returns, even stronger the next school day.
Early intervention is critical in getting the best long term results, so see your doctor as soon as you suspect there may be a problem.
Your doctor can help you find the reasons for your child wanting to avoid school, refer you to a specialist or provide you with an appropriate referral or treatment plan.