---
title: "A Needs-Based Approach | School Attendance Challenges"
description: "Creating an inclusive, accessible, equitable, and individualized environment for students with mental health disabilities, including school attendance…"
url: https://ymhc.ngo/resources/school-attendance-challenges/survey/needs-based-approach/
---

National Survey· 9 of 11

# A Needs-Based Approach

![Signs on a chain-link fence reading: Don't give up, You are not alone, You matter](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/Support-Message-scaled-600x400.BdUkxv4X_Z1hKBd6.webp)

Photo Credit: @dmey503

Creating an inclusive, accessible, equitable, and individualized environment for students with mental health disabilities, including school attendance challenges is a critical component of disability rights, human rights, safe schools, and inclusion.

**Respondents reported the following:**

-   Staff often are unaware of how to support children with mental health struggles including “school attendance challenges”; and attendance is often taken more seriously than the children’s actual needs and feelings.
-   Whether students have professional documentation on school attendance challenges and mental health disabilities, a student’s experience of school attendance challenges and diagnosis of mental health disabilities, their educational, psychological, emotional, and learning needs must be accommodated.

**Trauma-Informed Education:**

There are many trauma-affected students in classrooms, and we need to understand the effects of birth, life and intergenerational trauma and incorporate that awareness into teaching and learning practices. Adverse childhood experiences can negatively impact students and influence their feelings, thoughts, and fears about accessing and managing an education. Universal trauma-informed and social-emotional practices benefit all children, building critical skills like self-awareness, emotional regulation, compassion and an openness to teamwork and cooperation.

## Needs-Based Recommendations from Parents:

![Bar chart: number of parents who believe each option is a good support: educational support team 363, small class sizes 338, reduced class load 253, small school 161, early morning responsibility in the school 141, pre-school program 78, bussing 54, boarding school 41](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/Suggest-Support-1080x650.NIgTKHsC_Z1zhdrs.webp)

**Suggested Support:**

-   363 (of 519): Education Support Teams
-   338: Small class sizes
-   253: Reduced class load
-   161: Small school
-   141: Pre-school responsibility (job in the office, library) to get students focused on responsibility and not fears and concerns
-   78: Pre-school program (Social Emotional Learning, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach)
-   54: Bussing
-   41: Boarding school with structured living and school supports

## Parents support of supporting strategy

![Stacked bar chart: share of parents rating each suggested support helpful; educational support team 70.76%, small class sizes 65.89%, reduced class load 49.32%, small school 31.38%, early morning responsibility 27.49%, pre-school program 15.20%, bussing 10.53%, boarding school 7.99%](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/Support-Rate-1080x572.DqcboOiW_Z1mLWB8.webp)

**Helpful Strategies by parent support:** 

-   71%: Education Support Team
-   66%: Small class sizes
-   49%: Reduced class load
-   32%: Small school
-   27.5%: Pre-school responsibility
-   15%: Pre-school program
-   10.5%: Bussing
-   8%: Boarding school

### Small Class Size

There was overwhelming support for small class sizes for all students of all ages.

![Bar chart: support for small class sizes by child’s age, between 49% and 100% at every age from 5 to 20 and older](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/Class-Size-1080x405.BdB8WfAb_ZGF2py.webp)

### Education Support Team

There was overwhelming support for the development of an Education Support Team for students of all ages.

![Bar chart: support for an educational support team by child’s age, between 52% and 100% at every age except age 5 (40%)](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/Education-Support-Team-1080x405.BAiPS_NF_1TtiQ9.webp)

### Small school size

Parent respondents were more in favour of small class sizes (66% of respondents) than small school size. (32 %).

### Pre-School Program

Most support for a pre-school program was for children aged five and six– interestingly the age when school attendance challenges signs and symptoms became evident.

![Two bar charts by child’s age: support for a small school ranges from 13% to 54%; support for a pre-school program is highest at ages 5 (60%) and 6 (45%) and mostly under 25% at other ages](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/school-size-pre-program-1080x350.CIZdTOCU_1ASHPg.webp)

### Bussing

There was not a lot of support for bussing, except for two important transitional times: the beginning of school at age five and middle school at age 12.

### Pre-School Responsibility

The strongest support for pre-school responsibility for their children was for children aged five. Other age groups ranked below 50%.

![Two bar charts by child’s age: support for bussing is 20% or lower at every age, highest at ages 5 and 12; support for early morning responsibility in the school is highest at age 5 (60%) and below 40% at other ages](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/bus-morning-1080x355.LD80YASi_ZBnNB7.webp)

### Boarding School

Support for a boarding school approach was strongest for children aged five years old and for teenagers aged 17 and 18.

### Reduced Class Load

Reduced class load could mean fewer classes, fewer expectations, half-day school, or fewer assignments. There was a lot of support for a reduced class load for students with school attendance challenges mental health disabilities. The support was stronger with students aged 12 years and older.

![Two bar charts by child’s age: support for boarding school is 20% or lower at every age, highest at age 5 and ages 17 to 19; support for a reduced class load rises with age, from 27% at age 6 to 66% at 16 and 80% at 19](https://ymhc.ngo/_astro/board-load-1080x366.Bdv0DKHF_ZdNDA5.webp)