The question of whether a school district is responsible for addressing truancy and other behavior problems of students with disabilities poses a dilemma -- and how it’s answered could be costly for the district. Judges and hearing officers take different approaches and arrive at different conclusions -- causing confusion for the district.

Truancy, Work Refusal and Home Problems explains where courts and administrative agencies have drawn the line dividing educational need and mental health care need. You learn if a student’s refusal to attend school or obey his parents is an area of educational need to be addressed under the IDEA, or if it’s the responsibility of local truancy judges, juvenile authorities and mental health agencies.

Plus, you get the full text of four key judicial decisions regarding truancy, work refusal and home problems, as well as suggested strategies to:

• Offer family counseling services to address at-home issues that might be affecting the student’s in-school performance
• Treat truancy and work refusal as a behavior that impedes learning and requires IEP interventions
• Assign a liaison to coordinate information between the school and the child’s mental health professional