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Supporting Elementary Students with Anxiety-Based School Avoidance and Refusal

Jason Karls, M.Ed
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Description

This session offers a fresh, practical look at the rising challenge of elementary level school avoidance. Counselors will explore modern contributors—anxiety, poor sleep habits, technology overload, and shifting parenting cultures—and learn new, student-centered approaches for supporting families. Participants will gain simple, effective frameworks for parent coaching, gradual reintegration, and emotional skill-building. Leave with ready-to-use strategies that meet students where they are and bring renewed confidence to navigating attendance challenges.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Analyze and identify the modern factors contributing to elementary level school avoidance, including anxiety, poor sleep habits, technology overload, and shifting parenting culture.

  • Apply simple, effective frameworks for key support areas, such as parent coaching, gradual reintegration, and emotional skill-building.

  • Implement new, student-centered approaches and ready-to-use strategies for supporting families and navigating attendance challenges with renewed confidence.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is for participants to gain simple, effective frameworks for parent coaching, gradual reintegration, and emotional skill-building related to anxiety related school refusal. Leave with ready-to-use strategies that meet students where they are and bring renewed confidence to navigating attendance challenges.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Jason Karls, M.Ed
Jason Karls, M.Ed., is a school counselor with over 15 years of experience advocating for comprehensive, student-centered school counseling programs across elementary, middle, and high school settings. Currently serving students in grades 3–5 at East Side School in Livingston, Montana, Jason focuses on building strong relationships, promoting social-emotional learning, and creating systems that support student, family, and school well-being. His work emphasizes prevention, equity, and access to mental health supports through MTSS, PBIS, peer mediation, mentoring, and solution-focused counseling practices.

Jason is active within the Montana School Counselor Association, having served as High School Vice President and currently as a member of the Board of Directors. He is passionate about advocating for the role of school counselors as essential leaders, collaborators, and change agents within schools.

Financially Sponsored By

  • Montana School Counselor Association (MSCA)