Can the school take truancy measures even if we have a medical note?

Getting truancy letters from the school, especially when your child is dealing with something as serious as anxiety and refusing to go to school, can be alarming. First off, don’t panic; these situations are usually the result of a mixup that can be easily corrected with communication.

Truancy letters are coming from the school attendance review board (SARB), an attendance committee made up of people at school. It's a function of gen ed, not related to your child having a disability.

Stay in close contact with your child’s special education team or case manager, and make sure to document everything. If your child has a medical condition like anxiety, you can ensure that the school is updated regularly and that any relevant notes or plans, like an IEP, are on file. The key is to document everything.

If your child refuses to attend school or if you are keeping your child home for their health and safety until adequate IEP supports can be added, know that the school can still mark them as truant. You should do your best to email the school each day to let them know why your child is not in attendance.

Email your IEP team every single day your child does not attend school. Tell them what’s happening and what behavioral techniques you tried. End it with “I look forward to working with the team to find a solution.” This helps show that you have been asking for help. If this escalates to a judge (worse-case scenario), then you have evidence that you have been asking the school for help, and you don’t want IEP team to say that they didn’t know this was happening.

If, despite your best efforts, the school continues to treat the situation as truancy and doesn’t seem to recognize your child’s needs, it might be time to bring in some additional support, such as an advocate or an attorney who specializes in education law. Their role would be to help explain the situation, ensure that a child’s rights are being upheld, and make sure the correct information is being presented to the school.

For more information, see School Refusal 101.