Problem: The student frequently complains about school, resists going to school, dawdles in the morning, and the like.

Please review the list of possible explanations to the problem. Click on a possibility to learn about relevant observations and experiments to further determine the source of the problem. There are 4 categories: General Medical, Cognitive/Self-Regulatory, Behavioral, Social-Emotional

Click on "MORE" after any of these possible explanations to view suggestions for exploring that possible explanation.

General Medical Possibilities:

Medical Possibility #1: Chronic pain. Some students resist school and other activities as a result of being in chronic pain. MORE...

Medical Possibility #2: Fatigue: Some students resist school and other activities as a result of fatigue (e.g., insufficient sleep). MORE...

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Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibilities:

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #1: Inhibition impairment: Some students may resist school as a result of inhibition impairment (i.e., impulse-control problems). (See Tutorials on Self-Regulation, Inhibition.) MORE...

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #2: Weak orientation to task: Some students may resist school as a result of disorientation or uncertainty regarding what is required of them. (See Tutorials on Language Comprehension; Organization.) MORE...

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #3: Generally weak cognitive and academic functioning: Some students may resist school as a result of excessive demands placed on their memory, organizational ability, academic skill, or other cognitive ability. They may experience frequent failure in school. (See Tutorials on Cognition, Memory, Organization.) MORE...

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Behavioral Possibilities:

Behavioral Possibility #1: Oppositionality: Some students may resist school as a result of oppositional behavior (See Tutorials on Oppositional Behavior; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies). MORE...

Behavioral Possibility #2: Attention seeking: Some students may resist school as a means of obtaining adult and/or peer attention. (See Tutorials on Attention Seeking; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies; Behavior Management: Contingency Management) MORE...

Behavioral Possibility #3: Manipulativeness: Some students may resist school as a form of manipulation. (See Tutorials on Manipulation; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies.) MORE...

Behavioral Possibility #4: Task avoidance: Some students may resist school as a way to avoid specific tasks. (See Tutorials on Task Avoidance; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies; Behavior Management: Contingency Management.) MORE...

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Social-Emotional Possibilities

Social-Emotional Possibility #1: Depression: Some students may resist school because they are upset, depressed, and/or lack positive relationships with peers and/or adults. (See Tutorials on Depression; Peer Relationships.) Young children often manifest depression by acting out. MORE...

Social-Emotional Possibility #2: Anxiety: Some students may resist school as a result of anxiety. (See Tutorial on Anxiety.) MORE...

Social-Emotional Possibility #3: Frustration: Some students may resist school as a result of feeling frustrated. (See Tutorial on Frustration.) MORE...

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