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Types and correlates of school absenteeism among students with intellectual disability
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Melvin, G. A., Freeman, M., Ashford, L. J., Hastings, R. P., Heyne, D., Tonge, B. J., Bailey, T., Totsika, V. and Gray, K. M. (2023) Types and correlates of school absenteeism among students with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 67 (4). pp. 375-386. doi:10.1111/jir.13011 ISSN 0964-2633.
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WRAP-types-correlates-school-absenteeism-among-students-intellectual-disability-2023.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 4.0. Download (360Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.13011
Abstract
Background: It appears that students with intellectual disability (ID) are more frequently absent from school compared with students without ID. The objective of the current study was to estimate the frequency of absence among students with ID and the reasons for absence. Potential reasons included the attendance problems referred to as school refusal, where absence is related to emotional distress; truancy, where absence is concealed from parents; school exclusion, where absence is instigated by the school; and school withdrawal, where absence is initiated by parents. Methods: Study participants were 629 parents (84.6% mothers) of Australian school students (Mage = 11.18 years; 1.8% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) with an ID. Participants completed a questionnaire battery that included the School Non‐Attendance ChecKlist via which parents indicated the reason their child was absent for each day or half‐day absence their child had over the past 20 school days. The absence data presented to parents had been retrieved from school records. Results: Across all students, absence occurred on 7.9% of the past 20 school days. In terms of school attendance problems as defined in existing literature, school withdrawal accounted for 11.1% of absences and school refusal for 5.3% of absences. Students were also absent for other reasons, most commonly illness (32.0%) and appointments (24.2%). Of students with more than one absence (n = 217; 34.5%), about half were absent for more than one reason. Students attending mainstream schools had lower attendance than those attending special schools. Conclusions: Students with ID were absent for a range of reasons and often for multiple reasons. There were elevated rates of school withdrawal and school refusal. Understanding the reasons for absenteeism can inform targeted prevention and intervention supports.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
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Subjects: | L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LC Special aspects of education |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR) | ||||||||
SWORD Depositor: | Library Publications Router | ||||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | School attendance, Children with mental disabilities -- Education -- Australia, Children with mental disabilities -- Research -- Australia, Youth with mental disabilities -- Education -- Australia, Youth with mental disabilities -- Research -- Australia, School phobia | ||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Intellectual Disability Research | ||||||||
Publisher: | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. | ||||||||
ISSN: | 0964-2633 | ||||||||
Official Date: | April 2023 | ||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 67 | ||||||||
Number: | 4 | ||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 375-386 | ||||||||
DOI: | 10.1111/jir.13011 | ||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 15 March 2023 | ||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 15 March 2023 | ||||||||
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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