• Parent / Guardian Study

    The Impact of School Distress on Families in Ireland - Completion Time: 20 Minutes

    Parent Survey: The Impact of School Distress (Avoidance) on Families in Ireland

    School Distress is often linked to anxiety, undiagnosed neurodevelopmental conditions and unmet needs and is becoming an increasingly serious issue for many families in Ireland. However, the experiences of these families are often not fully understood or reflected in current education policies and supports.

    This survey aims to gather the experiences of parents and caregivers whose children struggle to attend school due to anxiety, emotional distress, or related challenges. The findings will be used to highlight the real impact of school avoidance on children and families and to inform discussions with policymakers about how the education system can better support these students.

    Your responses will help provide evidence of:

    • the challenges children face in accessing education
    • the impact on family wellbeing and employment
    • gaps in school and mental health supports
    • the need for more flexible and inclusive education options

    The survey is anonymous. Individual responses will not be identifiable in any report.

    By sharing your experience, you are helping to ensure that the voices of families are heard and considered in future policy decisions.

    Thank you for taking the time to contribute.

  • Section 1: Background Information

  • 2. What gender was your child assigned at birth?*
  • 5. What type of school does your child attend?*
  • 6. How long has your child been experiencing school distress?*
  • 7. If relevant, has your child been able to sit their state exams?
  • 8. Does your child wish to attend third level education?*
  • If you have applied for the Assessment of Needs, how long has your child been waiting for their assessments?

  • Section 2: Attendance and School Experience

  • 1. Approximately how often is your child able to attend school?*
  • 4. Has your child ever been placed on a reduced timetable or partial school days?*

  • Teacher Awareness

  • 5. Did your child's teacher or school recognise that your child was experiencing anxiety related to school?*

  • Masking in School

  • 6. Before school distress began, how did your child generally present while at school?*

  • Bullying

  • 7. Did your child experience bullying at school?*
  • If yes, how was the bullying addressed by the school?*

  • Friendships

  • 8. Did your child struggle with friendships or peer relationships at school?*

  • Academic Difficulties

  • 9. Did your child ever struggle with school work in the following areas? (Select all that apply)*

  • Academic Pressure

  • 10. Did your child show stress or anxiety related to school work, tests or academic expectations?*

  • Learning Support

  • 11. If your child struggled with learning, did they receive any additional support from the school?*

  • Masking Recognition

  • 12. Did teachers ever express surprise at your child’s level of distress because they appeared to be coping well in school?*

  • Section 3: Child Wellbeing

  • 1. What signs of distress does your child experience related to school? (Select all that apply)*
  • 2. Has your child received any diagnosis or professional assessment?*
  • 3. Has your child's mental health changed since school distress began?*

  • Section 4: Impact on Family Life

  • 1. How has your child's school distress affected your family? (Select all that apply)*
  • 2. Has any parent or caregiver had to:*

  • Section 5: Support from Schools

  • 1. How supportive has your child's school been overall?*
  • 2. What supports have been offered by the school? (Select all that apply)Options*
  • 3. Do you feel the school has the resources to support your child?*

  • Section 6: Access to Services

  • 1. Have you sought help from external services? (Select all that apply)*
  • 2. How long did you wait to access support?*
  • 3. Did you feel the services understood school distress?*

  • Section 7: Education Outcomes

  • 1. Has your child fallen behind academically due to school distress?*
  • 2. Has your child received any alternative education or flexible learning options?*
  • 3. Do you feel the current education system provides suitable options for children who cannot attend school due to severe anxiety/mental health challenges?*

  • Section 8: Systemic Barriers

    What do you believe are the biggest barriers preventing your child from returning to school?
  • 1. Which supports would help your child most? (Select all that apply)*

  • Section 9: Parent Experience

  • 1. Do you feel blamed or judged for your child's school avoidance?*
  • 2. Have you ever felt threatened with legal or attendance action due to your child's absence?*

  • Section 10: Policy and Government Response

    What changes would you like the government to make to better support children experiencing school distress?

  • Section 11: Parent Voice

  • Section 12: Policy Impact Questions

  • Financial Impact on Families

  • 1. Has supporting your child through school avoidance resulted in additional financial costs for your family?*
  • 2. If yes, which of the following costs have you experienced? (Select all that apply)*
  • 3. Approximately how much has your family spent seeking support outside of the school system?*

  • Parental Mental Wellbeing

  • 4. Has your child's school distress impacted your own mental health?*
  • 5. Have you had to seek medical support for your own mental health through your GP?*
  • 6. Have you had to take prescribed medication as a direct result of your child's school distress?*
  • 7. Have you had to seek therapeutic support for yourself?*
  • If yes, was this:*
  • 8. Have you felt heard and understood by professionals when discussing the impact of your child's school distress?*
  • 9. Has communicating with the school caused further distress to your mental wellbeing?*
  • 10. Do you feel the impact of school related distress on families is fully understood by schools and teachers in Ireland?*
  • 11. Do you feel the education system in Ireland currently meets the needs of children experiencing severe school anxiety or school avoidance?*
  • 11. Do you feel the education system in Ireland currently meets the needs of children diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition such as Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia) etc ?*
  • Should be Empty: