Emotionally Based School Avoidance and ACEs: From Challenge to Empowerment

The purpose of this event is to explore the growing challenge of emotionally based school avoidance through an ACE-aware lens.

This hybrid event will bring together key voices to deepen understanding of how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect children’s engagement with education, and to consider practical, compassionate responses.

It will also explore the Three Realms of ACEs (Household, Community, Environment), the intersectionality of multiple ACEs, and the intergenerational nature of challenges and resilience. The event aims to create a space for thoughtful discussion and shared learning, to empower young people and families, as well as those supporting them.

The session will present three essential perspectives: parents and young people with lived experience, education, and professionals. Together, speakers will examine barriers, highlight beneficial approaches, and consider key questions such as whether the child's avoidance is the problem, or if aspects of the educational system are contributing to it.

Participants will have opportunities to share experiences, reflections, and learnings via Q&A, small groups, and a final open dialogue.

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Suzy enjoyed a 20+ year career in corporate communications working in arts organisations and charities. When her son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD after many school exclusions, she embarked on a new journey, setting up happyinschoolproject.

She delivers training, talks for educators and allied professionals and works therapeutically with families. With living knowledge of autism and ADHD, and wide knowledge of the education system, Suzy’s approach is solution-focused, compassionate and practical. She’s a Mental Health First-Aider, trauma-informed and CBT certified.

Suzy captured her experiences in her book 'S.E.N.D. in the Clowns', an Amazon bestseller. She's passionate about developing positive narratives enabling parents and educators to refresh what they know about neurodivergence and learning. Her latest book 'I Can’t Go to School' prompts conversations between schools, parents and young people. Suzy was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.

Bonnie is a trainee psychotherapist. Her practice is grounded in critical psychology, the Power Threat Meaning Framework, trauma-informed thinking and the neurodiversity paradigm. She is disabled and has a high ACE score. She has been fighting local authorities for her children's rights for over ten years, and the EHCP process for five, including taking a local authority to court. She loves her dog, her garden, and holidays that get her away from the burden of disability admin.

She comes to this event first as a parent. Her daughters, Joely and Poppy, have both lived the reality that sits underneath the term EBSA. Bonnie argues that what gets labelled avoidance is more honestly named school distress, or school-based trauma.

Joely is 17. She is bright and fiercely creative, and loves Minecraft and music. She has always struggled with attendance, has missed almost three years of school, and is still struggling to access education.

Poppy is 15. She loves film, hip-hop and has a brilliant sense of humour. She has joint hypermobility, with pain and fatigue, and is dyslexic and dyscalculic. She has always struggled to attend, has missed nearly four years of school, and is close to being given home tuition and a mentor.

Both girls are AuDHD, and both carry ACEs of their own.

Jocelyne has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty years with all ages and stages of life and is former Principal of the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE). She has pioneered quality and standards in education, training, practice and research in the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) for many years, where she was made an Honorary Fellow. She has been the lead on Training Standards in the European Interdisciplinary Association for Therapeutic Services for Children and Young People (EIATSCYP) for ten years.

Jocelyne is committed to increasing access to effective therapeutic support which is culturally attuned and responsive to the needs of young people. She was Clinical Director of a Schools Programme in 40 schools in London and works with Margot Sunderland at IATE. She worked with Camila Batmanghelidjh for 3 decades.

Jocelyne currently works with Oasis St Martins Village Tulse Hill, enabling creative approaches to therapeutic counselling. She remains committed to embedded and creative therapeutic approaches in education for community wellbeing.

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registered in England and Wales. No. 13488145

We are a non-profit Community Interest Company, which operates as an independent and voluntary network of trauma survivors, multidisciplinary practitioners, and community activists, committed to raising awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences, trauma-informed care and resilience among the diverse communities of Greater London.

Event venue & nearby stays

2 Langley Ln, 2 Langley Lane, London, United Kingdom

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