AET Understanding Anxious Non-attendance Tuesday 18th November 2025

Anxious Non-Attendance (also referred to as Emotionally Based School Avoidance) is a growing concern for autistic people, their families, and the professionals who work with them. By listening to the voices of  hose with lived experience, we were able to co – produce a module that helps others to understand how anxiety can  lead to absence from school and its impact on an autistic pupil’s daily life. The module will help delegates to identify causes of Anxious Non-Attendance and consider reasonable adjustments that can be made to support autistic pupils to attend, as well as options to explore should attendance breakdown