As child mental health professionals, we've all experienced some version of the same conversation. You've completed a comprehensive evaluation. The assessment data are clear. The conclusions are supported by multiple sources of information. You've carefully prepared evidence-based recommendations and explained them in a way that feels thoughtful and accessible.

Then the parent responds:

"Are you sure it's ADHD?"

"Do we really need therapy?"

"Will they grow out of it?"

As the school year winds down, educators and mental health professionals often feel both relief and urgency—especially when supporting students struggling with school refusal. While summer offers a break from daily attendance challenges, it also presents a critical window for intervention. Without intentional support, progress can quickly fade. With thoughtful planning, however, summer can help build skills, reduce anxiety, and support a smoother return in the fall.

Every spring, schools shift into a familiar—but often stressful—gear: testing season. Schedules change, expectations rise, and classrooms can start to feel more like pressure cookers than places of learning. For many students, this time of year brings a noticeable increase in stress, irritability, and self-doubt. For child mental health professionals, it’s also a powerful opportunity to step in with support that is both practical and preventative.

On paper, both exposure therapy and relaxation techniques are considered evidence‑based interventions. In practice, however, they serve fundamentally different therapeutic functions. Confusing those functions can stall treatment and inadvertently reinforce the very mechanisms maintaining anxiety. This article is a roadmap for clinical discernment: how to know when to use what intervention.