Help Your Child Get Back to School

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I built Bia after living with phobia for 27 years. I read every piece of feedback and work every day to make it better. Please feel free to share your thoughts, feedback, and suggestions anytime. Thank you for using Bia. I am wishing you the best on your recovery journey.

Willy, Founder and Fellow in Recovery

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Avoiding school brings relief, then makes tomorrow harder

When school feels unsafe, staying home calms the fear right away. But that relief quietly teaches your child's brain that school really was dangerous, so the next morning is even harder. It's not a willpower problem. It's a cycle, and cycles can be broken.

Anxiety School feels overwhelming

Avoidance Staying home brings relief

Fear grows Going back feels even harder

Bia gently reverses the cycle. Instead of forcing or just calming, it breaks "go to school" into steps small enough that an anxious child can actually take them, teaching their brain, one win at a time, that school is safe.

Understand, practice, return

Bia is a guided exposure program. Your child climbs a personalized ladder of small steps, with short lessons, interactive activities, and calming tools along the way. You're the coach; Bia tells you exactly what to do next.

Understand

A short, gentle check-in helps you see what's driving the fear, so you finally have a name for what's happening and a place to start.

Practice

Your child climbs a personalized ladder, starting from home: write a letter to the worry, look at a photo of school, a short visit, one lesson, a half day. Each rung is small on purpose.

A step-by-step exposure ladder back to school

Return

Step by step, the brain relearns that school is safe and attendance returns. You track every win and see the progress build, week over week.

An example ladder back to school

1Write a letter to the worry, from home

2Look at a photo of school together

3Drive past school on the weekend

4Ten minutes in the playground after hours

5One lesson, then a half day

A full day back at school

Families see change, often within the first two weeks

84% of parents report a noticeable decrease in their child's anxiety within 2 weeks

86% of children report reduced fear severity using Bia

4.8 average rating from families on the App Store

Average reduction in children's anxiety severity over time using Bia

Average anxiety severity per child, week over week, while using Bia.

“Our daughter hadn't been to school in two months. After 6 weeks with Bia, she's back three days a week and making real progress. I finally feel like there's a path forward.”

Parent using Bia, school anxiety

Bia's exposure program was designed with clinical psychologist Dr. David Russ.

The fears that keep kids out of school

School refusal usually has something specific underneath it. Bia matches your child's plan to what's really driving the fear.

Fear of being sick at school

Worry about vomiting or feeling ill where they can't escape or get home.

Separation anxiety

Can't leave you, panics at drop-off, needs constant reassurance you're okay.

Panic and physical symptoms

Racing heart, stomachaches, shaking, the body sounding an alarm with no off switch.

Social fear of being judged

Terror of being looked at, called on, laughed at, or getting something wrong in front of others.

General school dread

Sunday-night fear, "sick" most mornings, calls to come home, no single obvious cause.

Not sure yet?

That's okay. The first few questions help you and Bia figure out where to start.

Heading into a 504 or IEP meeting?

Build a free, evidence-based support plan for your child's school anxiety, with a measurable goal you can print and bring to your school. No account needed.

Build a free support plan

Work with students, not just one child?

Counselors, school teams, and therapists can deliver and track Bia across many students.

Bia for schools

Frequently asked questions

Is it possible to overcome school phobia?

Yes. Research shows, recovery from phobia is possible. You don't have to settle for life with phobia.

What does it mean to overcome a phobia?

Imagine a life where phobia does not influence your decisions. Where you can go where you want, eat what you want, and do what you want without anxiety, or fear.

Can I use Bia by myself?

Yes. Bia is designed to work as a self-guided tool. It provides a personalized recovery plan, interactive lessons, and step-by-step guided exercises for practicing evidence-based recovery techniques.

Can I use Bia with a therapist?

Yes. Bia works great along side therapy. Your therapist can use our provider portal to personalize your recovery plan, assign custom exercises, and monitor your progress.

We can help you connect with a therapist near you. Get Connected

I am nervous to try it.

We built Bia to lower the barrier to the path of recovery. Bia never tricks, traps, or forces you in any way. The journey is built of small, incremental steps. You control the pace and order of your journey.

How long does it take?

Individual sessions on Bia are short and take 5 to 15 minutes. Bia builds a personalized step-by-step journey based on your unique needs, so completing the full journey is different for everyone. Typically, a journey includes over 55 exercises and 19 lessons across 9 milestones.

How much does it cost?

Bia is free to try. A subscription is required to unlock your full journey. If you are using Bia with a therapist, you may be eligible to receive Bia for free as part of your treatment. Ask your therapist today.

If you have an HSA/FSA plan, you can use it to purchase Bia by first receiving a letter of medical necessity from our partner, Flex. Use HSA/FSA

My child won't go to school at all. Is it too late for this?

No. Bia is built for exactly this. When a child is fully out of school, the ladder simply starts further back, with steps you can do entirely from home, and works toward attendance from there. The earlier you start the easier it is, but it's never too late.

Do I need a therapist or a diagnosis to use Bia?

No. Bia is designed for parents to use at home, on your own schedule, while you wait for or instead of a long waitlist. If your child is already seeing a therapist, Bia works alongside their care, and you can share progress with the school or clinician.

How much time does it take each day?

Most steps take just a few minutes. Bia tells you the one next thing to do, so you're never guessing. Small and consistent beats long and overwhelming, especially for an anxious child.

When school feels too scary for your child, there's a gentle way back.