Five year old child refusing to go to school, hardly eating, having nightmares, does she need a psychologist, what to do?

School Refusal: Your 5-year-old is extremely distressed but you don't know why. I would recommend seeking out expert help - like a clinical child psychologist trained to do this very kind of detective work. I would urge you to get your child in to see one right away, as well as to alert the school of these behaviors. Without knowing what's going on, i wouldn't want to see you push your child to attend school.

School phobia: Many young children experience separation anxiety, which can be more pronounced when they have to go to school. I would work with the school psychologist and classroom teacher to see if they could ease her anxieties and help her integrate into the classroom. If the problem persists, I would suggest finding a child psychologist the school has worked with and who they recommend.