Despite the abundance of legislation and research initiatives concerning children's participation in decision-making, there is less research in this area with regard to extended school non-attenders. Using semi-structured interviews, this research explores how the views of children and their families who have experienced school non-attendance can be incorporated into best practice within an Educational Psychology Service in the UK. Analysis of the interviews revealed the highly complex nature of school non-attendance and how the interrelating factors behind it have been somewhat lost due to the current medical approach. The rhetoric surrounding this use of the label "school refuser" was also examined.