The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint celebrates our fifth anniversary on Tuesday, March 26th. As part of the celebration, we asked a few of our volunteers to share their stories about how they became involved with AASR. Be sure to join our special live event on March 26th at 3:30 (ET). Also, please consider donating to our fifth-anniversary fundraiser so we can continue this vital work.
I first came across the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint through a post shared by Dr. Mona Delahooke online. I had just devoured her book Beyond Behaviors and was eager to continue learning from her on social media. I purchased the book in hopes of finding new ways to support and advocate for my neurodivergent children. Little did I know it would inspire a complete paradigm shift in my teaching practices.
I became a dedicated devotee of Mona, so when she shared a post from the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, I was all ears. My youngest had unfortunately experienced multiple restraints in school, so finding the community and resources the AASR offered was fortuitous timing.
I became a consumer of the AASR’s social media and found myself yelling “Yess!” on my phone as I read posts by founder and director Guy Stephens. I was drawn in by Guy’s conversational interview style in the Facebook LIVE events he hosted. His ability and dedication to “bring people along” to the work of the Alliance has inspired me to work to build bridges.
When the AASR announced a book study of Dr. Mona Delahooke’s book Brain Body Parenting, I jumped at the opportunity. I still have the screenshot I took of my face on the screen near Mona Delahooke’s on what has become our traditional last night with the author.
Each week of our four-week book study felt like coming home. It was invigorating to be with people who were making the same paradigm shifts and advocating for changes in their respective corners of the world. It was therapeutic to connect with fellow educators and parents who were experiencing the same struggles.
After participating in that first book study, I applied to become a volunteer with the AASR. I wanted to continue being a part of the important conversations that were taking place in the book studies. Not only have we read some incredible books: Brain Body Parenting by Dr. Mona Delahooke, Intentional Neuroplasticity by Dr. Lori Desautels, Building Trauma-Informed Restorative Schools by Joe Brummer, Regulation and Co-Regulation by Ginger Healy, Self-Reg by Dr. Stuart Shanker, and Just Human by Dr. Arielle Silverman with more on the way, we have also created moments of connection, community, and healing.
The connections I made in the book studies led me to apply to Butler University’s Applied Education Neuroscience program with Dr. Lori Desautels, a truly life-changing experience. I am grateful and inspired by the work that Guy Stephens, Courtney Litzinger, and my fellow volunteers at the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint are doing through community outreach, legislative actions, and beyond.
Happy five-year anniversary! Here’s to continuing our mission to make the world a safer place for our kids.
