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 became involved with AASR in 2023 after my son, who was eight at the time, had been subjected to numerous restraints in his special education class. Someone had mentioned the Alliance to me in a comment on a Facebook post, and I sent a message to Guy Stephens. Within a couple of hours, he responded with, “I would be happy to schedule a call with you.” I didn’t follow up until a few months later when my school district was unwilling to change my son’s placement. In a desperate attempt to keep my child from continuing to be traumatized, I pulled him out of school and reached out to Guy again. This time, we set up a Zoom meeting to talk about what we were experiencing.

First and foremost, the fact that Guy met with us personally says a lot about the organization. I was so thankful to have a conversation with a parent who understood not only the struggles my child was facing but also agreed with the fact that the use of isolation and restraint was harmful to children.

After speaking with Guy and finding the AASR website to be a wealth of resources and information, I knew I wanted to be a part of an organization that could change the way our society views children like mine. I have found the Alliance to be, without a doubt, the most supportive group of people I have ever encountered.

I will forever be grateful for the guidance and support that Guy Stephens and the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint have provided to me and my family.