What does your state allow when it comes to physically restraining or secluding a child at school? What practices are prohibited? When must a school notify a parent, and what information must be documented after an incident?
These are questions families should be able to answer without spending hours searching government websites and trying to make sense of complicated legal language. When you are concerned about your child’s safety, finding basic information should not be another barrier to getting help.
I am excited to share a new resource from the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint that will make this information easier to find. Our State Laws and Regulations on Restraint and Seclusion in Schools application brings together information from all 50 states and the District of Columbia in one place. The tool covers physical restraint, mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment, helping families, educators, advocates, and policymakers explore the protections in their state and compare them across the country.
We created this resource to support people seeking answers and working for change.
Finding information about your state
The website offers several ways to get started. You can explore an interactive map, browse a table of states, or search by state. The homepage also provides an overview of how states address several practices, including seclusion, prone restraint, supine restraint, mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and corporal punishment.
This makes it easier to see differences across the country. It also helps identify where you may need to look more closely. A summary can provide a useful starting point, but the details of a law matter.
The state pages organize information into sections that address practical questions families and educators may have. Each state page includes:
- Definitions: How the state defines restraint, seclusion, and related practices.
- Criteria for use: The circumstances and conditions for using these practices.
- Notifications and reporting: Parent notification requirements, incident documentation, and annual reporting information.
- Scope of coverage: The school settings covered.
- Training requirements: Requirements for school personnel.
- Links and notes: Resources for further research.
The information available will vary by state. These sections help readers move beyond whether a practice is listed as banned and begin examining the requirements, exceptions, and limitations that may apply.
For a parent preparing for a school meeting, this can help identify questions to ask. For an educator reviewing school procedures, it can provide a starting point for understanding state requirements. For an advocate, it can help reveal gaps that need attention.
Looking across the country
You can also search by practice to explore how states address seclusion, prone restraint, supine restraint, chemical restraint, and corporal punishment. This view groups states by whether a practice is listed as banned, not banned, or subject to partial or limited prohibitions.
Being able to examine these differences is valuable. Advocates can identify states to study when developing proposals for stronger protections. Policymakers can explore how other states have approached an issue. Families can better understand how the protections in their state compare with those elsewhere.
The labels are a starting point for that work. “Not banned” should not be read as permission to use a practice without restrictions. A partial prohibition may have important exceptions or apply only to particular students or settings. Readers should open the state details and review the relevant sources to understand the full context.
Turning information into advocacy
Our hope is that this resource will help people feel more prepared to ask questions, participate in conversations, and advocate for safer schools.
A family might use it to explore what notification or documentation requirements apply after an incident. An advocate might use it to identify a gap in state protections and begin a conversation with a legislator. A school leader might use it to review existing procedures and consider where stronger safeguards are needed.
Understanding the law is one part of this work. We must also ask whether our policies and practices reflect the schools we want for our children.
Our goal at AASR is to reduce and eliminate restraint and seclusion and advance approaches that are trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned, neurodiversity-affirming, relationship-driven, and collaborative. We want children to be safe, understood, and supported. We want educators to have the training, resources, and support to prevent crises and respond to distress with compassion.
Making legal information more accessible can support that greater effort. It gives people a place to begin and a resource to bring into conversations about accountability and change.
Thank you to the people who made this possible
This project became a reality because volunteers and staff contributed their time, efforts, and commitment.
I want to personally thank Courtney Litzinger, Samantha Patterson, Sarah Johnston-Waugh, Cassie Atallah, Emily LaMarca, and Lyzette Turner. I am grateful for your contributions and for helping us make this resource available to our community.
Much of the work behind a project like this happens out of view. The result, however, can make a meaningful difference for someone searching for answers. Thank you for being part of this effort.
Explore the tool and share it
I encourage you to visit the new application, look up your state, and explore the information available. Share it with families, educators, advocates, school leaders, and legislators who could benefit from it.
As the website explains, the information was initially collected from public government websites in 2026. Laws and regulations can change, and updates may not appear immediately. Review the underlying sources when using the information for a specific situation. If you find something incorrect or outdated, please let us know at info@endseclusion.org.
Every child deserves a school where their safety and dignity are protected. I hope this tool helps more people find answers, recognize where change is needed, and take the next step toward making that a reality.
We can and must do better.
