Letting Go of Restraint and Seclusion
I was invited to join the Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition (WAARC) in April of this year to discuss the impact of trauma associated with the use of restraint... Read more.
How proper support and a service dog named Koko helped Mason
Back in the day, I would usually start my IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings with a statement like, "Restraint should be the last resort, or things... Read more.
Moving From Nervous System States of Protection to the Nervous System States of Growth
In 1988, Dr. Nicholas Long founded Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) Institute in order to train professionals in effective, strength-based approaches to working... Read more.
An unsafe place for Jane
Growing up, I lived in a very unstable, violent home. I spent too many nights hiding in my bedroom as I listened to fighting in the other room. I know domestic violence... Read more.
The memories will haunt me
I have been on multiple adolescent inpatient psychiatric units and, as a result, have seen the use of seclusion and restraint. I will forever live with the memories... Read more.
Don’t punish us for being autistic
Schools punishing students with autism for running (elopement) is sad. I was a runner when young. Please know that it is not to misbehave, but rather to escape the... Read more.
Our Road to Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)
When I think back to the long road that we've been down when it comes to augmentative and alternative communication and using an AAC device, it's unreal. When a... Read more.
Abused and unable to tell your parents
Imagine being unable to talk for a single day. Unable to express your needs. You can’t write or text. Stop reading this and take 30 seconds to truly grasp how... Read more.
No laws in Nebraska, leads to abuse of seclusion and restraint
Our nation's schools use seclusion rooms for students as young as five-years old. They don't call them that of course. It doesn't sound nice to call them what they... Read more.
The healing power of cooking
Our son Cole was born fifteen years ago with Down syndrome, and I often say that when he came into this world, he flipped our world upside down in the best possible... Read more.