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Can Religious Beliefs Protect Your Child from Restraint and Seclusion?
We have also introduced what we’re calling the “Student Rights Card,” a pocket-sized document that declares one’s deeply held belief in bodily inviolability and asserts one’s religious exemption from physical punishment. Students can carry this card in school and show it to any faculty member who threatens to violate their rights through corporal punishment, seclusion,…
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How Do We Teach People Better Ways of Preventing Behavioral Escalations in Classrooms?
You may have seen the comments on a recent Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint social media post about seclusion rooms. We saw many responses to that post. Some of the responses to the post were troubling, some from people who genuinely don’t know how to keep all children safe, and others looking for meaningful dialogue…
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Creating a Culture of Belonging with Affect Imagery
We are all prewired with a need for connection and belonging. From the moment we enter any given space, our nervous systems scan the environment for the presence of threats and the existence of connection. The absence of connection often creates feelings of fear, isolation, and pain, all of which are conditions that make learning…
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Wrong Way Wisconsin: We Should Not Use Deadly Force for Classroom Disruptions
On October 23rd, a bill (SB 542) was introduced in the Wisconsin Senate that is quite concerning. The bill was introduced by Senators Rachael Cabral-Guevara, Duey Stroebel, and Cory Tomczyk and cosponsored by Representatives Gustafson, Murphy, O’Connor, Schmidt, Brandtjen, and Moses. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Education. The purpose of the bill…
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Point and Level Systems: Misguided, Ineffective, Discriminatory, and Potentially Illegal
Point and level systems are another (misguided) tool in the behaviorist toolkit. The point and level system approach seems to have evolved from the idea of token economies based on B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning principles. A point and level system is a behavioral management approach often used by educators in programs for students who exhibit behaviors of…
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The Six C’s Approach to See Children Differently
Individuals with neurodivergent brains have different experiences. Neurodivergent brains learn differently, think differently, and exist in the world differently. These differences can challenge the neurodivergent individual when trying to learn, thrive, and live in an environment not designed for them and their unique needs. This different way of being in the world can create experiences…
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Please Stop Publicizing Classroom Disruptions
I have been concerned about a trend on social media for a while. I haven’t written about it because while I knew where I stood philosophically, I have been trying to understand how people who are probably well-intended people could be participating in this behavior. I know you have seen videos and pictures of large…
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Restraint, Seclusion, and Corporal Punishment: A No Consent Letter
The use of restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment has become more common practices when responding to disability-related behaviors within school settings. A “No Consent” letter is a written document that states you, as a parent or guardian, do not consent to the school’s use of restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment in response to your child’s…
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Behaviors Charts: Helpful Strategy or Harmful Practice?
We have many thoughts and ideas about behavior charts, most of which would not surprise our long-time readers. While perhaps well-intentioned, behavior charts can cause anxiety, shame, a loss of intrinsic motivation and can increase stress behaviors. I remember the frustration behavior charts caused my son and our family. He would come home from school…
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Unpacking “Do your best”: More Than Just Three Words
From a learning and brain science standpoint, “do your best” is a complex directive. The all too common classroom expectation of “do my best” is a staple in many classrooms. Yet, from perspectives grounded in learning science and brain mechanics, “do my best” is far from straightforward or clear, especially for neurodivergent learners.
