-
I wish I had known then what I know now
Around 2011, I was hired to be a para at a school in Utah for disabled children with what the district termed “severe behaviors.” These were the kids, teens, and adults that special education teachers in typical schools refused to work with; many of the students were dumped at this school and effectively abandoned by…
-
An Educators Perspective: Stop restraining and secluding disabled children in the name of safety
Last summer, I wrote an article about my evolution with the impact of seclusion and restraint on children with disabilities. I am a special education teacher specializing in intensive behavior. It may or may not be surprising to some, depending on your development, that I believe that we should not be restraining or secluding children…
-
Idahoans for Safe Schools urges the State Board of Education to ban the use of seclusion, and corporal punishment
Charmaine Thaner is a special education advocate, an experienced public speaker, a parent, and a changemaker in Idaho. On December 21st, Charmaine attended an Idaho State Board of Education meeting in Boise, Idaho, to share her story and encourage the members of the Board of Education to end the use of seclusion and corporal punishment in Idaho…
-
It’s time to end seclusion in Idaho schools
Tracie Boyer is a mother and advocate in Idaho. On December 21st, she attended an Idaho State Board of Education meeting in Boise, Idaho, to share her story and encourage the members of the Board of Education to end the use of seclusion and address the issue of behaviorism in Idaho schools. What follows is…
-
The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint is looking for volunteers in Canada
We are making some progress in Canada on the issue of Seclusion and Restraint to light in recent national media and public discussion, but we need your help! We currently have only one Canadian, Chantelle Hyde, on our volunteer team. Chantelle has been working hard, meeting with public officials, and informing them about this heartbreaking…
-
Crisis Prevention Institute and the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint Announce Collaborative Initiatives
Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), the world’s leading provider of de-escalation and crisis prevention training, announces a partnership with the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR) and its founder and executive director, Guy Stephens. CPI and AASR are committed to eliminating seclusion and reducing the use of physical restraints in schools nationwide. This partnership aims to build upon CPI’s…
-
Mini-Review of Intentional Neuroplasticity, Moving our Nervous Systems and Educational System toward Post-Traumatic Growth
Dr. Lori Desautels’ previous book, Connections Over Compliance, is one of my favorites. The book addresses the roles of connection and neuroscience in the classroom. Recently, I had the opportunity to read her new and soon to be released book Intentional Neuroplasticity. This book is so much of what is needed in this moment in…
-
Support our Documentary: Restrained and Secluded in the Schoolhouse
In this full-length documentary film, we plan to raise awareness about the use of restraint and seclusion in schools nationwide. We want the audience to understand the harm of using these aversive techniques. Children, teachers, and staff are traumatized and injured, and far too many children have died due to restraint and seclusion. There is…
-
Support our mission this Giving Tuesday
This Giving Tuesday, there are several ways you can support the work of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. Your contribution is more than just a donation; it helps us create safer schools for students, teachers, and staff. Your donation helps us promote a trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned, relationship-driven approach to supporting all children. We can and…
-
Isolated in Vermont: Trauma lasts a lifetime
I want to preface this by explaining that I only write this anonymously because I don’t want colleges or future employers to look my name up and read about my childhood trauma. I attended kindergarten through 4th grade in a Vermont Public School. I am now in High School. Last year a letter was written…
