Category: People
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Restorative Justice and Socioemotional Development in Children and Adolescents
Restorative justice has become increasingly important in educational and youth-centered settings because of the focus on healing relationships, promoting accountability, and encouraging empathy rather than relying solely on punishment. In schools and juvenile justice programs, restorative practices are often used to reduce harmful behavior, strengthen communication, and create emotionally supportive environments for children and adolescents.…
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The Power of “I Don’t Know That I Don’t Know”: How Authenticity in a Chaotic Moment Created Inconvenience and Expansion
In our tiny slices of reality, which are completely unique to us and created by our programming and experiences, we bump up against what we label as problems or challenges. We believe that our current reality is something that is fixed. We tighten into the triggers and divert up to our intellect to figure it…
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In the Midst of a Trigger, our Signals Dance: An Adoptive Mother’s Journey
On my journey as an adoptive mother, I have had the honor of being challenged beyond my own limiting beliefs, values, and attitudes about myself and my world. In the absolute joy that comes with parenting, I have also met my edges where strategies and knowledge made zero difference. Those precious moments showed up in…
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How Martial Arts Can Help Those Who Have Experienced Exclusion, Bullying, Seclusion & Restraint
As a child growing up in the mid-1960s, I became the product of early private school education, an experience that no doubt changed me for years to come. For as long as I can remember, I was always a very shy and timid kid, even well into my early 20’s. It is unclear if I…
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Colorado Department of Education Asked for Input on Restraint and Seclusion. Then It Chose the Status Quo
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) recently invited public comment on draft rules for the Administration of the Protection of Students from Restraint and Seclusion Act (RSA), and the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR) submitted detailed feedback grounded in federal guidance, neuroscience, and lived experience. In its written summary of comments and responses, CDE…
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Colorado Department of Education Wants Feedback on Restraint and Seclusion Rules: I Shared My Thoughts, and You Should Too
Recently, the Colorado Department of Education Asked for Feedback on Rules for the Administration of the Protection of Students from Restraint and Seclusion Act (RSA). As a parent of a child enrolled in a Colorado school, I know the harm caused by the use of physical restraint and seclusion, so I decided to answer the…
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Counting the Costs: How School Trauma Impacts the Entire Family
When we discuss school trauma, we often confine it to the child, a single incident or outburst filed away. Yet, this trauma rarely stays contained. It spreads, infiltrating the family’s entire world: the home, the marriage, the siblings, the finances, and the very identity of the parents. I learned this painful truth firsthand. My autistic…
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Sweet Support: Keystone RV Hosts Cookie Walk to Benefit AASR
The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint is thrilled to share a heartwarming example of community generosity from our friends at Keystone RV in Indiana. On Friday, December 12th, employees from the company’s customer service department held a Cookie Walk fundraiser to support our mission—and it was a huge success! With an incredible display of teamwork…
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Punitive School Discipline and Its Public Health Implications: A Literature Review
Childhood is the developmental stage during which the foundation for an individual’s identity, personality, and self-regulation skills is established (Montroy et al., 2016). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that can profoundly shape development, both physiologically and psychologically (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). The majority of the existing literature surrounding childhood…
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The Illusion of “Play-Based ABA”: The Gentle Mask of Control
One of the newest rebrands of Applied Behavior Analysis is “play-based ABA.” At first glance, it looks comforting to parents and teachers who may have heard critiques of traditional ABA. Instead of a child sitting at a table with flashcards, they’re on the floor with toys, building towers, pretending with dolls, or rolling cars back…