Category: Restraint
-
Impact of Seclusion and Restraint on Post High School Outcomes
As an attorney practicing in the areas of education and discrimination, seclusion and restraint in schools are a particularly concerning problem. Data suggests that these tactics are often used in a discriminatory manner and negatively impact students’ legal right to access the educational environment. For these reasons, I have been searching for information on the…
-
Who Do You Need To Hear It From Before You Believe It?
As parents, no matter what the situation, we are supposed to be advocates for our children. That’s a given. One phrase I hear often from professionals – I refer to any school staff, social workers, physicians, etc. as “professionals” – is “You know your child best.” But is that just a saying, or does that…
-
Support SB 483 Banning Dangerous Restraint Technique on Students
It is time to ban prone restraint in schools in California. SB 483 would prohibit the use of “prone restraint,” which physically or mechanically restrains students in a face-down position. We need your help to keep this legislation moving. The first stop is the Senate Education Committee. Please consider sending a letter to members of…
-
A Letter to the Jordan School District in Utah
According to Jordan School District policy, restraint and seclusion are emergency safety interventions that should only be used when a student’s behavior poses an imminent danger of serious physical harm to self or others. The phrase “imminent danger of serious physical harm” is critical as it is the criteria under which your policy states that…
-
The Lost Years of “Treatment”
My experience in the troubled teen industry began when I was 12 years old and was unnecessarily sent to rehab. There, I was regularly interrogated and pressured into admitting to drug use and forced to identify as an “addict.” Despite knowing that I didn’t belong there initially, with everyone around me telling me otherwise and…
-
In Alice’s Own Words
“I’m a female human child,” Alice proclaims as I strap her into her car seat after her first day of school. Seven and a half years into my parenting journey, I still don’t always fully comprehend the impact of Alice’s words when I hear them. She is minimally or unreliably speaking and often uses an…
-
Students with Disabilities Have as Much Right to be in Public Schools as Non-disabled Students
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees every individual is allowed equal protection and due process of Federal and state rights. Yep, even children. Public school is either local or state-controlled. Public school is a public service program. It is the same as public sidewalks, meaning all citizens are allowed equal access to and…
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…