Category: Seclusion
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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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Elizabeth’s Story: You can’t be trauma-informed and cause trauma
Having a child with a disability or special needs comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. But for some of us parents, there is another looming fear, which is the fear that your child will be seriously injured or killed at school through the use of restraint or seclusion. In Pennsylvania, the PA…
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There is No Shame in Growth
My very first job post-college was working in a residential center. The entire agency served kids across the spectrum. There was a locked subacute facility, a locked longer-term placement, a transition placement, and my cottage or “unit.” We had girls ranging in age, and our building was not locked. I applied for the position, not…
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A Last Resort?
Today, I want to share a more typical example of what we see leading to the use of restraint and seclusion – noncompliance. First, a trigger warning: what you are about to read will be difficult and upsetting. We will review an actual report, which we redacted to protect the victim’s identity. The report we…
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Why Restraint and Seclusion Should Be Federally Regulated
Federal data indicates in the United States, upwards of 100,000 students are restrained and secluded (R&S) every year in public schools. The purpose of R&S is to manage disruptive behavior and is intended to be used in situations that involve imminent danger of serious physical harm to the individual or others.
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I am a Disruptor
Some of you who have read my previous posts or listened to my live presentation may not be surprised, but I am no longer working in K12 education for the district in my county; this is not by choice. During my live event, Guy Stephens, founder, and director of Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, referred…
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Myths Behind Restraint and Seclusion – A Literature Review
Federal data indicates that in the United States upwards of 100,000 students are restrained and secluded (R&S) every year in public schools (Kim, 2022). The OCR defines restraint as the act of, “restricting the student’s ability to move his or her torso, arms, legs or head freely” (Office of Civil Rights, 2016) which includes restriction…
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Persistence in Advocacy: Shattering the Culture of Silence
From the moment I joined Brookside Primary School in the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD), I was deeply troubled by the distressing daily ritual of restraining and forcibly dragging students to the seclusion room. As an educator, I found the courage to express my concerns to the administrators, hoping for a resolution. Regrettably, those…
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Supporting Youth in Residential Care: Healing Through Relational Safety
Residential care for youth in the child welfare system is one of the longest-existing systems of care in the United States. Residential programs in the US offer systems of caring professionals that support youth that have been removed from their homes for a variety of reasons, most through no fault of their own. Youth in…