Category: Story
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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…
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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…
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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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The Real World Myth
Recently, one of my co-workers, a shift supervisor, asked our office manager if she could order a weighted stuffed animal and a swinging chair for her office for the children we serve. Many of the children we serve are from foster care and juvenile probation. Many have experienced trauma and suffer from anxiety, and some…
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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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Stranger Danger: Restrained at Daycare
Much of what I have learned about autism over the years has been to help my son feel more comfortable and successful in a world that can feel overwhelming to him. I’ve also learned that it’s important to share our story – it’s not always easy for me to put our experiences and feelings into…
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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…
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 4)
Homeschooling always raises questions about socialization. Many of my children’s friends were other homeschooled students they met through group activities and summer camps. One of my children played varsity sport for her local high school while homeschooling, which meant she made many friends on her team. My children weren’t lonely.
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 3)
Unschooling and using standard educational materials are not mutually exclusive if the child chooses to engage with the subject matter. My family has experimented with a wide spectrum of learning tools, and different approaches seemed to work well for different children at different times. Many years ago, when I began homeschooling my children, few virtual…