DOE To Set Guidelines On Student Restraint, Seclusion

The U.S. Department of Education said last week that it will administer guidelines by this fall regarding the use of restraint and seclusion when dealing with student behavior.

The measures are used in schools with the intention of protecting students from harming themselves and their peers. Alexa Posny, the DOE's special education official, explained to a federal autism advisory committee why the guidelines are necessary, Disability Scoop reports:

"There are no federal regulations that exist, so it makes it very hard for us at the Department of Education to go out and say you can and can't do this," Posny told the safety subcommittee of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. "We have no role in enforcement at this point."

Some states and schools already make their own rules. Last week, Palm Beach County School District in Florida said prone restraint techniques, in which a student is held face-down, can only be used as a last resort, the Palm Beach Post reports. Parents and activists who oppose the measure say prone restraint causes injury and mental trauma to to kids:

"The act of restraining a child face down on the floor is dehumanizing," said Karen Holme of Wellington.

Many in the district want the practice banned completely, but the board wouldn't go that far, according to the Post.

"I agree that obviously if we can eliminate the use of prone restraint that's the way we should go," board Chairman Frank Barbieri said. "How do you safely restrain a 150 pound student who outweighs the teacher by 50 pounds?"

Education Week reported last month that U.S. Representatives reintroduced a bill that would limit physical restraint and locked seclusion. It passed in the House but not the Senate.

Flickr photo by Will Fuller.

Comments

[CarmanK]

01:53 AM on 05/31/2011

This is wrong no matter you cut it. Children with special needs that are not suited to "mainstreaming" should not be in the general classroom. It is unfair to rob children of their education in order to satisfy the needs of a few who are uncontrollable. It is also very unfair to a teacher to be put in that circumstance. Discipline is difficult for any child, but physical restraint puts a teacher in jeopardy of injury on the job and school districts are open to "unlawful imprisonment" law suits. Honestly, there is so much of our public school systems that have been corrupted and robbed of common sense in dealing with children.

[GlennWatson]

04:35 PM on 05/30/2011

The problem is not just special ed kids. Way too many normal kids also become violent and disruptive on a regular basis

[Susan99]

11:26 PM on 05/29/2011

Having spent time involved in and observing these needed measures... they are being done with high levels of professionalism.

I've received my share of hits, kicks, bites, etc. Never once did I consider pressing charges because we are there to help the student through the crisis.

Get rid of physical interventions... ok, we'll continue to do our best, but then 911 is on the table and I'll be considering pressing charges; I'm not a punching bag.

[El Chingaso]

10:42 PM on 05/29/2011

Us taxpayers out here don't need pay double, if not triple, for government bureaucrats at the local and federal levels to implement proper student restraint procedures. Local school districts should at least be competent enough to perform this function when the need arises. It's not that complicated, folks...

[am10]

08:32 PM on 05/29/2011

Whatever it takes to protect the other children and adults is fine with me. While autistic kids have never really been a problem in my kids' schools, I do recall a woman I worked with who was suing her school system over her son's restraining. She honestly believed that when her child had an outburst, he should have been able to let it run its course.

[williamg]

08:11 PM on 05/29/2011

My ex-girlfriend is a teacher in the NYC school system. When she first began she had the 'nerve' to tell her student to stop talking, and the student threw a desk at her.

She was sure the student would be expelled from the school, but the principle told her, after a talk with the student's parent, that not only would the student not be expelled, but would be suspended, or even get detention. Even more, she told my ex that the student would be allowed back in her class.

Pretty messed up.

[GlennWatson]

04:31 PM on 05/30/2011

Messed up but very common. And these are the same principals that want the power to fire whatever teacher's they don't like.

[Hlynn]

02:30 PM on 05/29/2011

This isn't only about children with autism. As a special ed teacher, I've had to physically restrain children with autism and children with behavioral disorders. Of course we try to avoid escalation but it isn't always possible, and sometimes children arrive at school violent either on the bus or from their families so we have no time to de-escalate.

We were taught to work as a team to carefully restrain a child from hurting self or others. We were taught to restrain quickly and methodically and get the child to the floor because that is the safest place for an out of control child, other students, and the school staff. It is a team effort, not one person tossing a child to the floor; it is very controlled, people have been trained, and there is a person documenting actions and words while it's happening. The child's head is turned to the side for ease of breathing, cushioned so she or he can't bang it on the floor, and the arms and legs are held firmly, but not tightly. We always clear the room ahead of time to prevent embarrassment and give the child privacy from peers to de-escalate, become calm, and debrief before continuing with their day. Parents are always notified immediately and a report is filled out.

This is not a common occurrence, but when it is necessary it helps prevent a worse situation from happening.

[armstrong st]

02:08 PM on 05/29/2011

There should definitely be federal regulations applied to all educational establishments. If a college devises its own methods, these methods might be harmful.

Steve from www.essaytask.com

[gopmommy]

12:36 PM on 05/29/2011

So sad that we've come to this. The effect liberalism has had on parenting has made it so kids are THIS out of control. Pathetic.

[trinity]

04:24 PM on 05/29/2011

Uh no... a lot of these children have a disability, including Autism that causes them to have physical outbursts that may cause harm to themselves or other children. Most special education teachers have been trained for years in proper restraining techniques...

[GlennWatson]

04:33 PM on 05/30/2011

And a lot, even most, don't have disorders. They are just bad bad kids.

[williamg]

08:12 PM on 05/29/2011

Amazing that you are pathetic enough to politicize a situation involving autistic students.

Shame on you.

[gopmommy]

08:54 PM on 05/29/2011

I AM a teacher, I never mentioned anything about kids who have little control over their emotions or have disabilities/special exceptions as I understand that they shouldn't be looked down upon for something they cannot control. I have a special needs child myself (she's 4)-I get it. My point is in mainstream class there are kids whose parents literally come to the school and demand my coworkers get write ups when their child gets a detention THEY DESERVE. They defend their kids to the break of dawn, excuse all bad behavior, cuss out us teachers when we try to enforce class rules, the kids are rude and disruptive because they have ZERO respect for authority (or anyone) and we are *shocked* that these kids are literally uncontrollable. This attachmenty parenting stuff that is so pervasive now is ruining kids. I see it every. single. day.

[Kriol Kidd]

12:05 PM on 05/29/2011

Putting your hands on another persons child is one thing, but I thank my mom everyday that she believed in harsh punishment. I would much rather learn a hard lesson as a child then as an adult.

[lonewolfwisconsin]

11:34 AM on 05/29/2011

OK,... here we go....
I have been a Sub-Teacher at a High School the past two school years.
I don't believe you can/should harm a student in any way.
I got wacked with a paddle in High School 1969-1973.
We took away the Paddle in the 1980's, but we did not replace it with anything.
Add this to the way today's kids a Spoiled, cell phones at 10, and Defensive Parents....
...and it is a recipie for what we have today. The students will cuss, spit, threaten to hit you,
and then say to your face in front of the entire class: "There's nothing you can do about it"
This past April an 11th graded said to my face: "Suck My C...."
I told the Principal it was my last day. Parents have no idea how their kids act in school.
So,... if these are the facts, what do we do...? Three Strikes and your out? Juvenile Hall?

[Bruce Wilson]

04:16 PM on 06/01/2011

If this is an example of how you (ab)use the English language, I'm very glad you are no longer a teacher.

[truegroundspeed]

11:27 AM on 05/29/2011

Having limited experience in the hallway environs of the urban secondary school, If you TOUCH the student you may lose a limb or you life. They will very likely be back in the classroom before you get out of the hospital. People at the bottom of the food chain are in a poor position to impose a "restraint".

[Spencer W Kimball]

11:21 AM on 05/29/2011

It's better that teachers be trained with restraint techniques, and understand proper escalation protocols than it is to have them fail and have the "resource officer" (euphemism for "police" stationed in schools in my community) come in with their option for lethality. There are times when "face-down" restraint is absolutely appropriate (i.e. the child is biting, spitting, knocking with head, etc). It's not fair to teachers to risk personal injury. If the result is the teacher calls for the police to restrain, then inevitably lethal force will be used more often.

The police are a pretty blunt instrument. Perhaps they are needed in some communities. Isn't option and actual of use of lethal force in the schools is the ultimate in "dehumanization?"

I vote for teachers who are properly trained in non-lethal escalation techniques.

[labman]

11:32 AM on 05/29/2011

I fully agree with you. Several years ago, I rode with a volunteer ambulance service. Part of the training was transporting combative or mentally unstable patients. They were always strapped face down on the Roll away, for their protection as well as ours. A person or patient that is in the prone position has a more difficult time lashing out than a person that is supine.

[Gary Crum]

12:22 PM on 05/29/2011

well stated, physical restraint is an extreme measure for extreme circumstances...but, as you note, those extreme circumstances to arise in our public schools and it's important that a)teachers have the knowledge and skill to apply such restraint and b) have the administrative support to apply such techniques when they judge them necessary.

An issue I've not seen raised in this discussion tread, involves the ability to physically restrain a student. Over my 28 years of teaching/counseling disturbed kids, I've used physical restraint numerous times. However, I'm 6'2" and weight 200 pounds. Often the teachers faced with a situation requiring such restraint simply can'd physically do it. Schools need a protocol to get help (like from the "larger" teacher nest door) immediately to deal with such circumstances. And, you're right, I always used a "prone" restraint to avoid being kicked, hit, scratched, bitten or spit on. I was well-trained and never physically injured a student was never injured myself..

Restraint is an unpleasant experience for everyone involved, but it beats the alternative...a student injuring him/herself or others.

[breakingpoint]

11:14 AM on 05/29/2011

anyone save the comment I posted that flagged by ignorant people and then was deleted?

you can bury your head in the sand people, but nothing's going to change until you end poverty and fund education properly.

course that request is pie in the sky.

[williamg]

08:14 PM on 05/29/2011

First off, education is funded very well. We spend more than all but 2 countries on education, yet we rank in the 20s and 30s in math, reading and science.

Funding isn't the issue.

[Cougar90210]

10:28 PM on 05/29/2011

If you're talking about the ignorant reply you made to me, ef_wad, I didn't flag your pitiable little response, so someone else evidently found it to be simple minded and insulting. If you had even one little clue about anything you are ranting about, it might be different, and someone might listen to you. But you are an insulting, egomaniacal, little person, and NO ONE wants to listen to the likes of you. Have a great life wherever it may be you reside. As for me, I'll continue to enjoy life in "the sticks" as you so quaintly put it.

[tnlcallen]

10:48 AM on 05/29/2011

If a student needs to be restrained, then things have gotten so badly out of hand already. I say let the teachers do what they need to do to get the situation under control. The last thing they need to worry about is whether the student's face is down on the floor or not.