There is Another Way: A Response to the National Debate on the Use of Seclusion and Restraint
The Beach Center on Disability operating as a National Center of Support for families and schools is focused on improving outcomes for children. A recent report published by the United States Government Accountability Office on May 19, 2009 indicates that hundreds of cases of abuse and death have occurred due to the use of seclusion and restraint on children attending our nations public schools.
In response, researchers, practitioners, families and advocates at the Beach Center on Disability would like to propose a multi-tiered approach to eliminating seclusion and restraint in schools except in emergency situations where the health or safety of the student or other persons are at imminent risk. The approach is founded in ongoing research and practice on Behavioral Response to Intervention (also called Positive Behavior Support). This evidence-based system of interventions integrates both behavioral and academic measurements and interventions. It is a fully integrated behavior/academic risk prevention system characterized by decision rules for matching interventions to measured student need, with fidelity of application at each level of engagement. Such an integrated RTI model offers the distinct advantage of bringing general and special educators together to pursue a common agenda of matching resources and professional expertise to identified student need (all students) on the basis of scientific data.
Behavioral Response to Intervention offers proactive interventions and strategies to school personnel. We illustrate the Behavioral Response to Intervention below.
For too long educators have been asked to support children with many needs without the necessary support. As such, the Beach Center on Disability, offers the following course of immediate action:
- Training and Technical Assistance: given the needs of educators we recommend comprehensive training and technical assistance be made available for school personnel and families supporting children with behavioral needs.
- Federal Regulation: presently there are no federal regulations regarding the use of seclusion and restraint in schools. The GAO spurred a much needed national dialogue on a serious national issue. Therefore, we recommend a continued policy discussion including educators, families, advocates and attorneys resulting in clear guidelines and regulations.
- Terminology: currently the use of words seclusion and restraint concurrently results in future policy and practice addressing both as synonymous interventions. These two practices are distinct and require specific guidelines regarding their minimization or elimination. Therefore, we recommend that seclusion and restraint are both addressed as separate and distinct practices with serious implications for children.
- Accountability: Many State Education Agencies and Local Education Agencies have been inconsistent or remiss in developing and implementing policies and practices to govern school personnel regarding seclusion and restraint. Therefore, we recommend SEAs immediately adopt policies, procedures and guidelines to address student needs proactively in accordance with evidence-based practice.
For further reading on this topic please see:
Sailor, W. (2009).
Making RTI work. How smart schools are reforming education through schoolwide RTI. New York: Jossey-Bass.
Sailor, W., Doolittle, J., Bradley, R., & Danielson, L. (2008). Response to intervention and positive behavior support. In M. Roberts (Series Ed.) & W. Sailor, G. Dunlap, G. Sugai, & R. Horner (Vol. Eds.),
Issues in clinical child psychology. Handbook of positive behavior support (pp. 729-754). New York: Springer.