Two years after Iowa implemented rules restricting the use of restraint and seclusion tactics in schools, compliance remains elusive.
According to state records, teachers in at least three Iowa school districts have violated the rules, which limit the types of restraint allowed and circumstances in which they can be used. What’s more, the 2008 rules restrict the amount of time students can be confined to a so-called “time-out room” and specifically prohibit restraint or seclusion from being used as a form of punishment, among other issues.
Since the new rules took effect, a student with disabilities was strapped to his chair with a seatbelt in one case because his aides were gone. In another instance a student was dragged across a carpeted floor to a time-out room and in a third circumstance a teacher used physical means to punish a student for being disruptive. (Read all of Disability Scoop’s coverage of restraint and seclusion >>)
Advocates say the incidents are evidence that teachers need more training, reports The Des Moines Register. To read more click here.
Across the country, most states have rules governing the use of restraint and seclusion in schools, but they vary greatly. Currently, a bill is under consideration in Congress to establish national guidelines. The measure was approved earlier this year in the House of Representatives, but would need to pass through the Senate and be signed by the president in order to become law.
The article also pointed out that while physical abuse was documented in addition to overall misuse of restraints and seclusion, nobody was disciplined for the abuse. Fact is, professionals in the disability abuse field are quite clear in saying that staff development alone is insufficient: there must be heavy staff supervision and prompt application of sanctions to those who violate restraint and seclusion laws and regulations. Neither the proposed federal restraints and seclusion law nor the Iowa state ed. dept. require or apply sanctions to violators. Therefore, there is no reason to assume that abuse will decrease. The only probably change will be that instances of such abuse are even more heavily covered up than in the past.
The laws need to be passed and upheld. We need more audio/visual cameras to be placed in buildings and when parents suspect abuse they need to follow up immediately. When your child comes home with bruises, cuts, abrasions and burns you need to photograph and go to the doctor then police.
Nothing will ever change until schools/teachers/aids are actually charged with abuse. It has nothing to do with training. They know they are doing harm. Just like the obese aid that laid on top of a small child and that child died. The only other reason it could be is that these teachers/aids are just extremely low educated morons. So either they know what they are doing or they are just plain stupid. Special education schools have become a hot spot for abuse. All the money in the world is not going to change that unless parents just say no more and take all their kids out of school including the normal ones. A lot of money is being wasted on these so called special ed places and whats to show for it.
Sincerely,
mom of severe cerebral palsy child that took her child out of montcalm (greenville, mi) schools because they were just not to bright.