Restraint and Seclusion in Schools
House Holds Hearing and GAO Issues Report
On May 19, 2009, the House of Representatives Education and Labor
Committee held a hearing, Examining the Abusive and Deadly Use of Seclusion and Restraint
in Schools. The hearing complemented a General
Accountability Office (GAO) report, Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private
Schools and Treatment Centers,
also issued on May 19.
The GAO report
validates the facts and circumstances surrounding ten selected cases of
restraint and seclusion in U.S. schools. At the hearing, Gregory D.
Kutz highlighted three of the cases, including the case of Christopher.
A nine-year old male diagnosed with AD/HD, Christopher was reportedly
secluded in a time-out room more than 75 times during a six-month period
for such behaviors as making noises, chewing on his shirt, and fidgeting
in class. Although the room was not locked, staff repeatedly held its
door shut.
Currently, there is no federal law that governs the
use of restraint and seclusion in schools. Chairman George Miller (D-CA)
stated affirmatively that keeping children safe “is not a partisan
issue, but a moral issue.” To work to address these issues in
collaboration with sister national organizations, CHADD recently joined
the Alliance
to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion.
Posted May 22, 2009
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