How do schools restrain, seclude children? Idaho Department of Education wants to know
The Idaho State Department of Education is surveying school districts across the state about their use of restraint and seclusion, following a Statesman investigation into the practice.
The survey — which was sent to special education directors at school districts and charter schools — is meant to give the department more information about how schools use the aversive techniques, what kind of training staff members have on de-escalation and how these instances are documented. The survey specifically concerns special education programs and students.
The survey comes after an Idaho Statesman investigation revealed children across the state experienced physical injuries and trauma after being restrained and secluded in school. Restraint is the practice of reducing a student’s ability to move their body freely, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Seclusion is when a student is involuntarily put in a room or area alone and can’t leave.
One mother told the Statesman her son slept on the floor next to her bed for more than a year after he was secluded. Others said their children came home from school with bruises on their bodies. Parents said they weren’t always informed after their child was restrained or secluded.
Charlie Silva, special education director at the State Department of Education, cited the article during a webinar last month for special education directors, intended to “address concerns outlined in recent news articles” and discuss discipline procedures and guidelines.
“We never, ever want to put a child in harm’s way and we need to collectively work on how to address and work with students who again may be exhibiting some problematic behavior,” Silva said.
At the end of the webinar, she said the survey would help the department understand the issue more broadly. It isn’t meant to be a “gotcha” for schools, she said, but is a way for top officials to learn more about what’s happening in schools and what resources districts need to prevent the use of restraint and seclusion. The survey was requested by Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra.
“We really here at the agency need to figure out what’s going on in the schools, and the only way we can figure that out is to hear from you all,” Silva said. “We really need to have a better understanding of how big of a challenge is it in our schools and … most importantly, what can we be doing to correct it.”
The data gathered from the survey will help the department better understand the need for additional training, policies or procedures, spokesperson Kristin Rodine said in an email to the Statesman.
Districts asked about policies, reporting
The survey asks districts whether they have policies or procedures on the use of restraint and seclusion and a system for reporting instances and contacting parents.
It also includes questions on how often, if at all, restraint or seclusion are used in schools as a punishment or discipline, means of coercion or retaliation, or out of convenience, and whether repeated uses of the aversive techniques trigger a review of a child’s behavior intervention plan or revisions of positive behavior strategies.
Guidance from the U.S. Department of Education say restraint and seclusion should be used only as a last resort, when “a child’s behavior poses imminent danger of serious physical harm to self or others.” The practices should be “avoided to the greatest extent possible without endangering the safety of students and staff,” the guidance said.
Part of the survey asks school districts about the training staff members receive, including the percentage of staff who have had formal deescalation training in the past year and how often that training is provided to school staff.
Silva said in the email the information provided on the survey will be confidential and reported in the aggregate.
This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 10:40 AM.
