Discipline and aggressive behaviors

[Guest guest]

This was very informative. Thank you!

Sunset is one of Broward's "Center" schools for students with severe issues; another would be the Quest Center. A "time out room" is technically a "seclusion room" or as some call them, solitary confinement rooms. These are basically cells where students can be placed as punishment for behaviors.These are very different from what Nila describes as a calming room, but unfortunately the center schools, to the best of my knowledge, use seclusion rooms.What is described as "prone positioning" is actually prone restraint where two or more adults will hold a student face down against his or her will on the floor and immobilize the arms and legs until this "calms" the child.These techniques are supposed to be used as a last resort after all other calming methods have been exhausted, but that is not District Policy. Right now an ESE student can be restrained or placed in a seclusion room for any reason and for any length of time. I asked for statistics from FDOE regarding this back in January. At that time in Broward County for the first half of the year there had been 292 restraints and 63 seclusions. Four of the restraints were for over an hour and one of those was an hour and 50 minutes. Two of the seclusions were for more than an hour; one was for an hour and 44 minutes. Statewide 39% of restraints were for Pre K through 3rd grade students. Grades 4-8: 42%Grades 9-12: 18%The Broward County School District's ESE Advisory Council passed a motion in October 2010 that asked the Board to adopt a policy that restraint and seclusion only be used as a last resort after all calming methods have been exhausted and then only if there is imminent threat of serious danger to the student or others. This is the policy in at least two Florida Districts already and the Palm Beach District has actually banned seclusion all together.In the Broward District the Advisory Council's motion is finally scheduled for a workshop discussion in September, 11 months after being presented.Restraint and Seclusion can be dangerous. Students have died while being restrained, and prone restraint in particular. Many States have adopted policy restricting use or banning seclusion as there is no scientific evidence it has any therapeutic benefits. Georgia banned seclusion after a student hung himself to death in a seclusion room. http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-schools-ban-seclusion-566901.htmlAt the Federal level the House of Representatives passed a Bill last year that would restrict restraint and seclusion but the Senate let it die. The Government Accountability Office investigated this for the House Labor and Education Committee. The study was titled:SECLUSIONS AND RESTRAINTS Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centershttp://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09719t.pdfIn Broward County a Behavior Specialist does not have to be a Board Certified Behavior Analyst or an Associate Behavior Analyst. The position does not call for Certification. Any school staff that restrains a student is supposed to have training from a company called Professional Crisis Management. Their training gives many options before taking a student down for prone restraint. Redirect the student, discontinue what might be agitating the student, remove the student from the area, reinforce the student for calming down, then several stages of restraint from standing to sitting before going to the floor with prone restraint. None of this is policy and implementation is at the discretion of the teacher or specialist.Orange County leads the State in the use of restraint, over 1,300 restraints in the first half of the year. The Orlando Sentinel did a front page story on April 15, 2010.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-restraint-students-schools-20110409,0,4775052.storythe story continues here:http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-restraint-students-schools-sidebar20110409,0,5060035.storyand with a video that scares me to death here:http://www.orlandosentinel.com/videobeta/6903ee18-7a19-4141-a86b-ee0cda354905Unfortunately, restraint is necessary for some of our kids. No one denies that there are some children and some times when restraint is necessary to ensure safety. But the District should take a responsible position that restraint should be used only when appropriate. It should be in policy so it is clear that these interventions are not to be used as punishment, threats or for non compliance. It should also be clear that all other calming methods be exhausted before restraining a student and then only if there is imminent threat of serious injury to the student or others.Steve Moyer>> > A room to be calm and relax with sensory integration things(ie. a bean bag chair and big chair ballsee Southpaw Enterprises for equipment http://www.southpawenterprises.com/ ) is something that coshould be available ALL the TIME to help prevent problem behaviors.> > > "Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way."> -Abraham Lincoln> > > > > > To: deniseslist > Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:24:09 -0400> Subject: Discipline and aggressive behaviors> > > > > > > I wouldn't look at having an individual go into a safe room, sensory room or whatever we call it as a punishment but rather a place for the person to be able to calm down, self- regulate, decompress as well as remove that individual from harms way> > Sent from my iPhone> >------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

And yes, there are triggers which must be determined. However, the problem is

that it's not an exact science. Sometimes the same stimuli will not cause a

severe reaction in that person. Just like we all have certain times where our

systems can handle certain stressors and other times where we feel more upset by

the things that life sends our way. It's not that simple to just determine the

antecedents and then try to avoid them. Life is not that predictable.

It's really all about the anxiety levels that these individuals have. So many

factors are involved and so many components must be utilized in the manner in

which we deal with it

Sent from my iPhone

[Guest guest]

A room to be calm and relax with sensory integration things(ie. a bean bag chair and big chair ballsee Southpaw Enterprises for equipment http://www.southpawenterprises.com/ ) is something that coshould be available ALL the TIME to help prevent problem behaviors. "Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way." -Abraham Lincoln

To: deniseslist From: walkman975@...Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:24:09 -0400Subject: Discipline and aggressive behaviors

I wouldn't look at having an individual go into a safe room, sensory room or whatever we call it as a punishment but rather a place for the person to be able to calm down, self- regulate, decompress as well as remove that individual from harms waySent from my iPhone

[Guest guest]

Sunset is one of Broward's " Center " schools for students with severe issues;

another would be the Quest Center.

A " time out room " is technically a " seclusion room " or as some call them,

solitary confinement rooms. These are basically cells where students can be

placed as punishment for behaviors.

These are very different from what Nila describes as a calming room, but

unfortunately the center schools, to the best of my knowledge, use seclusion

rooms.

What is described as " prone positioning " is actually prone restraint where two

or more adults will hold a student face down against his or her will on the

floor and immobilize the arms and legs until this " calms " the child.

These techniques are supposed to be used as a last resort after all other

calming methods have been exhausted, but that is not District Policy. Right now

an ESE student can be restrained or placed in a seclusion room for any reason

and for any length of time.

I asked for statistics from FDOE regarding this back in January. At that time in

Broward County for the first half of the year there had been 292 restraints and

63 seclusions. Four of the restraints were for over an hour and one of those was

an hour and 50 minutes. Two of the seclusions were for more than an hour; one

was for an hour and 44 minutes.

Statewide 39% of restraints were for Pre K through 3rd grade students. Grades

4-8: 42%

Grades 9-12: 18%

The Broward County School District's ESE Advisory Council passed a motion in

October 2010 that asked the Board to adopt a policy that restraint and seclusion

only be used as a last resort after all calming methods have been exhausted and

then only if there is imminent threat of serious danger to the student or

others. This is the policy in at least two Florida Districts already and the

Palm Beach District has actually banned seclusion all together.

In the Broward District the Advisory Council's motion is finally scheduled for a

workshop discussion in September, 11 months after being presented.

Restraint and Seclusion can be dangerous. Students have died while being

restrained, and prone restraint in particular. Many States have adopted policy

restricting use or banning seclusion as there is no scientific evidence it has

any therapeutic benefits. Georgia banned seclusion after a student hung himself

to death in a seclusion room.

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-schools-ban-seclusion-566901.html

At the Federal level the House of Representatives passed a Bill last year that

would restrict restraint and seclusion but the Senate let it die. The Government

Accountability Office investigated this for the House Labor and Education

Committee. The study was titled:

SECLUSIONS AND RESTRAINTS Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and

Private Schools and Treatment Centers

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09719t.pdf

In Broward County a Behavior Specialist does not have to be a Board Certified

Behavior Analyst or an Associate Behavior Analyst. The position does not call

for Certification. Any school staff that restrains a student is supposed to have

training from a company called Professional Crisis Management. Their training

gives many options before taking a student down for prone restraint. Redirect

the student, discontinue what might be agitating the student, remove the student

from the area, reinforce the student for calming down, then several stages of

restraint from standing to sitting before going to the floor with prone

restraint. None of this is policy and implementation is at the discretion of the

teacher or specialist.

Orange County leads the State in the use of restraint, over 1,300 restraints in

the first half of the year. The Orlando Sentinel did a front page story on April

15, 2010.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-restraint-students-schools-\

20110409,0,4775052.story

the story continues here:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-restraint-students-schools-\

sidebar20110409,0,5060035.story

and with a video that scares me to death here:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/videobeta/6903ee18-7a19-4141-a86b-ee0cda354905

Unfortunately, restraint is necessary for some of our kids. No one denies that

there are some children and some times when restraint is necessary to ensure

safety. But the District should take a responsible position that restraint

should be used only when appropriate. It should be in policy so it is clear that

these interventions are not to be used as punishment, threats or for non

compliance. It should also be clear that all other calming methods be exhausted

before restraining a student and then only if there is imminent threat of

serious injury to the student or others.

Steve Moyer

>

>

> A room to be calm and relax with sensory integration things(ie. a bean bag

chair and big chair ballsee Southpaw Enterprises for equipment

http://www.southpawenterprises.com/ ) is something that coshould be available

ALL the TIME to help prevent problem behaviors.

>

>

> " Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the

way. "

>

-Abraham Lincoln

>

>

>

>

>

> To: deniseslist

> From: walkman975@...

> Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:24:09 -0400

> Subject: Discipline and aggressive behaviors

>

>

>

>

>

>

> I wouldn't look at having an individual go into a safe room, sensory room or

whatever we call it as a punishment but rather a place for the person to be able

to calm down, self- regulate, decompress as well as remove that individual from

harms way

>

> Sent from my iPhone

>

>