Fwd: [specialmomsspecialkids] Florida - School board votes 4-2 to limit prone...

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From: cvm514@...Reply-to: specialmomsspecialkids To: cvm514@...Sent: 7/29/2011 12:18:57 A.M. Eastern Daylight TimeSubj: [specialmomsspecialkids] Florida - School board votes 4-2 to limit prone restraint of special-needs kids

School board votes 4-2 to limit prone restraint of special-needs kids

By Schultz Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, July 28, 2011

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/school-board-votes-4-2school-board-votes-4-2-to-limit-prone-1665076.html

The Palm Beach County School Board on Wednesday night voted 4-2 to make prone restraint a last resort for subduing special-needs children. But they did not ban the restraint technique entirely despite the concerns of parents, a legal aid attorney and two school board members.

"If the entire scope of your behavioral plan fails a student, your answer is to hold a student on the floor. We have to come up with a better answer," said parent Holmes, who asked for an outright ban to prone restraint.

The technique, which has been criticized by many mental health industry experts as possibly causing asphyxia, allows staff to hold a special-needs child face down on a mat with their arms and legs immobilized. The updated policy passed Wednesday only allows staff to use prone restraint if the child is acting in a way where they might hurt themselves or others and a long list of other alternatives has been exhausted.

Federal studies have linked the use of prone restraint in other parts of the country to injuries and deaths. A Palm Beach Post series last year detailed hundreds of incidents where the technique was used and the complaints of some parents who called for a ban on prone restraint.

Barbara Briggs, an attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, also called for an outright ban on prone restraint. She brought up the case of an autistic kindergarten student whom she said was subdued using prone restraint 14 times last year, sometimes for as long as 30 to 35 minutes.

Board Member Brill, who voted against the policy and also called for an outright ban on prone restraint, said that was "way too long for a child to be in a prone position" and said the kindergartner's case sounds like prone technique was being used more often than just a last resort.

Brill said the district should have one restraint policy for all students whether they are special-needs children or not and having a policy singling out special-needs children for restraint is unfair.

"It makes it sound like they are animals," Brill said.

Board member Marcia s also voted against the policy, saying she was worried about the possibility that a child could die from the use of the restraint technique. Board member Monroe Benaim did not attend the meeting.

Exceptional Student Education Director Pincus said that the district has already banned supine restraint where a child is held on the ground face up. If the district eliminated prone restraint then the only techniques staffers could use as a last resort is a standing hold. Pincus said staffers would have to try to hold a student in a standing position while they were possibly flailing or biting.

"When students are restrained they react," Pincus said.

Holmes said a standing hold was a better choice than one that could kill a child.

"You don't use a deadly position. It's not safe," she said.

Board Chairman Barbieri said he supported using prone restraint as a last resort because he could envision instances where a 5 foot 7 female teacher would be unable to control a 6 foot tall special-needs high school student who is kicking or acting out. Being unable to control that student puts the student and the teacher in danger.

"As a last resort our staff needs to be able to protect itself," Barbieri said

Board Member Chuck Shaw said problems with children being restrained too often or too long might have more to do with bad performance by a few staffers and the district shouldn't destroy the policy and leave teachers with no alternatives because of poor performance by a few employees.

"Sometimes the problems are because of a lack of good judgment," Shaw said.

Board Vice Chairwoman Debra asked for all restraint incidents during the next three months to be reported to the principal, area superintendent, chief of academics and Superintendent Bill Malone. She said the board would use that data to revisit the restraint issue in three months.

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