Fw: Florida - Rate of physical restraints in schools is alarming

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Florida - Rate of physical restraints in schools is alarming

Beth Kassab, Local News ColumnistAugust 27, 2012

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-27/news/os-beth-kassab-restraints-in-schools-082812-20120827_1_physical-restraints-special-needs-students-administrator-for-exceptional-student

Let's cut to the chase on the practice of physically restraining special-needs students in public schools.

It's happening far too often in Central Florida. Administrators know it. Parents know it.

And something's got to give.

Nobody is satisfied with the image of teachers and administrators holding a child's arms, pinning a child to the floor or, in extreme cases, strapping the child to a "wrap mat," a type of board used to immobilize a student.

It doesn't take advanced degrees in psychology or education to understand that these methods do nothing to further the learning of already vulnerable students who are autistic, have emotional problems or other special needs.

But I'm floored by the rate at which physical restraints are used.

Orange County is the fourth-largest school district in the state, but as the Sentinel's Roth reported Sunday, it has the highest number of restraints, 952 last school year. The good news, I suppose, is that's down from 2,394 such incidents the year before. And it eliminated seclusion, or isolating, a student.

Seminole County has the sixth highest number of restraints in the state, though it is only the 12th-largest school district. It logged 474 restraints last year, an increase from 408 the year before.

Compare that to Miami-Dade, the state's largest district, which reported just 207 restraints last year and 165 the year before.

Those numbers mean one of two things: There is a serious problem in Orange and Seminole counties, or the other districts are seriously under-reporting the numbers of restraints taking place there.

Either way, we have a severe problem on our hands.

Administrators in both Orange and Seminole counties acknowledge they are trying to reduce the number of times restraints are used.

That requires spotting and handling a situation before it escalates. And that takes well-trained teachers who build bonds and trust with their students.

As Mark DiConsiglio, an administrator for exceptional student support services in Seminole County put it, "The better we know a student, the better we are at defusing a situation."

Restraining a student or using seclusion rooms, he said, should be a last resort when the child is about to hurt himself or someone else.

But there is evidence that those criteria aren't always followed.

Take Ortaliz. He was restrained as a kindergartner at a charter school in Orange County two years ago after he was kicking and hitting furniture and walls, ran from teachers and was climbing a stairway railing.

That's a potentially dangerous situation, sure. And there are undoubtedly violent outbursts from some students — especially older ones — that justify restraint.

But was 5 years old and 42 pounds. He wasn't restrained until after he was already away from the railing and any danger it posed.

"That's a punishment," said his father, Joe Ortaliz.

That was one of three times was restrained during the first weeks of kindergarten, one time for 45 minutes. And his parents, who said they have never had to restrain him at home, weren't even notified until they noticed a change in their son's behavior and he told them what happened.

After the first incident, , now 7, developed anxiety about going to school.

A change in state law two years ago now requires schools to notify parents and report the use of restraints to the Department of Education.

That was a step in the right direction.

Problems that remain hidden can't be solved.

Now that more people are paying attention, perhaps administrators, teachers and parents will be more motivated to find more ways to deal with problems before they escalate.

bkassab@... or