Education

Education Dept. Discourages Use of Restraints and Seclusion

By Mark Walsh — May 15, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday issued a document that discourages schools from using restraints and seclusion on students.

The “resource document” outlines 15 principles for states, school districts, and educators to consider with regard to policies on restraints or seclusion.

“These principles stress that every effort should be made to prevent the need for the
use of restraint and seclusion and that any behavioral intervention must be consistent with the
child’s rights to be treated with dignity and to be free from abuse,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says at the beginning of the document. “The principles make clear that restraint or seclusion should never be used except in situations where a child’s behavior poses imminent danger of serious physical harm to self or others, and restraint and seclusion should be avoided to the greatest extent possible without endangering the safety of students and staff.”

My Education Week colleague Nirvi Shah reports further on the document at her On Special Education blog.

A version of this news article first appeared in The School Law Blog.