What should I look for if I think my child has been abused at school?
Are there warning signs I should know about my child’s school?
If my child has been restrained or secluded – what do I do?
These are common questions we’ve been asked by parents over the years who are concerned about restraint, seclusion and other aversive interventions in schools. Often, the process of finding answers and navigating the patchwork of laws and regulations covering restraint and seclusion can be difficult and discouraging. That’s why TASH has released Shouldn’t School Be Safe?, a parent’s guide to restraint and seclusion – written for parents by parents.
Shouldn’t School Be Safe? is a free resource available for download here at TASH.org. We hope that you’ll help inform others about this guide so that all parents can be empowered to make the best decisions to protect their child.
View or Download ‘Shouldn’t School Be Safe?’
About ‘Shouldn’t School Be Safe?’
Shouldn’t School Be Safe? offers preventative steps parents can take to limit risk at school. The guide encourages parents to play an active role in decision-making, including the creation of an Individualized Education Plan and behavior plan. It also covers ways to build positive relationships and set the foundation for success within the school and community for their child. Shouldn’t School Be Safe? includes information and step-by-step actions for parents to take if they discover their child has been restrained or secluded in school. These practices can be traumatic for children and their parents. This guide outlines the immediate steps to be taken, and how to respond in the days and weeks following an incident of restraint, seclusion or other aversive practice.
You may also be interested in TASH 2011 report on ‘The Cost of Waiting’
The Cost of Waiting documents restraint and seclusion through the lens of the media. Released one year after the passage of restraint and seclusion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives (that never reached the Senate floor), The Cost of Waiting shows the true implications of inaction and calls for renewed urgency to pass federal protections against restraint and seclusion in schools.