Reporting for US National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Joe Shapiro covered the debate about disciplinary methods in schools. In “Discipline Methods Endanger Disabled Kids,” Mr. Shapiro presented different views ahead of hearings that were to be held later today in the US House of Representatives.
The hearings were prompted by the distressing report by the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) about seclusion and restraint in US schools. Although there’s going to be plenty of opportunity for demagoguery and people who follow the hearings will need to separate fact and opinion carefully, the topic is an important one and hearings are merited.
In some cases, the Government Accountability Office report notes, children have died or been injured when they have been tied, taped, handcuffed or pinned down by adults or locked in secluded rooms, often to be left for hours at a time.
The report looking at restraint and seclusion in schools will be released Tuesday at a hearing by the House Committee on Education and Labor. Committee Chairman George Miller, who asked for the GAO report, says it begins to give lawmakers a sense of the frequent use of those methods.
As reported here on Behavior Mod Info previously, there is virtually no need for harsh punishment, seclusion, or restraint in working with children. Mr. Shapiro’s report includes quotes about alternative methods for addressing behavior problems (e.g., functional behavior assessment).
Read Mr. Shapiro’s report. See my notes about “US House to review seclusion and restraint” (here 13 May 2009) and “Seclusion and restraint: NDRN report” (15 January 2009 on Teach Effectively).
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I really hope teachers get more training in how to deal with children in the conflict cycle, as well as how to write up an FBA/BIP. I work at a incredible school but I am always surprised to learn how limited our knowledge is on these issues. Even when we write up an FBA I don’t think it’s as useful as it could be because so few people are trained to analyze behavior and find the triggers. So much of the time the FBA committee jumps to conclusions, or just uses the same paperwork they wrote on another child.
And almost more importantly, the administrators need to have this training more than the teachers. There is nothing more deflating than a teacher who has realized a trigger behavior and is trying to determine a replacement behavior to simply have an administrator write it off “the kid just needs to conform”
Mrs. Lipstick, thanks very much for dropping a comment about this topic. It is, indeed, very important to have adequate professional development so that professionals can create FBAs and BIPs that will help improve children’s lives. You’re right, in my estimation, that such professional development must include guidance for stakeholders beyond the committee, including teachers in general education and special education settings as well as administrators who are responsible for helping implement them.
Dimestore psychology solutions (e.g., “the kid just needs to conform”) simple don’t cut it. Educators need the practical procedures that result in students learning how to behave appropriately.