Use of Restraints and Seclusion by Schools on Children with Disabilities
The United States Government Accounting Office (GAO) recently completed a study of public and private schools and reported to Congress on the abuse of vulnerable children who were students at those institutions.
The GAO first testified that there were no federal laws restricting seclusion or restraints in public or private schools and that state laws were widely divergent.
Most significant was their report that found hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and death related to the use of restraints on school children during the last 20 years.
The use of restraints on vulnerable adults in the nursing home setting has been band except under very limited circumstances with physician supervision. There is no good reason to continue this dangerous practice with disabled children in the school setting.
