In Greek mythology, after leading a life of deceit, King Sisyphus was sentenced by the gods to an eternal punishment most cruel: each day he was forced to roll a boulder to the top of a mountain, only to watch it magically elude his grasp and return to the bottom from whence it came. Aside from the whole \u2018life of deceit\u2019-thing, in the last year I\u2019ve felt a kinship to ole\u2019 Sisyphus and his unconquerable task.<\/p>\n
After all, haven\u2019t we placed countless calls and emails, reached out to educator and politician alike, all in the hopes of raising awareness that schools need not employ restrictive practices such a restraint and seclusion? (Even while I\u2019m writing this blog entry, we have a team in Washington briefing staffers in the hopes that the issue gains more traction).<\/p>\n
The task before us, the boulder we\u2019ve set against, is public perception. It\u2019s a tremendous tide, and no less obvious than what we\u2019ll all witness in this election year as candidates vie for our attention. We exist in a society where the perceptions of \u2018control,\u2019 \u2018liberty,\u2019 and \u2018safety\u2019 are hotly debated. In fact, variations of these same values are spelled out in legislation which regulates conduct in schools. <\/p>\n
So when we\u2019re able to make contact with a superintendent, teacher, or advocate, it\u2019s in the context of that public perception, and in fact, any associated legislation. You read your newsfeed every morning; you\u2019ve seen the videos. You\u2019re aware of situations where school officials have pulled students from their seats and\/or sat on them. Yet legislation in your state or district may not reflect that these folks have in fact violated school policy (they certainly have violated other child protective laws, when applicable). <\/p>\n
Think about this- only about half of our states have laws in place limiting the use of restraint or seclusion in public schools. Of those that do, there is language in some that is painfully subjective, such as \u201csparingly\u201d and \u201creasonable\u201d (the latter is followed in code by the phrase \u201cphysical force\u201d- remember, we\u2019re talking about our schools). In 18 states, laws limit the use of restrictive practices in schools for students with disabilities but are so vague otherwise that they lack any such protection for children without a disability. I have a loved one who remembers being locked in a closet while in elementary school, not thirty years ago. The scary thing? 28 states not only permit such an event to happen even today, but they also don\u2019t place responsibility on the educator to monitor the child when this occurs to ensure their safety.<\/p>\n
So while we log on every morning with the potential to be incensed by another video of a child being handcuffed in a public school setting, state legislation creeps along. We\u2019ve contacted states who are \u2018investigating the impact\u2019 of restrictive practices or \u2018offering public comment\u2019 in the face of 267,000 annual incidents nationwide. As we\u2019ve become savvier to the public perception-political-legislative machine, the details are equally as frustrating.
\nWhen states are considering modifying existing laws, they confer with state officials to determine best practices. Unfortunately, what we\u2019ve found is that some organizations continue to remain so narrowly focused on the \u2018quality\u2019 of restrictive practices that they aren\u2019t open to permitting alternative methods. The laws are written in such a way that alternatives cannot even be considered. These officials have thanked us for our ideas and lauded our efforts, and have kindly denied including our alternative on their list of \u2018recommended strategies.\u2019
\nAre you starting the feel the weight of that boulder too?<\/p>\n
The good news is that there are others like us out there- parents, providers who want to do right by their students, international advocacy groups, and even school systems who have independently determined that they will not accept such practices. When we get one of these folks on the phone, or meet them at a conference, it\u2019s like a breath of fresh air. I feel like we\u2019ve shared the secret handshake and speak the same language. They just get it.
\nThen we share stories. It could have been their child, who had been in public school years ago. It could be the current court case that they\u2019re representing, or something tragic that had happened in their school which created a sense of urgency. Ultimately, our conversation doesn\u2019t hinge on that tragedy, or on the pain of that restrictive practice, but on the hope that we share. The hope that while the setting isn\u2019t perfect, there is success, and there is a gathering momentum. When the opportunity presents itself, we share our efforts and contacts- knowing that collectively if we continue to raise the issue, it will eventually be heard. We know that a solution can exist in which schools do not need to employ restrictive practices to maintain safety. And so, we plug on, refreshed and encouraged by our new like-minded friend, who joins us in the task of pushing the boulder. Unlike ole\u2019 Sisyphus, we are not alone in the struggle, and it\u2019s for that very reason that I believe we will succeed where he could not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In Greek mythology, after leading a life of deceit, King Sisyphus was sentenced by the gods to an eternal punishment most cruel: each day he was forced to roll a boulder to the top of a mountain, only to watch it magically elude his grasp and return to the bottom from whence it came. Aside from the whole \u2018life of deceit\u2019-thing, in the last year I\u2019ve felt a kinship to ole\u2019 Sisyphus and his unconquerable task.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,31],"tags":[120],"class_list":["post-3905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behavioral","category-behavioral-healthcare","tag-reducing-restraint-and-seclusion"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n