TASH Survey Finds 65% of Students with Disabilities Face Seclusion, Restraints or Aversives

From TASH (2/3/10):

Please see the attached Executive Summary of an article that will be published in the next edition of TASH’s Research Journal titled Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities.

We hope it will be of use for you in your tireless efforts to assist with the movement of H.R. 4247 & S. 2860. Please pass this along to your network and your Congressional Representatives’ offices for review.

Abstract:

A survey of parents and caretakers of children with disabilities was undertaken to document the use of restraints, seclusion, and aversive procedures. A 23 item survey was presented using a web-based program. Participants were informed of the survey by different advocacy organizations. Within 2 weeks, 1300 individuals opened the survey and 1293 answered the first question which asked if their child had been subjected to the procedures. Of the 1293, 837 (64.7%) said “yes” and continued with the survey. According to the responses, children with disabilities were often exposed to restraints, seclusion and aversive procedures and most of the time the parents had not approved of the procedures beforehand. Implications for national, state, and local policies and practices are discussed.   

 >>>Download Article Executive Summary

Comments

[Mom]

the link to the executive summary in today's email doesn't open and goes to a blank page and the download from the website is not readable by my computer.