Connecticut law changes schools' seclusion, restraint practices

A new Connecticut law that gives more guidance and allows more flexibility for calming upset students with special needs when all else fails is changing the way local school districts apply seclusion and restraint practices, the New Haven Register reported Nov. 24. Under the new law, seclusion is defined as confining a student to a room and preventing the student from leaving. But an exclusionary timeout is when a student is monitored temporarily in a separate space from peers to give the student a chance to calm down. “Not every teacher is comfortable restraining a child,” said Bethel Public Schools Superintendent Christine Carver. “Frankly, some teachers say, ‘I don't think it's appropriate for me to do that work’ because they're not specialists in mental health and [do not] have the knowledge to do it in an efficient manner.” Yvette Goorevitch, chief of specialized learning and student services of Norwalk Public Schools, said staff who physically can't restrain a child wouldn't be in regular contact with children who have behavioral difficulties. Last month, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and other congressional Democrats proposed a bill that would ban seclusion and limit physical restraint to emergencies only.