CT News Junkie

At the Center for Children’s Advocacy, we continue to hear from families concerned about children with disabilities who are injured or traumatized in school after being subjected to physical force and isolation. As the former state Child Advocate, I have seen evidence of seclusion spaces that consist of little more than a closet or even a padded cell. Most of the children subject to restraint and seclusion in our state are elementary school age, usually boys, often with developmental disabilities, and typically children of color. I have read numerous investigations into concerning incidents of restraint of children, including those leading to injury, where adults concluded that the staff response to the child’s “behavior” was understandable and that injury was unavoidable, and therefore no concerns need be addressed. These findings are typical, and they are usually wrong.