Timeout has been used extensively within schools to address inappropriate behavior in children. In practice, timeout is not a single strategy; rather, it is a compilation of related practices. Some forms of timeout are research-based practices for modifying student behavior. However, others lack research support and frequently are misused,…

The intended purpose of physical restraint, seclusion, and time-out rooms in schools is to intervene in a crisis when the behaviour of a student poses an immediate or imminent, and significant threat to physical safety. While the use of physical restraint, seclusion, and time-out rooms is intended to provide protection from immediate physical…

The 2022 Legislature directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create an advisory workgroup with specific participants to report back on topics related to student isolation and seclusion. This legislative report provides a background on the workgroup, history of isolation and restraint, current practices in the state of…

Three types of student misbehavior, varying in severity, were measured in self-report surveys completed by excluded students: distracting others, resisting teachers' attempts to ensure engagement with work, and aggressive behavior. Results show that excluded students exhibiting less severe misbehavior are more amenable to the logic of teacher…

Time-out is a negative punishment procedure that parents and teachers commonly use to reduce problem behavior; however, specific time-out parameters have not been evaluated adequately. One parameter that has received relatively little attention in the literature is the mode of administration (verbal or physical) of time-out. In this study, we…

Researchers and practitioners often employ timeout procedures to manage inappropriate classroom behavior. When implemented inappropriately, however, timeout can result in dangerous situations and have received increased scrutiny (i.e., seclusion). The timeout ribbon procedure can prevent some of the dangerous situations associated with other forms…

Over the past several years, allegations of abuse and death related to seclusion and restraint, media coverage of these events, subsequent federal investigations, and Congressional hearings about this topic have resulted in increased pressure on Congress to pass legislation to address the use of seclusion and restraint in the school setting.…

School-related difficulties are commonly associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article describes effective school-based intervention strategies including behavioral interventions, modifications to academic instruction, and home-school communication programs. One overlooked aspect of treatment of children with ADHD…

One current area of dispute in the psychological literature is the inclusion of and proper meta-analytic data analysis procedures for single-subject designs. The current single-subject meta-analysis (N = 25) investigated the effect of time-out for the reduction of disruptive classroom behaviors in nondevelopmentally delayed children. Two separate…

Creating a classroom of attentive learners takes more than swift discipline. "Difficult Behavior" can help inspire positive behavioral change and healthy, productive development. Following Acknowledgments, About the Author and Introduction, the book is divided into five sections. Part I, The Role of Discipline, includes: (1) Discipline in…

The purpose of this pilot study was to review the effects of professional staff training in crisis management and de-escalation techniques on the use of seclusion timeout and restraint procedures with at-risk students in a K-12 special day school. An exploratory pre-post study was conducted over a two-year period, comparing the use of these…

The use of seclusion timeout in school settings has again become controversial. For more than 35 years there have been recommendations that states and schools develop policies and procedures regarding the use of seclusion timeout in school settings. Recent lawsuits brought against school districts accusing them of violating student rights through…

Seclusion timeout and physical restraint are aversive procedures designed to reduce or eliminate students' serious problem behavior. Using these procedures with students in special education has become commonplace in the last decade. Nevertheless, both seclusion timeout and physical restraint procedures have been, and continue to be, quite…