When students with disabilities become agitated and physically aggressive, school resource officers (SROs) are often called to assist. This article addresses the question, "What is the role of the SRO when dealing with children who already have a behavior intervention plan (BIP) in place?" Faced with an increased presence of law…

In the last several years there have been multiple stories regarding the use of seclusion in schools in national news outlets (Blacker, 2012; Charis-Carlson, 2017; Hefling, 2012; Lichtenstein, 2012; National School Boards Association (NSBA), 2014; Nicosia, 2016; Richards, 2012; St. George, 2014; Tilotta, 2014). The Council for Children with…

The use of seclusion and restraints on students with disabilities has been a major legal issue in recent years. Congress has repeatedly considered bills to limit and prohibit such use in K-12 schools, but the movement against such aversive procedures appears to have shifted to the state legislative level, with several states adding or…

The use of aversives as a method for behavioral intervention in U.S. public schools has been a persistent concern and often subject to litigation, particularly among students with disabilities. The use of aversives (restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment) have been supported in some cases due to their perceived necessity to keep children…

During the past two decades, scholars, educators, and special interest organizations, including advocacy groups, have critically examined and debated the ethical and legal use of aversive interventions with individuals with disabilities. These interventions comprise a broad spectrum of behavior management techniques including but not at all…

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…

This paper reviews provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and findings from court cases regarding behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) for students with disabilities. The following eight recommendations are provided for school districts as they strive to implement the behavioral intervention provisions of IDEA and…

This text examines the characteristics that define autism: impairments in communication; abnormal social development; and clinically significant odd behaviors. Specific chapters include: (1) Neural Mechanisms in Autism (Andrew W. Zimmerman and Barry Gordon); (2) Epidemiology of Autism and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Current…