slsh, you make good points. for many kids any attention, or just having a pattern is reinforcing. the main principal is only as a last resort. And when trained and testing in a CPI class the emphasis is always on avoiding the restraint and deescalating things FIRST. They cover what if a child head butts, how to hold then.... how to deal with a bite or hair pull in an effective way..there are some reallly cool tricks that non violently get them off and minimize the chance for injury.
You are trained not only not to talk to the person being restrained but not to talk to eachother when doing a restraint. That is why everyone has to be trained in the same method. You have signals and mouth counts and use just small numbers of words for cues what to do.
If you know you are emotionally upset by the behavior...and all of us knows what I mean by that... you can not do it. It is to easy to want to hurt a child during that..even it is holding a little harder etc. It is hard not to want to yell at a child (I have to really talk to myself during that because it is natural to get mad when being hurt). There are full agencies and unless the psychiatrist and therapist are trainers who have taken all the courses and know all the potentials for law suits, cps threats etc... I would go through a licensed agency. (I realize that is not an option for some but kids have DIED under teh watch of psychiatrists and tdocs... I mean even in their offices)
Having worked in settings where seclusion and restraints are allowed and where they are not I will promise you this. Where it is allowed the mindset goes there even if people are very good. IF it is an option it is used. The very same people can be in another program where it is prohibited and then it is not used. This is what has happened with Q. And they can defend the use because he does get more aggressive if being touched.
These times are why people THEN support seclusion (monitored rooms with guidelines for how long they can be there... ) tehy say then the child can rage and kick and bang etc... but THEN people start abusing that by leaving kids there, not watching closely etc.
I would rather have broken items that to do this routinely. I agree only if a chance of SIGNIFICANT injury (and one thing to decide that for myself, another to risk children.... that is when this year with the medication reactions we did go there with Q... luckily both times the Integrated Listening Systems (ILS) workers were there and I called the shots. WE did side by side standing restraint.
what people dont tell you is how sweaty and adrenaline filled you get. they slip thru holds and you get emotional unless really well trained.
I do understand there are times, I have been there. BUT I have to , just have to say I have seen UGLY things over time. Here is another story. A child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), in grade K, just last year... in a school that hadn't done an fba. we have these mandates that (except for an emergency and that can only happen 2 times a month and then an IEP meeting MUST be held to re do the IEP to avoid these things from happening) that say restraint can't be used. Prone NEVER unless trained and registered with the state and then you have to report the incident fully right after.
OK, so this kid gets put on a table in a restraint face down with people all over him.... NONE of them even trained in any form of restraint. they argue that they HAD to because he was beating them up. They have no clue how their behavior is making it worse. tehy tell him he has to calm down. etc. of course he revs up. They dont report themselves because the ones who do that are the ones following the rules in the first place. They were not even willing to admit they did nothing after the first time (there can always be an emergency then they should go OMG what can we do to avoid this ever again??) This went on for months. The parents had no idea how serious until their lawyer confronted everyone in a meeting.
I can't even think about the deaths. and the fact that people will shackle kids... oh my gosh. There is no easy answer.... and as I said, I am nto saying it is not needed at times.... there obviously are times.. But first priority.... analyze the behavior. do all you can to prevent it... make sure you are at the bottom of the source of the behaviors... language, Auditory Processing Disorders (APD), speech, sensory, counseling, medications, etc. STRESS for us was a huge deal. I realized my pms and just the fact that at the time i had to rush off to work and had NO PCA or Integrated Listening Systems (ILS) or respite... you could count on his needing restraint in the morning before school/work (and that was also before clonidine patches so now he has medications in the morning) and it would happen more often when I had PMS. I had to record all of this to see it. seems obvious now...
Once he was out of my house a few hours a week....AND I quit my job to just focus on him and not have the pressure of his cooperating for me not to be in trouble at work, etc..... my stress went down, and his went down and that plus the medication patches... no more restraints. Before this medication reaction...Q hadn't been restrained for years. He also has NEVER been restrained in school. he has had people hold his hand or arm and walk him places (again using cpi approved holds) and he has also had those times when people abused him (the school psychiatric who grabbed him and shoved him and the ex cop who did the prone restraint).
Am I emotional over this??? Sorry. It is a hot button for me because I see the need, have done it and have seen how it makes things worse. I also see how i need the tool in my bag for emergencies. IF this is routine... something needs to be done. It can hurt everyone's heart. His new counselor says that is her biggest concern. When people are restrained against their will it can really do psychological stuff to them.
(by the way, Q in part seeks holds and deep pressure. when he asks for hugs etc... and pushes people too far, they need to see how rejecting that can be not listening to communication which means I need help with a sensory integration issue right NOW.... THey say they are using a ball to do deep pressure, but I have never seen the ball in his sensory room EVER. he used to crawl under mats but now there is only one mat and furniture is on it. These are hints I am going to give the independent fba person.