![]() ![]() We do not want our children handcuffed, tased, pepper sprayed or expelled from school, but we also should not allow a child to destroy a classroom because we do not want the responsibility that comes with the use of restraint. To allow anyone, to do anything they want, unchecked, sets them up for failure as a contributing member of society. We must set limits more gently, non-violently, non-punitively, yet we must set these limits. We must treat children with special needs differently from others, not in terms of their fundamental human rights or respect they deserve, but in terms of what we will tolerate/accept/accommodate that we would not from the non-disabled population. This is an absolute necessity in a civilized society and is why we need law enforcement, when the word of law is insufficient (verbal control). Limits must be set on all members of society, ideally we set those limits verbally, when this fails we must set limits physically. If the school isn’t “hands off” when a child runs toward a busy intersection, then why are they hands off when a teacher or peer is attacked? Why are they hands off when self-injury occurs? In the PCM system physical holding isn’t used to “punish” bad behavior, it is used to set limits, provide for safety and prevent problem behavior from contacting unlimited reinforcement (destroying things, injuring self and others). It is hard to imagine that any staff member would let a nonverbal child run into a busy intersection simply because the school has a hands off policy. Still, older stronger children must be kept safe and must be kept from harming others. The problem is that when older, stronger, more experienced, children engage in dangerous behavior their physical management becomes more challenging and dangerous for all parties. For very young children, however, verbal control often fails and in dangerous situations physical control (some form of restraint no matter how mild) is not only warranted but absolutely necessary for safety. ![]() When children are older, with language, these limits are usually set verbally as they are with all typically developing adults. All parents set limits on their children. However, there are numerous risks to face when avoiding the prudent use of restraint for a child in crisis. Many schools have a “hands off policy” which seems like a great thing if you just want to avoid using restraint and the risks associated with it. ![]()
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