Longview school removes controversial isolation booth
LONGVIEW, Wash. — A Longview school has removed a controversial booth that was used to isolate special education students to prevent them from hurting themselves or others.
School district spokeswoman Sandy Catt says the booth was removed over the weekend from Mint Valley Elementary School.
She also told KLOG-AM the district has decided to use an independent company to investigate how the padded booth was being used, and that might take longer than the few weeks originally expected.
The school stopped using the booth after a photo posted on Facebook raised concerns it was being used as punishment. Catt said they use the room with eight or nine special education students to help calm them down, and most students used it voluntarily to control emotional behavior.
"So there's been an area, created as a calm, isolated area for those students to go in," Catt said. "Put a bean bag chair in there, they can go in there and decompress if they need to."
Catt said students whose parents gave permission were placed in the booth when they acted in a way that could be harmful to themselves or others. None of those parents ever complained, Catt said.
KATU News first reported about the isolation booth last week.
One mother whose son used to go to Mint Valley Elementary told KATU News the school put her son in the booth without her permission.
Candace Dawson said her son does have behavioral problems, but she would never allow the school to put her son in that room.
State laws in Washington and Oregon allow schools to use “seclusion” or “isolation” rooms under specific circumstances, and only when every other way of dealing with a child who is a danger to himself or others has failed.
Catt says the school is working with parents of special education students on other control methods.
We had these in our school and they were misused. We were locked in for DAYS at a time with 1 bathroom break a day. If you were a female and were on your period you better have some serious protection because they would not allow you to change them. One girl got TSS and was carried out of her isolation room and brought to the hospital. Lunch was handed to us in a brown paper bag on our way to the bus. No food. One water fountain break during the bathroom break, where the teacher escorted you to your stall.Â
One girl was put in the box so much, for SLEEPING, that when she returned Monday to finish up her "time" she hid a baby pin in her mouth and spent hours stabbing herself with it. When they finally found her the room was covered in blood.Â
The solution? Full body searches. Mouth, Hair, Toes, Waist bans.Â
Fights? 3 days in the box.Â
Sleeping in class? 2 days ISS.
Sleeping in ISS? 3 days in the box.
Singing, of any kind. 2 days in the box. (they decided that ALL singing was gang related, including the ABC's.)
Cursing? Rest of the day in the box.Â
The school was absolutely absurd. The more withdrawn a student would become the more they would isolate you. It was pretty ridiculous.Â
Next weeks headline "out of control child at Longview school hurts himself and others"Â
But, I will emphasis this, This should never be used as a form of Punishment.
I think, that there is more to this story and the removal there of must have been from the investigations that have occurred, perhaps it was being abused. I have spoken with some professionals with regards to the rooms..I myself, was shaken from memories past when i was placed in one of those.
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I do have one question, Even I was quick to respond but was from history past. for me it was a shock to see something like this and it brought back powerful memories.
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But I also have seen a schizophrenic so out of control at one time in place I was at, that as he thrashed and kicked the door its self was moving, Now that takes some strength. I would like to ask any one this basic question.
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What should we do with students who become so violent that not even a teacher can contain them ?
I am not speaking of just autistic children. I am seeking on an entire gamut of solutions to such a problem.
RHCs are closing as they lose money , Mental Hospitals are being save the the most vile and depraved .
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So, if we do not have a safe room, and the kid is launching desks, chairs, computers, monitors, scissors, and basically anything the kid can get a hold of, How do you purpose we solve this issue at hand?
DAVA you speak on one realm, but is there not many realms of disorders, mantle illnesses and the like that you your self have witnessed? Aside from Autism, have you sen a schizophrenic?
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http://youtu.be/fWP-zAXhVTk
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So, How can we place our selves in all these peoples shoes?
The answer is not as easy as we want them to be, as we see these people to fear and to be shunned.
In truth there is an will never be a one size fits all for controlling behavior.
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Being in a hospital I have witnessed first hand account how strong people can be when in full blown Psychotic episodes, I have seen the damage they can do to times and I have seen the injuries that can inflict up on people and animals. I have seen a 13 year old girl Rock as She spoke quietly to her self saying please daddy stop, why are you doing this to me, and I have seen and other teen of 16 years of age who wanted nothing more then to be loved and understood and would use her body to please men of all ages. I have seen and heard a schizophrenic threaten to kill me just because the voices in his head were telling him to do so because I was not Spock but an imposter?
In truth at 16 years of age I have witnessed a great deal, more then what any person should have had to witness.
I have lived , breathed and seen the odd, the horrific, and insanity of Those who have tried to kill themselves, tried to kill others, and those who just wanted to be loved and accepted.
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People, I have seen it all, at the age of 16 I had my eyes opened to what goes on in the institutions. You are but getting a small glimpse of what I have seen,
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Trust me, if you have been in my shoes, you our selves might lose you mind..
I was placed on a deadly medication that was being tried.. How about you?
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Autism, ADHD/ADD, Schizophrenia , Manic Depression, Depression, Intellectual disabilities, RAD, TBI and the list goes on.
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So, if any one of these become violent, find me a simple solution to make sure that all are safe?
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@lee986321 Also want to add lee. you say..."DAVA you speak on one realm"
You don't know me at all.
@lee986321
Yes I have. I was married to one for 10yrs.
I also work in the medical field with mental disorders. So, glad that you have changed your mind about the box, I will not.
Gosh. They're taking all the fun out of going to school! :-P
 @Mikey Times have changed. We had monkey bars. They have isolation chambers.
Buried alive in a padded cell or "isolation booth"?
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You make the call
Oh, and YAY! I'm really happy the box is gone.
I want to cry. I'm so happy for those children.
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For those that still think this is OK!
http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Caldwell-Tanner-Cagle-School-Tutor-Room-181607941.html
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No one would ever convince me that  children would like to lock themselves in a timeout room without any door knob to get out. That is really a dumb statement. Trying to make it seems like the kids like it and now darn they won't be able to do that. I really thank the person who took the pictures and brought this out in the open - there needs to be an investigation into how many schools are locking up kids for discipline. The screaming upsets everyone. There is training for staff to learn how NOT to esculate a child but it does take some effort and understanding. Demand it.
 @O'Leary They are NOT locking them up for discipline, read the frickin story.
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"raised concerns it was being used as punishment."
@deejm2112 @O'Leary Since the story says they don't use it for discipline, I bet they don't. *eye roll*
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The problem with special needs and these scenarios are that institutionalization has been decried as inhumane, as well. Parents of special needs children that aren't fabulously wealthy can't catch a break, and I can say with the complete authority of personal experience, raising a special needs child is *exhausting*. A lot of parents jump at the fact all children are guaranteed an education in the public school system...and teachers are saddled with children who shouldn't be in school, but whose parents use it as a free babysitting service to get desperately needed space in which to accomplish anything. I hate to bring politics into this, but the ACA is making it even harder on parents of special needs children, drastically slashing what they can put away in an FSA to save for private school, advanced interventions and therapies, and the works. It's lose-lose for the children, and dangerous for the teachers. Unfortunately an easy end doesn't seem to be in sight for either side, to boot.
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@MissLissaJ easy end..... A sensory room.
 @MissLissaJ FSA just got cut in half...I would call that a tax hike!
@deejm2112 @MissLissaJ  That is exactly what it is...a tax hike....on those who it hurts the most. Go Figure.
Great...now theres more risk to teachers when they try to restrain kids, not to mention the kids risk to themselves.
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How long until the first law suit?
 @deejm2112 You're right, there has never been an option to send the children home, as opposed to endangering the teachers.
 @dougrpdx  @deejm2112 Actually, they can be sent home. Special needs kids can be suspended just like any other kid. There is just a limit on the number of days per year when it is related to a disability.
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The schools get extra funds for these kids for things like occupational therapists, special education teachers, etc. There are steps that can be taken to help these kids so that they rarely if ever get to the meltdown stage. Those kinds of things have done wonders for plenty of these kids, including our daughter.
 @Jenni S.  @dougrpdx Thanks Jenni...I wouldn't know these things.
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Kudos to anyone raising a special needs child.
 @dougrpdx There is the straight jacket option....
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If I had a special needs kid subject to uncontrollable outbursts I'd insist on the closet option, way better than teachers risking themselves to restrain my kid.
What  a bunch of spineless cowards!!! I guess now the parents will have to take responsibility.Â
 @Civ No, it means the school will have to use those extra funds they get to actually work with the kids and their issues as opposed to locking them in a room. Doing that doesn't help anyone and actually makes the problem grow. The sooner you can work with them and get them to recognize when they're getting to a meltdown phase - and then have a safe *room* for them to go to (not a padded booth/closet), the quicker the kids can deal with these issues. Not doing it just means meltdowns when they're older, bigger, and much more likely to hurt someone.
@Jenni S. @Civ And exactly how do you know that the special education teachers in this school haven't tried alternative means of controlling behavior?Â
@Jenni S. I 100% agree. Well said Jenni
The same mom who complained and posted the Facebook article will probably also be the first to sue the school in the event one of those special education students gets violent and hurts her son because there was no other sufficient method of controlling the acting-out child. She should have minded her own business. This procedure was obviously part of an IEP consented to by the students' parents when less restrictive means did not work in controlling behavior. I hate so-called goodie-two-shoes.
 @peckishpete Actually there are many ways to work with those kids that doesn't require a padded room. Other schools are doing it successfully and have worked with their kids to where they rarely - if ever - get to that meltdown point where they get violent. These schools were just choosing to lock them up instead of dealing with the actual issue (which they get extra funds to do).
@Jenni S. Yes Jenni, I am aware that there are many ways of handling acting-out kids and I'm well aware that schools get extra money to educate special education kids. I was a school psychologist for over 20 years. So please, pray tell, how do you know exactly that the school didn't try less restrictive procedures before using the isolation room. Do you know any of these kids? Are you a special education teacher in this school. Have you worked directly with any of the kids that used this isolation room. Perhaps these were the so-called "rare" kids that get to that meltdown point where they get violent. I can tell from personal experience that many kids with behavioral and emotional difficulties become violent when upset and it is often difficult to determine what triggers the meltdowns. But once you are in the middle of one you have one of two options - get all the other kids out of the classroom or get that child into isolation until he or she is calmed down. You can't reason with children when they are in the middle of a full-blown meltdown.Â
@peckishpete Please! there are other ways. An empty box is not the answer.
this closet is far to small fer anyones good. I have issues being in small places.I could have collaps in that thing
 @Lois M Sweet Along with issues of spelling and grammar?
Hard to say if it was good or bad. Clearly a lot of emotional reaction, but that does not mean it was bad. Sounded like some students needed/liked it.
@doejane I think it depends on the child. Growing up with ADD, my mother insisted on behavioral training rather than just tossing pills down my throat. Bless her, I am doing very well today as an adult in corporate america because of that training. Still, during my early school years it was very easy to become overstimulated by all the noise and activities in my classes as we worked on assignments. It would have been a huge relief for me to have been able to go to a quiet place so I could "reset" and return to the classroom. As it was, teachers would send me to the restroom to regain focus and that wasn't always a good solution (other students in and out).
 @4G_Oregonian  @doejane Many schools have a full sized room (like an old office or conference room) that could be used for those situations. Kids with sensory disorders need a safe, quiet place they can go to before they hit the meltdown stage. But a padded closet wasn't the answer. Like someone pointed out - just because it "works", doesn't mean it isn't abusive.
I'm not a behavioral expert, but to me, it looks like solitary confinement.