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Yahoo
18-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seclusion rooms don't make schools safe, and Ontario needs a policy
A recent report entitled Crisis in the Classroom: Exclusion, Seclusion and Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Ontario Schools shares accounts of the frightening use of seclusion rooms in schools. It makes recommendations towards improving inclusion, belonging and educational achievement for disabled students. The report is from Community Living Ontario, a non-profit organization that advocates for people who have an intellectual disability. It analyzes the results from a survey of 541 caregivers of students with disabilities about their experiences in Ontario schools. Seclusion rooms are spaces where students can be kept in isolation and are not permitted to leave. Respondents to the Crisis in the Classroom report detailed incidents such as a student being secluded in a padded room, and a student being isolated in a small, closet-sized room. Read more: While some school boards have developed guidance independently, there is currently no provincial policy on the use of seclusion rooms in Ontario. The Crisis in the Classroom report calls for clear and enforceable provincial regulations and policy around seclusion and restraint. As an assistant professor of childhood and youth studies whose work examines constructions of the 'problem child' and everyday injustices against disabled and racialized children, I believe it is critical for Ontario residents and policymakers to take stock of the negative effects of seclusion rooms and commit to alternatives. I am unaffiliated with this report, but earlier in my career, I worked as as a one-on-one educational aide for students who attended a special education school that used seclusion. Defining seclusion rooms As education researchers Nadine Alice Bartlett and Taylor Floyd Ellis show, there is inconsistent terminology used to describe seclusion in schools, meaning that 'the conditions under which such practices may be used in some instances are subjective,' and this 'may contribute to a broad interpretation of what is deemed acceptable … in schools.' As opposed to sensory rooms, which students can usually leave at will and are often designed with sensory tools available for self-regulation (like weighted toys), seclusion rooms serve to isolate or contain students. Across North America, there are reports of seclusion rooms being built into schools or constructed in classroom corners. In the Crisis in the Classroom report, 155 survey respondents said seclusion was used on their child in the 2022-23 school year, where seclusion means having a locked/blocked door (83 respondents) or being physically prevented from leaving (25 respondents). Regular, sustained seclusion Crisis in the Classroom notes that almost half of the students who had experienced seclusion were secluded on a regular basis, and more than 10 per cent were secluded for longer than three hours. Research shows that seclusion is often discriminatory along lines of race, class and ability. Reflecting these patterns identified in larger research, the report flags that students had a higher risk for being secluded if they came from households with lower parental education and income levels, and if they were labelled with a behavioural identification or a mild intellectual disability. More than half of the caregivers surveyed had never given permission for their children to be secluded, and the report includes quotes from caregivers who were never told it was happening. Response to perceived source of school violence Seclusion rooms are commonly justified as necessary tools to keep teachers and (other) students safe. This justification ignores the evidenced success of schools that have reduced seclusion or eliminated it entirely through adequate staff support and trauma-informed training that draws from research-proven de-escalation strategies. I argue that turning to these alternatives, as the report recommends, is of dire importance. Investigations elsewhere repeatedly find that seclusion rooms are most frequently used for discipline or punishment — not for safety. Outside Ontario, where policy requires tracking the reasons why children are sent into seclusion, seclusion has followed incidents like spilling milk or asking for more food at lunch. Seclusion rooms act primarily as a disciplinary tool that targets the most vulnerable students in our schools. Ineffective, dangerous tools Seclusion is an ineffective educational and therapeutic practice and highly dangerous: research shows that seclusion rooms increase injury and violence in schools. This appears in the physical harm (for students and staff) that can occur in the physical restraints often required to force a student into a seclusion room. It also appears in the trauma that can ensue from seclusion (for students and staff) that increases the likelihood of future physical confrontations. Placing students, often in high distress, into a locked space where they cannot be closely supervised can and has resulted in their deaths. Seclusion without regulation As the Crisis in the Classroom report and repeated exposés illustrate, a lack of policy does not mean seclusion isn't happening in Ontario. It means seclusion is happening without provincial policy to regulate things like: Which students can or cannot be secluded, for how long and how often; What rooms for seclusion must look like and essential safety features; What data staff must collect about why seclusion rooms are used; When caregivers must be notified. Without these guidelines, sometimes no one knows that seclusion is happening — much less in what spaces, for which students and why — beyond the students and school staff who may be traumatized by this practice. Reports of violence in schools Crisis in the Classroom notes that teachers' unions have reported there's been an increase in violence by students against teachers, often presented in a way that suggests that disabled students are a primary source of this violence. The report acknowledges that the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario has said that students with special education needs have been 'chronically under-served by the government.' News media coverage, the report suggests, 'often takes the side of educational staff, and has an unfortunate habit of conflating disability with aggressive behaviour.' Unfortunately, the faulty perspective that disabled students are a source of school violence depends on an ableist logic that has worked historically to subject disabled people to over-incarceration. It effaces the fact that disabled children are actually more likely to be subjected to violence than their peers. Read more: The report points to the dire need to eliminate seclusion and turn towards possibilities that do not increase violence in schools and target disabled students. The report's recommendations echo calls from teachers' unions for appropriate, adequate staffing in schools and increased professional development, especially trauma-informed training, that would support teachers' work delivering supportive and inclusive education that keeps everyone safe. And these recommendations make an urgent call for strong and clear policy on seclusion and restraint in Ontario that would severely limit it or eliminate it entirely — and at least track when it's occurring. Safer and more humane schools This devastating report illustrates that we need policy on seclusion in Ontario now to protect everyone in our schools. I know first-hand that teaching, especially for educators working with students with disabilities, is underpaid and underappreciated work. More humane practices will keep schools safer for everyone, including teachers and all students, especially students who are still being subjected to seclusion today. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Hunter Knight, Western University Read more: How school systems can honour the human rights of people with disabilities Restraining and secluding students with disabilities is an urgent human rights issue The death of a child with a disability at an Ontario school urgently calls for government action Hunter Knight receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Canada News.Net
16-07-2025
- General
- Canada News.Net
Seclusion rooms don't make schools safe, and Ontario needs a policy
Share article Copy article link Print article A recent report entitled Crisis in the Classroom: Exclusion, Seclusion and Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Ontario Schools shares accounts of the frightening use of seclusion rooms in schools. It makes recommendations towards improving inclusion, belonging and educational achievement for disabled students. The report is from Community Living Ontario, a non-profit organization that advocates for people who have an intellectual disability. It analyzes the results from a survey of 541 caregivers of students with disabilities about their experiences in Ontario schools. Seclusion rooms are spaces where students can be kept in isolation and are not permitted to leave. Respondents to the Crisis in the Classroom report detailed incidents such as a student being secluded in a padded room, and a student being isolated in a small, closet-sized room. While some school boards have developed guidance independently, there is currently no provincial policy on the use of seclusion rooms in Ontario. The Crisis in the Classroom report calls for clear and enforceable provincial regulations and policy around seclusion and restraint. As an assistant professor of childhood and youth studies whose work examines constructions of the "problem child" and everyday injustices against disabled and racialized children, I believe it is critical for Ontario residents and policymakers to take stock of the negative effects of seclusion rooms and commit to alternatives. I am unaffiliated with this report, but earlier in my career, I worked as as a one-on-one educational aide for students who attended a special education school that used seclusion. As education researchers Nadine Alice Bartlett and Taylor Floyd Ellis show, there is inconsistent terminology used to describe seclusion in schools, meaning that "the conditions under which such practices may be used in some instances are subjective," and this "may contribute to a broad interpretation of what is deemed acceptable ... in schools." As opposed to sensory rooms, which students can usually leave at will and are often designed with sensory tools available for self-regulation (like weighted toys), seclusion rooms serve to isolate or contain students. Across North America, there are reports of seclusion rooms being built into schools or constructed in classroom corners. In the Crisis in the Classroom report, 155 survey respondents said seclusion was used on their child in the 2022-23 school year, where seclusion means having a locked/blocked door (83 respondents) or being physically prevented from leaving (25 respondents). Crisis in the Classroom notes that almost half of the students who had experienced seclusion were secluded on a regular basis, and more than 10 per cent were secluded for longer than three hours. Research shows that seclusion is often discriminatory along lines of race, class and ability. Reflecting these patterns identified in larger research, the report flags that students had a higher risk for being secluded if they came from households with lower parental education and income levels, and if they were labelled with a behavioural identification or a mild intellectual disability. More than half of the caregivers surveyed had never given permission for their children to be secluded, and the report includes quotes from caregivers who were never told it was happening. Seclusion rooms are commonly justified as necessary tools to keep teachers and (other) students safe. This justification ignores the evidenced success of schools that have reduced seclusion or eliminated it entirely through adequate staff support and trauma-informed training that draws from research-proven de-escalation strategies. I argue that turning to these alternatives, as the report recommends, is of dire importance. Investigations elsewhere repeatedly find that seclusion rooms are most frequently used for discipline or punishment - not for safety. Outside Ontario, where policy requires tracking the reasons why children are sent into seclusion, seclusion has followed incidents like spilling milk or asking for more food at lunch. Seclusion rooms act primarily as a disciplinary tool that targets the most vulnerable students in our schools. Seclusion is an ineffective educational and therapeutic practice and highly dangerous: research shows that seclusion rooms increase injury and violence in schools. This appears in the physical harm (for students and staff) that can occur in the physical restraints often required to force a student into a seclusion room. It also appears in the trauma that can ensue from seclusion (for students and staff) that increases the likelihood of future physical confrontations. Placing students, often in high distress, into a locked space where they cannot be closely supervised can and has resulted in their deaths. As the Crisis in the Classroom report and repeated exposes illustrate, a lack of policy does not mean seclusion isn't happening in Ontario. It means seclusion is happening without provincial policy to regulate things like: Without these guidelines, sometimes no one knows that seclusion is happening - much less in what spaces, for which students and why - beyond the students and school staff who may be traumatized by this practice. Crisis in the Classroom notes that teachers' unions have reported there's been an increase in violence by students against teachers, often presented in a way that suggests that disabled students are a primary source of this violence. The report acknowledges that the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario has said that students with special education needs have been "chronically under-served by the government." News media coverage, the report suggests, "often takes the side of educational staff, and has an unfortunate habit of conflating disability with aggressive behaviour." Unfortunately, the faulty perspective that disabled students are a source of school violence depends on an ableist logic that has worked historically to subject disabled people to over-incarceration. It effaces the fact that disabled children are actually more likely to be subjected to violence than their peers. The report points to the dire need to eliminate seclusion and turn towards possibilities that do not increase violence in schools and target disabled students. The report's recommendations echo calls from teachers' unions for appropriate, adequate staffing in schools and increased professional development, especially trauma-informed training, that would support teachers' work delivering supportive and inclusive education that keeps everyone safe. And these recommendations make an urgent call for strong and clear policy on seclusion and restraint in Ontario that would severely limit it or eliminate it entirely - and at least track when it's occurring. This devastating report illustrates that we need policy on seclusion in Ontario now to protect everyone in our schools. I know first-hand that teaching, especially for educators working with students with disabilities, is underpaid and underappreciated work.
Cision Canada
01-05-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
Community Living Toronto Launches #WeAllBelong Campaign to Celebrate Community Living Month
Fostering Inclusion, Equity and Belonging for All TORONTO, May 1, 2025 /CNW/ - Community Living Toronto is pleased to launch its campaign #WeAllBelong in celebration of Community Living Month, an initiative that takes place every May, to recognize and celebrate the contributions of people with intellectual disabilities. This year's campaign calls on everyone to champion inclusion, celebrate diversity, and take meaningful steps toward a more equitable society. The campaign is also a shoutout to our partners, supporters, and community members whose contributions drive meaningful change and help us create more inclusive communities where everyone can thrive. "Community Living Month reminds us that inclusion isn't just a goal, it's a commitment we live by every day," says Brad Saunders, CEO of Community Living Toronto. "When people with intellectual disabilities are truly seen, heard, and valued, our communities grow stronger. With #WeAllBelong we are celebrating the vibrant, diverse communities we continue to build together while ensuring no one is left out of the conversation." When barriers are removed and everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in community life, we create a more connected and equitable future. Chris Beesley, CEO of Community Living Ontario, adds, "As we celebrate inclusion and the progress made across the developmental services sector this Community Living Month, we are reminded that there is still work to be done. Thousands of people with developmental disabilities continue to wait for essential supports, and belonging should never come with a waitlist. While we celebrate the progress made, we continue to advocate together for change, to ensure that everyone can access the support and resources they deserve." "Community Living Month is a time for reflection and celebration and reminds us of the strength we have when we stand together as a sector. True belonging means having access to the resources and services for full participation in community life and to make this a reality, governments must prioritize sustainable funding. It's time to turn awareness into action and ensure that inclusion is woven into the fabric of our policies, not just our aspirations." shares Dr. Robert Walsh, CEO of OASIS. With the # WeAllBelong campaign, we are celebrating the moments that foster connection and belonging, whether it is through meaningful employment, lasting friendships, or living independently with choice and dignity. On May 15, 2025, take a moment to post on your social media channels about a memory, celebration, or work you are proud of and use the hashtag #WeAllBelong. Throughout the month, Community Living Toronto encourages everyone to share personal stories, photos, or simply a message to show how we all belong. "Belonging is important to me because we all belong to society, no matter our abilities or how others may see us. When we create inclusive spaces, we all have the chance to grow together. Community Living Month is a powerful reminder that true belonging is not just a dream, it is something we can all create one step at a time." says Nelson Raposo, CLTO Influencer. About the Campaign #WeAllBelong is a campaign that celebrates inclusion and belonging for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Belonging is built in small, everyday moments: acts of kindness, shared laughter, trusted relationships, and spaces where everyone feels like they are seen, heard and valued. With #WeAllBelong, we are celebrating the richness of these experiences and the many people who bring inclusion to life each day. For more information on the #WeAllBelong campaign and ways to get involved, visit or contact Community Living Toronto at [email protected]. About Community Living Toronto Community Living Toronto has long been a source of support for people with an intellectual disability and their families since 1948. Community Living Toronto offers a wide range of services including respite, person-directed planning, employment supports, supported living, and community-based activities. Community Living Toronto is proud to support over 4,000 people with an intellectual disability, and their families in more than 80 locations across Toronto. The "community living movement" began with families who wanted their children to live in the community, rather than institutions. Today, Community Living Toronto continues to advocate for inclusive communities and support the rights and choices of people with an intellectual disability. For more information, please contact: Petronilla Ndebele, Director, Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations [email protected] I 416-356-1532
