Restraint, Seclusion, and Shortened School Days

A physical restraint is a restriction that immobilizes or reduces the ability of a child to move their arms, legs, body, or head. It does not refer to techniques used by trained personnel or students for an approved therapeutic or safety purpose.

Seclusion refers to the confinement of a child to an area for a reasonable amount of time while under adult supervision. Seclusion may take place in or out of a designated seclusion room. Any time a student is not free to leave an area, and instruction is not being provided, seclusion has occurred. A school may designate a particular area as a seclusion room. The room must satisfy all requirements listed in the Iowa Administrative Code. A child may only be confined for as long as is necessary for the student to regain control of their behavior. The student should be provided breaks to use the bathroom or for other personal needs. The child must be under adult supervision during the entire time spent in the seclusion room. 1:1 instruction in a separate room or 1:1 crisis intervention is not seclusion.

The school should notify you on the same day that your child was restrained or secluded. Additionally, the school should provide you with documentation of the event and individuals involved. If your child is restrained or secluded, you may ask for an IEP meeting to discuss your child’s behavior and request a Functional Behavior Assessment or to update the Behavior Intervention Plan.

Iowa law prohibits the use of corporal punishment – or unreasonable or unnecessary physical force made with the intent to harm or cause pain, or prone or mechanical restraints on a student. However, schools may physically restrain students under certain circumstances.

A shortened school day is when school staff sends a student with a disability home early and causes the student to have less instructional time than their peers. It is when school staff, instead of the IEP team, decide to send a student home early due to the student’s behavior. Shortened school days may be used towards calculating suspensions.

The school generally cannot suspend your child or place your child in an alternate learning environment for disciplinary purposes for more than 10 days without having a manifestation determination review. The 10-day maximum may be consecutive or cumulative (if there is a pattern of behavior causing the suspensions).

A child with an IEP cannot be expelled from school without having a manifestation determination review. If your child is struggling with behavioral problems at school, you can request an IEP meeting to discuss including or updating a Functional Behavioral Assessment and a Behavioral Intervention Plan.