Washington 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.
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.
Great going Longview! Please have staff get more training from Jeff Sprague and his team at the University of Oregon. They are the "experts" and the ones that have done the studies on alternatives to selusion and restraints. He can be reache atthe U of O Behaviorial Research Insitute in Eugene.
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4J  _ Jeff Sprague lives in your town and no doubt has done trainings for you. Maybe it's time that he comes back!
GOOD!
But, what about the ones here in Eugene schools?
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We have first hand knowledge of kids being locked, yes locked, into one without parental permission!
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NativeCB - i know that you are speaking of children with sensory issues that sometimes like to be in a quiet space. Those are rarely the kids put in the rooms. it is the loud, adhd, or 'misbehaving' kids that are put in there.
Good!
Well, since some people don't understand why at times something like this in necessary for some children, with certain problems, then I guess it needs to go. Although, the parents that have those special needs children will now need to be called to come pick up their child when they need restraint because of their "disorderly conduct'. Training should be provided not only for teachers who may need to use these, but also for parents of other children that do not need the use of an isolation booth.