FW: Urgent Need for Florida Policies and Procedures on Restraint and Seclusion

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-----Original Message-----From: AutismRecoveryNetwork [mailto:AutismRecoveryNetwork ]On Behalf Of Kim Hammons

IPUT NEWS ALERT! Urgent Need for Florida Policies and Procedures on Restraint and Seclusion!

IPUT received notice from one of our community partners Phyllis Musumeci asking us to forward the following statement to our partners asking for your support in sending the following statement to the Florida Department of Education to Bureau Chief of Exceptional Students, Bambi Lockman and Commissioner of Education, Jeanine Blomberg. All you have to do is cut and paste the following statement into an email and address it to Ms.Lockman, and Ms.Blomberg at their email addresses listed below at the end of this email. Currently there are no policies to protect our loved ones from terrorizing restraint, or improper seclusion. Prisoners have more rights and procedures than our loved ones with disabilities. This is a frightening and potentially dangerous, and potentially fatal issue affecting our students, we can make our voices heard by sending this message to the Florida Department of Education letting them know that we are all United for the safety and well being of our loved ones. Please support this and request that the FLDOE take immediate action to create standard policies and procedures so that no more children and adults have to suffer and be traumatized any longer. One voice shines the light, 10 voices illuminate the world. Please help and cut and paste the statement below. For more information on Restraint and Seclusion we have a section devoted to this pressing issue on our www.iput.org web site. Thanks so much! Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you believe needs help, or believes strongly that the time has come to protect our loved ones who can’t protect themselves.

IPUT Informed Parents United Together…..

www.iput.org

CUT AND PASTE STATEMENT Listed Below

I would like to request that the Florida Department of Education please take immediate action to create standard policies and procedures on restraint and seclusion for all public schools to follow in the state of Florida. I am requesting that the Department of Education help our children by putting a stop to the unnecessary use of Restraint and Seclusion on children because of behavior issues brought on by their disabilities. In many cases these children suffer from sensory overload of noise, light, movement, bombardment of language, are sensitive to being touched and complex social demands which can make the classroom a very difficult and even painful place for them.

Create a positive climate in Florida’s schools by implementing school-wide Positive Behavior Support.

When creating Functional Behavioral Assessments for children with Autism and PDD, staff should be highly qualified in behavior issues with this group of disabilities. These children can sometimes be complex and very unique in the areas of behavior.

Address the issues of sensory overload.

Teach children coping skills and calming techniques.

Support the need for additional training for teachers, staff and families who work with children that have Autism. I would like to help by contacting all the CARD centers to set up additional training.

Please if you would forward the above to the following email addresses:

Bureau Chief of Exceptional Education Students

bambi.lockmanfldoe (DOT) org

Commissioner of Education

Jeanine Blomberg Commissioner, Florida Department of Education Phone: Email: Commissionerfldoe (DOT) org

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