Project REST (Restraint: Efficacy, Safety & Training)

Project REST advocates for the reduction in the use of restraint techniques on children and youth with disabilities and special learning needs in the public schools of South Carolina. Project REST endorses the implementation of Positive Behavior Supports and encourages staff to be adequately trained to assure the safety of a child in behavioral crisis.

Why Project REST?

The policies regarding restraining children with disabilities in a school environment should be specifically defined, including clear definitions of what constitutes restraint and with detailed standards that insure the safety and well being of children with disabilities. At this time, there is no legislation in South Carolina that precisely defines the parameters of use and the reporting measures employed when children are put under physical restraint in public schools. The South Carolina Department of Education has not yet established a statewide policy to govern the use of restraining techniques for children with disabilities and special needs.

What is Project REST?

Project REST (Restraint: Efficacy, Safety and Training), has been examining the practice of using restraint on children with developmental disabilities in the public school systems of Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties.

Project REST activities have been guided by a Development Committee whose members include educators, school district administrators, clinicians, school psychologists, SC State Department of Education personnel, an attorney, a social worker, child advocates, and parents.

During a three-year model project that was funded by the Developmental Disabilities Council, Office of the Governor, the Development Committee compiled a comprehensive Manual of Recommended Practice to be used as a resource by parents, educators, and advocates and as a guide in developing protocols and procedures.

Family Resource Center staff is available to assist parents and/or educators in using the tools developed by Project REST in their schools.

Project REST programming supports guidelines that are based on the following central tenets:

• Students receiving special education services will be restrained only in crisis situations where there is an immediate danger of physical harm to any child. Attention will also be given to situations where an adult caregiver is placed at risk for injury.
• The principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA'04) should be enforced, including the use of functional assessments and positive behavior support plans for children with severe behavior challenges. There should be evidence of the on-going application of the interventions for behavior management outlined in the child's Individual Education Program (IEP).
• Clear protocols should exist regarding the use of physical restraints, including documentation of the training levels of all direct care & teaching staff that may be applying restraint.
• There should be documented efforts that promote "informed consent" on the part of parents prior to the use of restraining techniques on their child, including a clearly outlined process of reporting and notification.
• There must always be careful consideration of the impact that such techniques will have on the physical and emotional well being of the child with disabilities.

Using these guidelines in programming, Project REST developed an "Addendum" to the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and Individual Education Program (IEP) of a child with severe behavioral difficulties. This Addendum clearly outlines under what conditions a child may be placed in restraint, as well as specific directions regarding reporting. Further, the form notes whether people in the child's environment have received training on the safe use of restraint procedures.

The Manual of Recommended Practice is available in print, on compact disc, or can be downloaded by clicking here . (To view our manual, your browser must be equipped with Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download from Adobe free of charge by clicking here .)

With support from the South Carolina Department of Education, workshops are being held in ten locations across South Carolina. These workshops are targeted to "student-centered teams" comprised of the student's parents/caregivers and school based personnel (i.e.: regular/special education teacher, paraprofessional assistant, school psychologist, etc.). Participants are strongly urged to approach these workshops from this Team perspective. All interested parties are invited to attend. These free workshops - dates to be announced - will be held in the following communities over the 2005-06 school year: Charleston, Beaufort, Orangeburg, Aiken, Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Florence, Myrtle Beach, and Columbia.

Project REST Training - Upcoming Sessions