A South Jordan mother, concerned about her son with autism, is raising alarm over the use of "seclusion rooms" in public education.
"A parent shared a picture of a seclusion room at Kauri Sue Hamilton School, and my son had previously attended," she said."He immediately stopped on the seclusion booth pictures," Kim said. "He just stopped and he kept saying 'nah- night room, nah -night room,' verbally. He had either been in there or witnessed another child go in there because how would he know that it’s dark inside.
Esperanza Reyes, Associate Director of the Utah Parent Center, emphasized that these rooms should never be used for discipline or punishment, expressing concern over their potential misuse. She urged districts to focus on prevention, skill-building, and relationship-building with students to minimize such experiences.
Sarah Daniels from the State Board of Education said they're required to track and report "seclusion and restraint safety intervention use every year."