SET
SET OFF
SET OFF HER COMPLETED WORK WILL BE REMOVED.
BE REMOVED. >>> TONIGHT THE KING 5
INVESTIGATORS REVEAL WHAT CAN
HAPPEN TO SPECIAL EDUCATION
STUDENTS WERE PHYSICALLY
RESTRAINED OR ISOLATED IN
CLOSETS LIKE ROOMS, EVEN JUST A
FEW TIMES.
FEW TIMES. SUSANNAH FRAME IS HERE WITH THE
LATEST IN HER SERIES BACK OF
THE CLASS.
THE CLASS. >> WE FOUND CHILDREN SUFFERING
FROM ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND
INCREASED AGGRESSION ALL
STEMMING FROM ISOLATION AND
RESTRAINT USED AT SCHOOL.
IN SEATTLE WE DISCOVERED ONE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH A PATTERN
OF PUTTING THEIR HANDS ON KIDS
WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR
THE STUDENTS.
THE STUDENTS. >> Reporter: BEFORE THIRD GRADE
ISAAC WHO HAS AUTISM WAS AT THE
TOP OF HIS CLASS ACADEMICALLY.
HE WAS POPULAR, HAD LOTS OF
FRIENDS AND INTERESTS AND HE
LIKED GOING TO SCHOOL.
>> SINCE THEN NONE OF THAT IS
TRUE.
TRUE.
TRUE. >>
TRUE. >> Reporter: IT HAS BEEN FOUR
YEARS SINCE THIRD GRADE, THE
YEAR THAT CHANGED ISAAC'S LIFE.
THE EXPERIENCE STILL HAUNTS HIM.
>> I USED TO GET OUT AND DO A
LOT OF STUFF.
NOW I AM MORE OF A HERMIT, PLAY
MINE CRAFT ALL DAY OR OTHER
VIDEO GAMES.
VIDEO GAMES. STICK INSIDE AND DON'T REALLY
LEAVE THE HOUSE MUCH.
>> Reporter: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN
HE WAS NINE?
HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO AN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SEATTLE'S
FREMONT NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREMONT NEIGHBORHOOD. RECORDS SHOW THAT WAS
DISASTROUS.
DISASTROUS. ISAAC WAS PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED
REPEATEDLY THERE FOR DANGEROUS
BEHAVIORS SUCH AS STRIKING STAFF
AND STEPPING IN FRONT OF A CAR.
>> I WALKED INTO A SITUATION
WHERE THE PRINCIPAL BY HIMSELF
WAS RESTRAINING MY SON.
ISAAC'S MOM HAD SAID HER SON
WAS RESTRAINED FOR MANY OTHER
OFFENSES THAT WERE DANGEROUS.
>> FOR REALLY MINOR THINGS LIKE
MAKING A MEAN FACE ONE TIME HE
HAD A DOOR AND ANOTHER TIME HE
GOT FRUSTRATED AND THROW PENCIL.
>> Reporter: A PSYCHOLOGIST
SAID THE REPEATED PHYSICAL
INTERVENTIONS CAUSED ISOLATION
FROM PEERS, INTENSE ANXIETY AND
TRAUMA.
TRAUMA.
TRAUMA. ISAAC IS 13 NOW AND SUFFERS
FROM DEPRESSION.
FROM DEPRESSION. TO THIS DAY HE IS AFRAID OF
SCHOOL AND DOESN'T WANT TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU
REMEMBER ABOUT BEING RESTRAINED?
>> NOTHING MUCH.
TRY TO BLOCK THOSE MEMORIES OUT
AND NOT TALK ABOUT THEM.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WOULD
PREFER NOT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> IT IS STILL THIS BAD.
IT HAS RUINED MY SON'S LIFE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WILL
GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND
WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT.
THAT IS HOW BAD IT IS.
>> Reporter: THEY ARE NOT
ALONE.
ALONE.
ALONE. SOON AFTER ISAAC LEFT THE
SCHOOL, 10 OTHER SPECIAL-
EDUCATION FAMILIES SENT THIS
LETTER TO THE STATE ASKING FOR
HELP CITING A SIGNIFICANT AND
DEEPLY TROUBLING TROUBLING
INCREASE IN THE USE OF PHYSICAL
RESTRAINT AND ISOLATION AT THE
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. IN 2015 HEIDI TESTIFIED BEFORE
A LEGISLATORS IN OLYMPIA URGING
THEM TO PASS A BILL TO LIMIT
THE USE OF ISOLATION AND
RESTRAINT.
RESTRAINT. >> WHEN I ASKED ISAAC WHAT HE
WANTED ME TO TELL YOU HE SAID
JUST TELL THEM THAT PUTTING
HANDS ON MAKES EVERYTHING WORSE.
I GET SCARED, I GET MORE MAD
AND I AM AFRAID OF SCHOOL AND I
DON'T WANT TO GO.
>> Reporter: IT WORKS.
ON MAY 9 2015 GOVERNOR INSLEE
SIGNED THE BILL INTO LAW.
ISAAC WAS FRONT AND CENTER TO
WITNESS IT.
WITNESS IT. NOW RESTRAINT AND ISOLATION CAN
ONLY BE USED IN A DIRE EMERGENCY
WHEN SERIOUS HARM IS EMINENT.
>> WE WERE VERY PROUD THAT THAT
WAS SIGNED INTO LAW.
>> Reporter: AFTER A NEW LAW
AND THE LAWSUIT THAT COST
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DID THE
SCHOOL LEARN OR CHANGE THEIR
WAYS?
WAYS?
WAYS? >>
WAYS? >> IT IS STILL GOING ON.
FISCAL YEAR JIA WALKED INTO HER
SON'S CLASSROOM AND WITNESSED
HER SON ALEC, SIX YEARS OLD AND
WEIGHING 40 POUNDS BEING
RESTRAINED, NOT ONCE BUT ON TWO
SEPARATE OCCASIONS BY THE
SPECIAL-EDUCATION TEACHER.
SPECIAL-EDUCATION TEACHER. >> HE WAS BEING HELD THIS WAY.
>> Reporter: ALEC WHO HAS AUTISM
WAS RESTRAINED FOR RUNNING OUT
OF THE ROOM.
THE PARENTS AREN'T SURE HOW MAY
TIMES IT HAPPENED.
THEY DO KNOW THEIR SON WAS
ACTING DIFFERENTLY, ANXIETY
RIDDEN AND NOT WANTING TO GO TO
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. >> I'M LIVID ABOUT WHAT THEY
DID.
DID.
DID. THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT
CHANGED.
CHANGED.
CHANGED. THE LOVE FOR LEARNING WAS
SQUASHED IN HIM.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THE
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
HOUSE. HE
HOUSE. HE WANTED TO STAY HOME.
>> Reporter: THE NEW LAW
MANDATES SCHOOLS REPORT
INCIDENCES OF ISOLATION AND
RESTRAINT.
RESTRAINT. IN THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR MOST
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS REPORTED
ZERO TWO FEW EVENTS.
NOT BF DAY.
THEY DOCUMENTED 71. ONLY
NORTHGATE AND GET WHAT
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD MORE.
>> THERE IS NO QUESTION IN ANY
OF THE PROFESSIONAL FIELD THAT
THE USE OF RESTRAINT AND
ISOLATION IS DAMAGING TO
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. >> Reporter: JEANETTE IS A
SPECIAL-EDUCATION ATTORNEY AND
ONE OF THE REASONS FOR MOST
AUTHORITIES ON CHILDREN'S WITH
DISABILITY.
DISABILITY. >> EVEN ONE OR TWO TIMES CAN
CAUSE TRAUMA.
CAUSE TRAUMA. IF THAT IS TRUE, THEN WHY ARE
WE DOING IT?
>> Reporter: HEIDI ISN'T SURE
HER SON WILL EVER RECOVER OR
FINISH SCHOOL OR FEEL ANY SENSE
OF JUSTICE.
OF JUSTICE. >> JUSTICE FOR MY SON WOULD
START WITH SOMEBODY, JUST ONE
PERSON FROM THE DISTRICT SAYING
WE ARE SO SORRY FOR WHAT WE
HAVE DONE.
HAVE DONE. WE ARE SO SORRY THAT WE HURT
YOUR CHILD AND WE DID IT
NEEDLESSLY.
NEEDLESSLY. BUT NOBODY WILL EVER JUST ADMIT
WHAT HAPPENED AND SAY THEY ARE
SORRY.
SORRY.
SORRY. >>
SORRY. >> ISAAC SPENT TWO YEARS NOT
GOING INTO A SCHOOL BUILDING.
NOW HE IS BACK GOING TO A
MIDDLE SCHOOL IN SEATTLE BUT IT
IS STILL TOUGH FOR HIM.
HE TOLD ME PERSONALLY THAT
EVERYDAY HE GETS DEPRESSED WHEN
HE GOES TO SCHOOL.
AS FOR SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOL
THEY TOLD US BF DAY IS
FOLLOWING THE LAW AND THEIR
STAFF IS TRAINED IN SPECIAL
TECHNIQUES TO AVOID THE USE OF
ISOLATION AND RESTRAINT.
WE ARE NOT SURE WHY THOSE
NUMBERS CONTINUE THAT WAY WHEN
THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED.
BUT, THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
>> I GET THE SENSE THIS IS NOT
THE END OF YOUR SERIES.
>> WE ARE DEFINITELY FOLLOWING
WHAT IS GOING ON IN OLYMPIA.