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Children held down: Families question use of therapeutic restraints in Maine public schools
07.13.2010
By Emily Parkhurst
SCARBOROUGH — Brandon Baizley is smart, but even his parents admit he is a difficult 6-year-old.
Brandon was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Oppositional Defiance Disorder more than a year ago. His parents, Bob and Mary Ann, know that Brandon will constantly test their rules and boundaries, he will push their buttons and try to get that piece of candy, that trip to Build-a-Bear.
But they also know that someday Brandon, whose IQ is significantly higher than the average child his age, will be a successful and productive member of society.
They just have to get him through school alive.
While it may seem like hyperbole, the Baizleys believe Brandon's life could be at risk from the therapeutic restraints imposed on him at school.
The holds, which began when Brandon was 5 years old, have occurred more than 25 times in the past year and a half, and have led to a sprained wrist, hospitalization and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. Fearing for his safety, Bob and Mary Ann pulled Brandon out of school for more than a month this spring.
For Brandon and hundreds of other special education students like him, therapeutic restraint by school staff has become a regular part of their public school experiences.
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