In 2004, the newly formed Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS), of which NDSC is a founding member, held a press conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  As part of the press conference, APRAIS exhibited a photo gallery of children who had been injured, traumatized, or killed through the use of restraint, aversives, or seclusion in their education or treatment program.
 
Restraint and seclusion are practices used in public schools that have killed, injured, and traumatized students. More than 20 children have died since 1992, according to a Congressional agency report.  At least 107,000 students were subjected to restraint and seclusion in isolation rooms, according to data from the 2011-12 school year.

To prevent these practices and protect students and staff, Senators Tom Harkin and Chris Murphy have introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act in the Senate (S. 2036) and Representatives George Miller and Gregg Harper have introduced the House Bill (H.R. 1893).

NDSC has actively continued the journey with APRAIS to educate parents, teachers and state and federal legislators about the dangers and dehumanization in the use of these interventions.  We have also worked tirelessly to pass a federal law prohibiting their use in schools, despite opposition from many school administrators and educators.

In June, APRAIS kicked off a summer campaign to get as many co-sponsors on the bill as possible.  We began with a Call-in Day on June 12th, and held a Congressional briefing in which NDSC board member Tonia Ferguson testified about the abuse that her son, who has Down syndrome and autism, experienced in school.  In July we began Hill visits in conjunction with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, to Senate and House members to urge co-sponsorship of the bill.  

Currently, 63 House members are now co-sponsors, an increase of 29 since the end of June.  Advocacy is working!