In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the use of restraint and seclusion. Many posts have mentioned these techniques, both in schools and facilities for people with disabilities.
Local school districts are removing students from a private El Dorado Hills school that provides services for special-needs students after the state rescinded the facility’s certification Wednesday.
State regulators confirmed Thursday they have decertified Guiding Hands School, which contracts with multiple local school districts to provide educational services for kids with autism and other developmental issues.
In November, a 13-year-old student with autism, Max Benson, became unresponsive and later died after being held in a face-down restraint by staff at Guiding Hands. The incident sparked an investigation by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the California Department of Education.
It was not immediately clear if the decertification is a result of the investigation into Benson’s death, or if the school will close. The CDE does not have the authority to close a non-public school; it can only suspend or revoke certification, according to a statement to The Bee. But local school districts can only send students to schools that are certified.
