Restraint & Seclusion of Students with Disabilities
In a single school year, U.S. public schools physically restrained, mechanically restrained, or secluded about 105,700 students. Students with disabilities are just 14% of enrollment, yet 76% of those physically restrained and 68% of those secluded. How often it happens depends enormously on where a child goes to school.
The reporting map 2017–18
Each state shaded by how many students with disabilities were restrained or secluded per 1,000 students with disabilities enrolled, using 2017–18 estimations (the most recent year OCR published by state). Darker means more incidents were recorded. Very low values often signal under-reporting, not safer schools.
Every state, ranked 2017–18
Sort by any column. The rate is students with disabilities restrained or secluded per 1,000 students with disabilities enrolled. "% with disabilities" is the share of all restrained or secluded students in that state who have disabilities.
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Maine reported restraint and seclusion but its students-with-disabilities enrollment was not available in the federal estimation, so it is listed without a rate. Hawaii reported zero incidents of restraint or seclusion. Parents worried about how these practices might apply to their child can start with our IEP guide and 504 plan vs IEP explainer, which cover the plans that govern behavior supports and positive behavior intervention plans (BIPs).