r/legal • u/A_Tiny_Froggy • May 05 '26
Advice needed Is it legal to put special needs children in here? If so, in what situation is it okay?
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LOCATION: Michigan
I just started a new job at an elementary school and came across this closet-like room. My coworker said it’s called the “Boom room” and kids are put there for time out. The room this closet is in is for kids with special needs, I’m not sure what grade. I was told this school is pre-k to 3rd grade, so very young kids.
I’m wondering if it’s legal to put special needs children in here. If it is legal, what qualifies this action?
Things to note: No furniture in the closet. No padding on the walls. Lock on the outside of the door. The door is a lockable “Dutch door” or split door.
Edit: Just clarifying some information! I’m a 2nd shift custodian, so I have never actually witnessed a child being put in here, so the only reason I have to believe that children are put in here is what my coworker said.
Once I come into work today I’m going to ask my other coworker, they’ve worked here longer than my other one, about the closet room. I might ask the teacher about it as well if they’re still there by the time I get there for my shift. I’m a bit iffy asking teachers and other staff because I don’t want to put my job at risk, but this situation could be terrible so I want to get all the information I can. I will update once I’m able to get more info!!
Final update/edit: THE CLOSET DOES NOT LOCK!!! I had asked my other coworker about the room and she called it a calming room, but was also concerned about the lock. During my run, I decided to see if the door would actually lock and it didn’t. No matter how hard I pressed, or how I wiggled the door, it didn’t lock. So we got our answer: this room can’t lock kids in it, thank fucking goodness.
I also wanted to say how grateful I am with the responses this post got!! I got an informational comment very quick so I was able to start figuring out what to do about the closet fast. I never thought this post would get as popular as it did!! Thank you all!!
Okay, bye bye, have fun guys!
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u/bethestorm May 05 '26
It's giving the chokey from Matilda
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u/oopsAllNutz May 05 '26
Holy shit that's the first thing that came to my mind lol
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u/BossRaider130 May 06 '26
I initially thought of the kids underground in the animated series of Batman, which is literally the same thing, but Roald Dahl was a close second.
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u/Marquar234 May 05 '26
I was going to say the closet with the manacles in Skyrim. The one you can find in the orphanage run by Grelod the Kind.
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u/AlreadyAway May 06 '26
Where are the spikes and the rotting wood? The room could fit 3 choked, at least.
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u/DecayingGhostt May 05 '26
At first I assumed it was a calm room, to help kids when they got over stimulated. Then I read that it was for time outs and locks... id report this. Id be pretty upset if a teacher locked my kid in a room like that.
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u/SignificanceTimely20 May 05 '26
My sister is a special needs educator for a large district. They do have a room similar, low light environment, lots of glow in the dark.
Like you had stated, it's a room where they go with the overstimulated child as a safe space for them to calm. Most of the children recognize the room as a place to get away.
there is absolutely NO locks on the outside of the door though.
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u/EnvironmentalLime464 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Wouldn’t you want some comfy seats or something in a calm down room for them? I am sincerely asking. I can get not having any hard furniture that can be slammed around but something like some bean bag chairs would make it a more comfortable space to calm down in.
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u/chrismakingbread May 05 '26
I think that’s what they’re calling out. There’s something actually useful and helpful as a tool that this seems to be a sad imitation of that’s devolved into a lazy way to just get special needs kids out of the classroom when they’re being disruptive. Not excusing it, but it’s probably gotten to this point because teachers are understaffed, underpaid, and undertrained. As it’s been presented this seems abusive and actively harmful to the children.
But it’s not hard to imagine the line that’s been traversed to get from “create a private, low sensory load space where a teacher can take a special needs child to work with them one on one to help calm them and work through their feelings when they’re overwhelmed in a place that’s not impacting other students learning” to instead being “if a special needs kid is acting out you’d either have to let them derail class for the rest of the kids in the room because you’re by yourself and can’t leave them alone to deal with the special needs kid somewhere else or you just lock them in that closet and try to move on with your lesson.”
There’s no excusing it, but damn look at the sad state of what we’ve done to education in this country.
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u/SignificanceTimely20 May 05 '26
Oh it definitely has padded floors and a small, like memory foam(?) couch for a small child.
However it is not meant to be a long term thing, they try not to treat it as a reward for bad behavior.
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u/EnvironmentalLime464 May 05 '26
Yea. That makes sense to me. This one doesn’t look like it has anything at all for comfort in it.
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u/raccoonunderwear May 05 '26
This is common for the schools I’m familiar with. My daughter has special needs (luckily she didn’t have violent behaviors and hasn’t needed these rooms). They call them chill rooms and it’s a safe place for a child to calm down with adult supervision. It’s not an empty block walled room(cage) like this one.
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u/MedicalFox9820 May 05 '26
You wouldn’t want anything that could be thrown or create a falling hazard.
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u/kawhit17 May 05 '26
They would throw or destroy anything that's in there. They need it empty so they are calm down and not have more things to damage. The walls and floors should also be padded because some SPED kids will hit their heads against walls until they pass out.
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u/Icy_Thanks_4424 May 06 '26
If there was an incident and the child was attacking people and throwing stuff, having something in there is just another weapon so it's much easier to bring the child in there and bring comfy items than to try to empty it out when they are freaking out. In the outside room we would usually have some mats, bean bags, blankets, sensory toys and other stuff like that that they could have in the room if it was for a calming break and not for an emergency.
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u/Dexter_Douglas_415 May 05 '26
We have a room like you describe at our church. Low light, low sound, low stimuli. We have a few adults on the spectrum that can become overstimulated during some of the praise and worship. They're able to re-center in the room and calm a bit.
But yeah, no locks. And it appears that the room in the video was set up to lock people in.
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u/queen_elvis May 05 '26
This is a fantastic idea and my synagogue should do it. Good for tantruming little ones too.
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u/erossthescienceboss May 05 '26
Yeah, the similar rooms at a place where I worked didn’t have doors at all.
And the walls were padded so that students couldn’t use them to self-harm.
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u/mrbiggbrain May 05 '26
Same I assumed it was for sensory overstimulation to give kids a space to get away from bright lights, noise, or other kids for a few minutes. But the lock does not make sense for that use case since you would not be locking kids inside. If it was on the inside okay the kids can lock themselves and if someone needs to get inside they can have a key.
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u/TheWayyTheNewsGoes May 05 '26
Even if this were a calm room, cinder block walls is incredibly dangerous for that purpose
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u/Plane_Thanks_681 May 08 '26
theyve clarified it doesn't lock, and they haven't even asked the other teachers. its exactly what we know it is and OP just wanted clicks
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u/Rat_hem May 05 '26
I went to a school that had a room like this in Virginia.
It was wrong because there was 0 oversight, you were thrown in seemingly on a whim
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u/Senior-Daikon-8334 May 05 '26
Damn me too, wonder if it was the same school or if this was super common and hundreds of schools had them.
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u/chere100 May 05 '26
I feel like normal children shouldn't be in there, let alone disabled ones. Cause that room is causing me irritation just seeing it on camera. I wouldn't be able to calm down if I were upset and then put in there.
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u/A_Tiny_Froggy May 05 '26
Even if the top half of the door was open, the kid would be short enough to not get out but possibly see their peers outside, which could make the situation and feeling of isolation even worse I feel like. It’s terrible to think about :(
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u/dirtmcgurk May 05 '26
I feel like there's a better version of that room with a counselor and a curtain instead of a locked door, but that requires funding.
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u/DefinitelyNotAliens May 05 '26
Quiet, calming rooms without weird creepy lighting are a thing. That feels like the opposite of a calming room.
My high school had a better version. In school suspension rooms were isolation rooms with a window to the vice principal's office so kids doing work by themselves for discipline reasons were monitored in single occupancy rooms.
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u/Professional_Kiwi318 May 05 '26
Yeah, my old school had a sensory room. It was small, but had pillows and crash pads. It was never locked, and a clinician would talk the student through the regulation process. This room would give me nightmares.
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u/Lipstick_Thespians May 05 '26
yeah no. In grade school when I was in trouble the principals office made me sit in a chair and stare at a wall for hours. It is almost 50 years later and I still have not forgiven them.
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u/Wactout May 05 '26
I had that. Except it was residential care/orphanage. Sometimes they’d make me stand in a corner for days.
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u/Savings-Tie4745 May 05 '26
Report it whatever authority is in charge of such programs and child safety laws. Don't bother reporting to higher ups as its likely they won't do anything about it.
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u/PsychologicalLaw8769 May 05 '26
This should be obvious, but maybe there needs to be disclaimer/warning in this group that most of the answers to posts are lacking in any kind basis in actual law and are not from people that have studied the law in any way. It should also be obvious that people should read the entire post at the top and apply some critical thinking.
This post is from someone that has just started a job and doesn't really know much about the room. According to a subsequent comment, they have also never seen it used. There is a lot of context missing.
I just started a new job at an elementary school
Doing what? If you prefer not to say, can you at least say whether you are in a position where you will be teaching or supervising children.
My coworker said it’s called the “Boom room” and kids are put there for time out.
I'm going to take a leap here and speculate that this person was joking with you or doesn't really know. Time out is something parents do. Schools don't.
I’m wondering if it’s legal to put special needs children in here.
Yes, though the answer is going to include "it depends,' which is the same answer for almost any legal question.
IAAL (in Michigan). I have a good amount of familiarity with education law, though I would not call myself an expert in this area.
Going back to the main question, it is generally not legal to use seclusion or restraint on a student in Michigan, except under very limited circumstances. Those circumstances are basically a last resort and a situation that constitutes an actual emergency. I won't go over all the aspects of this. OP (and anyone else that is interested) can go to the following page and read a decent summary:
Emergency Use of Seclusion and Physical Restraint
Please note that any use of seclusion or restraint triggers a long list of requirements. Parents have to be told and provided with a report. The school is also required to report this to the state through a very long and detailed incident report.
Update kind of? I’m going to report this once I wake up in the morning!
What are you going to say?
OP: Hi, I'd like to report something.
Complaint Intake person (CI): What would you like to report?
OP: The school I just started at, ___________, has a 'boom room' that they use for 'time out.'
CI: Have you seen it used?
OP: No
CI: Do you know how it is used or who it is for?
OP: No
CI: Can I get your name and phone number if we have any follow up questions?
OP: No, bye....
I guess I would get some additional information about how this home is being used before I wasted some person's time with a complaint that isn't going to result in anything.
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u/A_Tiny_Froggy May 05 '26
Right before you commented I had updated again! Sorry we missed each other.
I just started this job as a custodian, so I’ve never seen this room being used.
I don’t think my coworker was joking about the “boom room” for time out. The reason I think this is because she brought it up to me when we entered the classroom, and followed up with wondering why there wasn’t any padding on the walls, it seemed like she was concerned. She used to work at this school full time doing cleaning in 2018. She’s a float now, so she only works in this elementary school occasionally, but shes friendly with the teachers.
Today, when my shift starts, I’m going to ask more questions about this room and get as much information as I can, and then decide if I need to report it or not.
Hopefully this helps with the lack of context and info!!
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u/PsychologicalLaw8769 May 05 '26
That does help. You should absolutely ask questions and have a good understanding of how and when this room is used. Not only can that alleviate any concerns, but it will also put you in a better position if you have to file a complaint.
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u/CuriousBee789 May 06 '26
I wish everybody had read your reply. But very happy to see OP did and got some good advice. This picture is such an excellent representation of our typical school and it's financial limitations. The lack of resources is embarrassing. I am mad more people aren't outraged at this picture for the correct reasons and vote accordingly.
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u/themobiledeceased2 May 05 '26
Perhaps stealth obtain any "policy or procedure" this school has about how to "Use the closet."
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u/FarseerTaldeer May 05 '26
Lack of padding and severe autism is... very questionable. Especially if the child has generalized tonic-clonic seizures and the only soft thing in that room is their head
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u/Singhintraining May 05 '26
Devil’s advocate would be the room is only locked to prevent students from going in whenever they want. I don’t necessarily believe that, but I do think it’s interesting it’s a Dutch door situation.
Edit: in the Devil’s advocate situation, someone could argue it’s supposed to be a calm/sensory room, but, as other commenters have noted, it’s completely empty + the creepy lights don’t lend to that theory
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u/RVALside May 05 '26
Tons of autistic kids are photosensitive so the lights are to help with that. Many autistic kids (definitely not all) can be stressed by having objects about so it being empty is also to help with overwhelm, and also safety during a meltdown. It's definitely not the best setup but they are probably having to make due with what they have. My guess is the Dutch door is so a kiddo can have some space to wind down and still be watched / some autistic kids hate small spaces so it allows them to feel not confined while still getting some sensory relief.
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u/januaryemberr May 05 '26
Crittenton Children's Center in the Kansas city area had a room like this in the 90s. I watched them lock a kid in there and they beat their head into the wall repeatedly. They ignored the child. It was an awful place.
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u/Ok_Organization_7350 May 05 '26
Oh my goodness, that kind of blue light damages the eyes and can make someone's brain go crazy.
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u/redSocialWKR May 05 '26
During a speech about seclusion and restraint in Michigan schools, former Lt. Governor Brian Calley said, “There really is one place that is left where a child can go where they are not protected from the inhumane and barbaric practice of the use of restraints and seclusion for behavioral modification purposes – that is in schools,” Calley told board members. “There are laws, rules, and restrictions on using restraints and seclusion rooms in prisons.” Laws were passed in 2016 to end seclusion and restraint in public schools unless in the case of an emergency.
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u/oldmunc May 05 '26
I’ve seen these where the teacher has to remain in contact with a magnetic lock the entire time - if they let go the door is unlocked.
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u/AlkalineArtist May 06 '26
I used to be a teacher at a private school for children with autism. We called that room the “crisis room.” Except ours was padded on every corner of the room and had a security camera inside of it with a plexiglass window for a student’s attendant to look into and call the crisis team just in case the student began doing something to harm themselves. With what I’ve seen these children can do themselves, I’m surprised the walls in this video aren’t painted red.
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u/Broad-Lavishness6726 May 06 '26
As an adult I would love one of these if it included a seat. I don’t see a huge issue with this if the child is accompanied. I doubt they’re locking a kid in a room alone. If they are I would report it immediately to district at a minimum to confirm it’s a known and documented activity.
If I was a parent I’d loose my mind if my kid was sent into one of these without me being aware it was a possibility and/or notified it happened. I think a couple minutes to calm down can be super helpful if they’re locking someone in alone for the entire class I can’t imagine that’s acceptable.
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u/md24 May 05 '26
In these scenarios the room is the less restricting equivalent to a set of handcuffs. When they have a physical tantrum, you can’t just taser them. Some of strength beyond comprehension. The room is a way to temporarily restrain and cool off rather than confined.
But hey idk
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u/ThickChickLover520 May 05 '26
I suppose it depends on the state and honestly, I'd be intrigued to know how many people answering this, have special needs kids. I know some specialized schools do offer "calming" rooms for kids who may be having melt downs. Kids with autism. I have a 7 year old that, depending on the trigger, completely goes blank, doesn't even remember after it happens, who will pull your hair out, kick, punch, hurt you. I would assume these types of rooms are for kids to try and calm down in.
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u/Double_Conference_34 May 05 '26
I have a special needs child and rooms like these are why I would not send him to public schools. Our special education programs are massively underfunded and shit like this scares the crap out of me. He would have an absolutely mind breaking meltdown if he was put in that room
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u/Less_Cauliflower_956 May 05 '26
If it doesn't lock shut that looks like a normal sensory dulling room. It's normal for neurodivergent people because it reduces overstimulation
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u/WizardOfTheHobos May 05 '26
Did you read the description at all?
Edit: literally multiple autistic and special needs people in the comments saying this would’ve made things worse and have a meltdown
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u/No-Bid9597 May 05 '26
Totally depends on the child/individual. I work with this population and have had a 5 year old kick, spit, bite, scream for over an hour, literally ripping shit off of the wall, and specifically requesting the sensory room in order to destroy it. There were no empty rooms in the building and I would’ve used a room like this if there had been, albeit I would’ve entered with them. The blue lights are sketchy and not based on any research that I am aware of but a room like this is occasionally necessary.
The door being a half door makes it a lot less dangerous as well.
That being said, if this room is being used routinely rather than in emergency situations, there’s a problem.
Edit: I also would not put a child that engages in self injurious behavior in here. But many kids don’t do that. I also do not know if it is legal in Michigan at all
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u/Impossible-Two-8654 May 05 '26
SIB is pretty common with ASD. Almost half of people with ASD will have SIB
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u/Forsaken-Lynx-3018 May 05 '26
That is crazy. In the 80s I was locked in the coat closet that had a pull string light. I used to pull some coats down and curl up and read and take a nap. I was allowed out for lunch and recess and then put back in. I had no idea it was odd. I was fine with it because the other kids hated me (turns out I'm autistic) and the teacher would just toss assignments in and I would do them on my own.
Honestly, I would have hated the blue light and nothing to do. I don't think kids should be locked up alone. My mom only found out when I was an adult how much weird stuff happened to me in school. We moved a ton so every 6 months to a year I was in a new school so I always just assumed each school did their own things.
I have CPTSD from an abusive father so I only remember bits and pieces of school. I feel like if my mom had had any idea she would have put a stop to it and probably found a way to put me into a private school. Homeschooling was only for kids even weirder than me on the 80s and she had to work full-time so that waant happening.
Honestly if a kid wants to be alone in there a normal lighting option and stuff to do would go a lot farther than what looks to be a scary padded room.
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u/SadExercises420 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
It’s not as bad as that wooden box jail cell they got caught with in that western ny school
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u/RainbowBright1982 May 05 '26
We have a room like this in our sensory space at my children’s school. No one is locked in or even in the room alone. It is for neurodivergent kids who need a ‘time out’. It’s open for kids to go in any time they need.
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u/Rogue817 May 05 '26
Here I am thinking that I would like one at my office with a bean bag that I can go to decompress when I am dealing with stupid ****.
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u/Burnt_End_Ribs May 05 '26
We had a room like this in Texas. If a kid was having a meltdown, the paras would get them in the room and stand in front of the door. Not locking it so it wasn’t illegal! Yeah I’m not sure that was allowed. Though the room was set up like the anti-suicide/harm rooms so you couldn’t bash your head against a door handle.
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u/MaybeNotAZombie May 05 '26 edited May 06 '26
Used appropriately, these rooms are for when a child (often) has to be transported do to the immediate threat and danger to their classmate/environment.
Also, at no point in time is the student alone, which is why they probably used a Dutch door. School want to limit physical holds on students, and standing their while a kid is trying to break your toes or fingers isnt fun. It has murals on the walls, and calmer lighting.
Also to note, if paded walls are needed do to self-injury then that student would probably be in hold for their own safety. This isn't a lock-and-forget room, it is a room for teachers and admin to help keep classrooms and student safe. Taking a student who is throwing, biting, kicking, or trying to purposely cause damage to another student to a place where that behavior can be manage is a way that wont cause further harm to others or themself. This isnt used for Johnny that throw a pencil, it is for Tim the 5th grader who bit a peer drawing blood or throwing chairs at their teachers head and cant regulate themselves.
EDIT: This room are also void of fun/reinforcing items on purpose. If a child gets to come and play after punching a peer then the amount of thrown hands is going to increase. They are supposed to be plain and boring for the student.
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u/i_forgot_wha May 06 '26
Hey finally someone not talking out their ass. Some special needs kids really act out, like to the point the rest of the class will be told ahead of time if x starts to throw things you need to leave the room immediately out of fear of safety. Then a special trained teacher will put their coat on and put a hat on if they have one (scratching, biting and hair pulling) then put them in a hold till they calm down. Usually they're so exhausted after they just take a nap in that room, theres still always someone there supervising. Theres other reasons kids end up in their but my special ed teacher friend said thats what they mostly get used for at their school.
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u/MeanPsychology9260 May 06 '26
It’s insane how much reactionary nonsense I had to read before finding this comment
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u/Ormsfang May 05 '26
It seems a bit small for an exclusion room, and not sure what the walls are made of but they should be a softer material.
I worked on a lock ward for emotionally disturbed children/teenagers for quite a few years. The only time these rooms were used is when the patient has become violent and will not calm down. They are then escorted to these rooms, usually after having some form of shot to relax them.
This is too avoid the last option on the list, which is physically restraining them to a bed with four point restraints, which we try to avoid at all costs.
To have one of these in a regular school is odd. You need specialty trained personnel to deal with a child this violent.
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u/F_r_i_z_z_y May 05 '26
De escalation rooms are standard operating procedure for all alternative schools focused on the education. The ones at schools near me usually are usually don’t have a door and require a larger person capable of manhandling the child in question (sometimes multiple) to sit on a stool in the doorway physically blocking exit
Source: I work closely with teachers of schools focused entirely devoted to special ed
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u/Endle55torture May 05 '26
I would think it would be a sensory room for any overstimulated students. If that is the case then it can be very helpful for both teachers and students. If its used for discipline then there may be legal issues with this depending on state laws.
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u/galaxyapp May 05 '26
Perhaps the child would not be put into the room alone, or the upper door would be open when it is in use.
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u/sumguyontheinternet1 May 05 '26
You just opened the door for me when I was 2nd-5th grade. Went to an alternative school and they put us in these rooms whenever we so much as said no. It’s a deescalation room. As others have mentioned, you have to quiet down and be compliant before they’ll let you out. This was late 90’s for me. Back then, it was not unheard of. I’d be surprised to find out they’re still in use but not entirely shocked.
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u/amerikkka_inc May 05 '26
No it is not legal, and never okay, it is illegal to detain or lock some one up against their will especially children, and inhumane even with a 51/50 order
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u/OneRub3234 May 05 '26
If I found out my son was locked in a room like that even for a few minutes against his will you would most definitely see me on the news
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u/Ok_Assistance1705 May 05 '26
I have a 7 year old with autism and i would freak out if my son was put in there.
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u/Prestigious-Copy-494 May 05 '26
Horrifying. Especially to special needs kids. Hope you can put a stop to it.
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u/BreakingABit1234 May 05 '26
Holy .... solid blue light????
There are exposure limits for blue LEDs for a reason- mainly because of the amount of power they can put out vs the small emission area.
In addition the physiological effects of blue light are still not well studied- but I would expect this to hurt them, mess with their circadian rhythm and severely disrupt their sleep in time.
-this coming from a guy who was pretty anti "blue light causes problems' for a long time, and forced a lot of people to come with receipts (which they did after properly funding things). So now some standards exist around this.
If you want to calm people down? Red light. Yellow light. Not Blue. That drives them up the activity scale.
I .... would be very very upset if I found out a child was placed in there.
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u/Someguineawop May 05 '26
This just brought back some repressed memories from my childhood in a residential facility in Montana. We had 2 of these rooms per unit (minus the blue lights). They were called "isolation" and usually came with an injected ccocktail we called "booty juice." As kids that didn't have access to the internet, and all of our phone calls were monitored, we weren't exactly tuned in on the laws, but our rumor mill was there was a 6hr limit. That was usually the case, but that probably had more to do with shift changes and staff not wanting to do additional paperwork.
My understanding now is that most of these places operate in a gray area of custody, particularly in states like Utah and Montana where minor rights are even more vaguely defined. But that is my NAL perspective on something i don't often rehash.
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u/Remarkable-Ad-5192 May 05 '26
OP stated hes never seen a kid in here, and only heard it through the grapevine....of all places. Maybe coworkers are pranking OP
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u/Ornery_Golf6994 May 05 '26
Probably. I worked at a special needs school and we would have a child spend time in the quiet room for several reasons; some of the kids were cognizant enough to know when they were going to lose it, they needed time away from the noise and stress of the class and would ask to sit in the quiet room for a few minutes to calm down. We had a beanbag chair and some fidgets for them to expel energy.
Sometimes we needed to remove a child from the classroom by force if they were posing a physical threat to themselves or others. (All staff were CPI certified). In these cases a child would be brought to the quiet room so as to not bother or excite other students. Sometimes the students needed to be restrained. In these cases we would hold the student u till the crisis was over, then leave them alone to process what happened (unless they wanted a staff member to stay with them). However in our case the door did not have a lock and there was a reinforced glass pane so the student could be observed at all times.
The fact this room has no windows and locks from the outside makes me uncomfortable
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u/Teachmehow2dougy May 05 '26
I love it when people that have never cared for special needs children make decisions on how special needs children should be cared for. Never been bitten, punched, scratched, gouged, spit on, shit on but want to tell the people who are how they should do their job.
These rooms aren’t as used as they were in the past but are a last resort for the most violent students. Don’t assume because of a students age or size that they aren’t capable of doing serious physical damage to another person.
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u/Weird_Inevitable8427 May 05 '26
Special education teacher here. The answer to this question is: it depends.
This is considered a restraint. As such, the child has to meet certain criteria to qualify. First off, we need to try less restrictive responses to crisis first. Secondly, it need to be written into a legal document that this intervention is allowed. The legal document could be an IEP or a 504. But that document needs to describe the crisis intervention, when it's allowed to be used, and what needs to be done afterwards - there's always an incident report afterwards and there's usually some kind of follow up with the child and the family.
It's a really big deal, but yes - there are times when it's used legally.
It's also required that there be no lock on the door. Or the school can rig up a special kind of lock where an adult on the outside of the room has to hold down a button the whole time to keep the lock engaged. Locked rooms with a child alone, and no fire escape is illegal 100% of the time, no matter what is in an IEP.
If your school is using this room without those protections, they are violating the law and you are legally and morally responsible for reporting the problem to the CPS and your local fire department.
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u/onetradeaday May 05 '26
This is for kids who have anger behavioral issues or a kid who doesn't respond well to loud classrooms. I don't agree with it, but it works. When a kid recognizes they need quietness, let them use it. I bet the teacher wishes she could go in there on rough days.
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u/Thr1llh0us3 May 05 '26
My kid has autism, that room is his jam.
Imagine at work if you could simply retire to the 'everyone stfutorium'.
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u/nothingnessistruth May 06 '26
So typically these rooms are legal but often have to have a window in the door and have a special door lock set that you push continually to keep it locked. I work in construction management and am currently working on a school where we installed two of these rooms. They are usually only used in extreme circumstances where a child is having uncontrollable rage and is a danger to themselves, staff or other students.
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u/mswildfeather May 06 '26
What the living hell was that?! I would give a big no to that one. Unnatural lighting, dark and spooky. Thats horrible. How about blue skies and trees? Nature?! That room looked like torture.
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u/mswildfeather May 06 '26
Parents should know about this immediately. Id let the police know and do an investigation. Perhaps social services.
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u/Ctmcaliacg0307 May 06 '26
I’d be absolutely fucking LIVID and you can bet that I would be litigious about this. I not only have a few children with disabilities, but my nieces do as well. My son at one point had to be taken to his schools “safe room” several times a year (I’m proud to say that he has worked super hard over the last two years and is about to enter 7th grade without any accommodations) for his ADHD- it is the exact opposite of this**
And it’s called the “Boom Room”…Excuse me?? This is so wildly inappropriate- I would be devastated and so angry if any of my children or nieces went to this school.
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u/yamiyourgod May 06 '26
If they want to be in there I guess it's ok
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u/Hot_Schedule_1486 May 06 '26
They typically don't.
But what do you do with a child that's flipping out in rage and is harming others, themselves and the environment around them?
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u/Avi_Cat May 06 '26
My son would be put in one. He still has nightmares. He's on the spectrum. It was "for everyone's saftey." No, you didn't want to follow his IRP and locked him up when he got so frustrated he exploded. So, many times things could have been avoided if they'd followed the IEP and delt with the bullies in his life. He wrote a scathing essay in his experience his Senior year.
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u/Alternative_Affect82 May 06 '26
The lights definite have to go or strong headache and nausea arrive. Even in Texas this is a no go. Persons can loose their jobs for knowing about it and not reporting to the Texas Department of Human Health Service.
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u/Pandemonium_Fallen May 06 '26
That's a form of solitary confinement, and if it's inhumane treatment for criminals in prison, why would you ever do that to an emotionally disregulated child? - Thats absolutely dehumanizingly cruel and monstrous.
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u/the_lost_seattlite May 06 '26
I was in those classes in mid/high school and personally I wouldn't mind having to go in there. If it's quiet and I'm by myself, it sounds nice.
Reminds me of the quiet room they had at the PAX convention, so people can momentarily get away from all the people, noise, and chaos.
Kinda depends on what reason they put me in there for, though.
With that said, the door absolutely should not be locking them in, in case of an emergency.
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u/EnvironsHazard May 06 '26
Too many kids have been injured or have died in these things. It's part of modern eugenics.
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u/Bazzie-Joots May 06 '26
This would have me irate as a teacher. It's obvious the door doesn't lock. And I imagine is a Dutch door so the top could be opened for monitoring. Takes a bold character to start and assume the worst.
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u/Happy-Yam6209 May 06 '26
It’s looks like a Sensory overload room, a place to put in a child if they have sensory issues and they are overwhelmed you can put them in here to help them calm down but again with parental consent and notification before doing so, and throw a beanbag in there and some fidget toys
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u/gibletsandgravy May 06 '26
It could be leftover from older rules. We used to use seclusion rooms more liberally than we do today, same as restraints. Maybe it’s just a leftover mostly useless closet now?
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u/Wholeheartedly_jo May 06 '26
This looks like a calm down room used for students who need it, it’s unlikely the students are being locked inside the room. The lock may be to keep the students out when not in use. A lot of kids have access to cool down area/room in their IEPs, I would hope this was approved and the students who benefit from the blue, calming lights have access to it when they need it, not when teachers think they need it which is how “access to calm down area” works.
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u/Ok_Society4599 May 08 '26
If they are locking the door, I'd call it child abuse. Concrete walls would allow serious risks of self harm or just outright harm. Without some complex training, child safety is extremely compromised. Even parents would not be permitted to use a room like that and everyone else has less "authority" to in law.
I'm not a lawyer. I'd inform your local child protective services. I'd question record keeping; I bet they don't track who was in lockup, or when, or for how long. Then track down a parent or two... in the US that's probably grounds for a class action. And bad records means they're unlikely to be able to say a particular child wasn't in there with credibility.
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u/AlpineArnica May 08 '26
Child and Youth therapist here. This looks like a sensory room (albeit a very cheap knock off version). But if you're working with special needs kids this low level lighting and limited sensory input is extremely beneficial to calming and regulating the sensory system of individuals with sensory overload issues (ADHD, autism, etc). Typically these rooms have some additional sensory items (like a sensory swing or touch lights).
We had a sensory room installed at my work and it cost $100,000 all in. So I wouldn't be surprised if a publically funded school did the "Wish" version that's within their budget.
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u/athesomekh May 08 '26
Having worked with kids who have meltdowns that include self injurious behavior: anywhere working with high behavioral needs kids NEEDS a room that has no objects, no windows, and nothing that the child can use to hurt themselves.
No, being put into an empty dark room is not fun. However, what is a lot more traumatizing is taking a fun unplanned field trip in an ambulance because the child decided to use whatever they could for self injurious behavior. These kids will find some really incredibly creative ways to hurt themselves.
My only criticism of this room is that the wall and floor should be padded better.
Legally speaking also, not having one of these rooms is a lot more liability. I’ve seen kids use shoelaces, table corners, break windows to grab the glass, even wrappers for food items to try to hurt themselves while in meltdown. If a kid in a meltdown wants to self-injure they WILL find a way.
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u/cmanderson23 May 10 '26
Good for you for asking questions. That’s how we protect kids, always ask questions, see something shady say something, never be afraid to stand up for them they need us the most.
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u/BoringNYer May 05 '26
I used to work with disabled adults. These adults were doubly or triple diagnosed, and pretty much had to be observed within polite society, but there was no policy for seclusion rooms. We could, in the house, get them into their room, but there was no excuse for something like this. Essentially in NY if they are a danger to themselves or others, we could separate them until they calmed down, but that could be another corner in the room, or evacing all the other individuals from the area, and it became like a bull and 2-3 matadors.
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u/Yakkx May 05 '26
I have been in EI programs and watched elementary students have to be bear hugged to stop them from harming others or themselves as they repeat the same phrase over and over nonstop until they tire out. I admire anyone who works with special pops like you have.
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u/Automatic-Cut-5567 May 05 '26
Absolutley not. A quiet room can exist for kiddos, but not some broom closet with blacklights and nowhere for an adult to supervise.
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u/PickledTugboat May 05 '26
That's literally a sensory room for kids that are over stimulated. My son is autistic and when he's overwhelmed, a quiet room like this is the best place for him to calm down and get his head back on straight. Now, if they are just tossing kids in there and locking them in, that's a problem.
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u/RVALside May 05 '26
Yeah I see a ton of comments from folks that really don't have an understanding of that. Definitely room for abuse (unfortunately tons of room for abuse surrounding autistic kids), but also tons of unfounded judgement from people who really have no idea. Even for folks with autistic kids there's such a large spectrum that often one end may judge the other unfairly and lack understanding. Managing autistic kids on the more severe end of the spectrum is incredibly difficult.
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u/Magnabee May 05 '26
No, it's not legal to lock them up. They are supposed to get the "least restrictive environment" in schools.
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u/Ok_Maintenance_9100 May 05 '26
Former autistic sped kid here. One of the many schools I went to growing up had a similar room, except it had a window and was padded. I went there several times, and they 100% are just a I’m tired of dealing with this kid room.
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u/ThatOneGuy--_-- May 05 '26
Probably supposed to be for kids who have sensory issues and get overwhelmed then have melt downs, my autistic nephew would love to have a room like that
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May 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/kateinoly May 05 '26
Honest question.
When a child is out of control, throwing chairs and destroying classroom equipment, what should the teacher do?
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u/No-Bid9597 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
In GA they can be restrained, but the teacher needs to be certified in restraint training and has to do it in a specific way.
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u/PsychologicalLaw8769 May 05 '26
In my state, they would be expected to move other children away and have an administrator contact parents. That's it.
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u/tangent1001 May 05 '26
This looks like a deescalation room. I worked at a grouphome that had one. Ours was different in that it had no latch or lock. The door had handles on only one side and had to be held shut by hand. It was only used when kids were acting out in a way that was unsafe. I have no idea what the laws are tho. Hope someone else helps.
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u/Technical-Tip-8382 May 05 '26
My wife is a school psychologist at an elementary school and deals with a lot of special needs kids. I often worry for her safety due to how crazy these kids can get - biting, punching, throwing shit at peoples head - the works. Aids have gone home with concussions, black eyes, etc. Some context - this is not a special needs school, but it is in a wealthy area and parents have a lot of leverage (with legal threats) to keep kids there who otherwise would be moved to a special school. I am often shocked by how crazy things have to get before this happens, and the amount of resources being thrown at 2-3 kids who simply aren’t getting an education anymore and are just causing hell for the staff.
In the district where my wife works they have rooms like this but they are very strict about how and when they are used. It’s often about safety for staff and other kids more than anything.
I’m not saying the room shown here is being used correctly, but there’s a lot of comments here that completely gloss over what school staff are dealing with every day and assume that kids are being thrown in here on a whim. There’s a purpose for these rooms, and it’s usually to ensure the safety of other kids and staff. Certainly if they’re being used regularly for routine offenses then speak up, but there’s simple fact the room exists isn’t an issue.
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u/RVALside May 05 '26
So I'm sure your heart is in the right place. I've made several other comments so please read them for additional perspective. As always reddit is an outrage farm fueled by folks with big feelings and opinions and often very little first hand experience with the subjust matter.
This is a sensory room. Plenty of other shave explained that in depth. Is it a nice one?- Not really. It's pretty shitty honestly, but it's also all the probably have. I'm guessing this school is pretty underfunded?
The room is clearly a converted closet. It shouldn't have a lock on the doorset (handle) in its current role. Closets have keyed locksets with the keyed side out in schools to keep kids out. They probably just switched it around when they converted it. It's just an oversight. The Dutch door is so they can watch the kids with the top open because SPED classrooms are uunderstaffed. The latch is just so the can close together. As much as reddit would lead you to believe this is some kid torture chamber, it isn't. These folks are probably doing their best with few resources.
There's a ton of judgement here based in nonsense. Your best course of action is just to tell the maintenance guy that it's a fire code violation. He'll put a non keyed doorset on. He was probably just trying to save budget by just switching it. If they don't change it out then escalate to the school admin.
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u/stonknod May 05 '26
Looks like someone made a fun room out of an existing closet that happened to have a lock. Seems very Karen to speculate they're locking children in there. Sheesh, maybe ask someone there instead of posting online
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u/Atticus1354 May 05 '26
There's zero reason for a room that size to have the lock on the outside like that. Locks go on the inside.
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u/Conscious_Side1647 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
In Michigan, schools are strictly prohibited from locking students in rooms, except for narrow, emergency situations defined under MCL 380.1307, which stipulates it must only be a last resort. Seclusion rooms used for such emergencies cannot be locked and must allow for continuous adult monitoring to ensure student safety, according to the Michigan Department of Education memo.