The toolkit below is intended to support advocates who wish to get involved with restraint and seclusion advocacy efforts at the federal level. Resources included in the toolkit are intended to be shared with elected officials and their staff and may include facts and statistics that are new or upsetting to some community members. If you would like to contact a member of our policy team about the information found in these resources, please email policy@ndss.org.
Overview on Restraint and Seclusion
Restraint is defined as the act of controlling behavior or restricting freedom of movement. There are several kinds of restraints:
- Chemical restraint uses drugs or medication that have not been prescribed by a licensed physician or administered by a qualified health professional.
- Mechanical restraint is the utilization of devices to restrict a student’s movement.
Physical restraint is the use of physical force to immobilize or reduce the free movement of a student’s arms, legs, torso, or head. Seclusion is the involuntary confinement of a student alone in an area where the student is prevented from leaving.
Restraint and seclusion practices disproportionately impact students with disabilities. Although students with disabilities receiving special education services under IDEA make up only 14% of the total K-12 enrollment, they account for 28% of mechanical restraint, 76% of physical restraint, and 68% of seclusion incidents.
Keeping All Students Safe Act
At the federal level, NDSS supports the Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA). This bill would prohibit the use of mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and seclusion. KASSA will also limit instances in which physical restraint can be used, allowing it only when there is an imminent threat of physical harm to others in the classroom. This bill will direct the Department of Education to give grants to state education agencies to provide training to faculty on alternatives to restraint and seclusion, and to collect more data.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act (S. 3448 / H.R. 6617) was introduced on December 12th, 2025 by Senators Sanders (I-VT), Murray (D-WA), and Murphy (D-CT) and Representatives Beyer (D-VA), Scott (D-VA), and Hamadeh (R-AZ).
