Many have reported that they now live with fear and flashbacks that involve a sudden, involuntary re-living of this emotional and physically traumatic experience. Post-traumatic stress disorder is increasingly being diagnosed among persons who have been subjected to the systematic use of restraints. In our experiences as professionals, parents, and individuals with autism, we have witnessed too many times the horror and injury done to our citizens with autism. We are weary of seeing our people become victims. Although any one of us, disabled or not, may at some point in our lives need to be restrained on an emergency basis, that should only occur when there is substantial threat of injury to self and others.
Behavioral restraints are neither treatment nor education.
They are merely procedures or methods that restrict freedom of choice and adversely affect the human development of people with disabilities. The use of restraints should be considered a failure in treatment. We totally condemn the use of behavioral restraints. We call on national and state agencies to investigate the widespread mistreatment of people with disabilities through the use of restraints.