Becoming so tired of misinformation being spouted about seclusion rooms, I sent the following letter to the writer of the article on seclusion rooms.

Please let me ask you not to print things that are not true. I work for Edmonton Public Schools and all seclusion rooms are monitored. Students are not put in cages. As an organisation that is working for the rights of parents, shame on you for stooping to printing something this incorrect and slanderous. Has the writer of this article ever been in an EPS school and seen a seclusion room? Doors CANNOT lock from the outside and are not able to stay closed unless a staff member stands and holds the handle down. There is a window in each door to allow for monitoring and also for the child to see through. Regulations say that once the child is calm, the staff member debriefs with the child and the child comes out.  

You ask why the numbers are higher in Edmonton; it is because people from many countries are coming specifically to Edmonton Public because of the great work that our schools are doing with children with autism. 

You make a statement that EPSB is using seclusion rooms inappropriately; what are you basing that statement on? The example you gave was of an Ontario child. 

"So, let’s do for seclusion rooms what we already do for special needs programming itself: require a plan, written down, subject to review by the parents."  Once again, you have not done your homework. These plans are in place for families.

I am quite disgusted by the amount of misinformation that you have printed in this article.

I ended with the offer of speaking to the writer in person and left my phone number.