Victory Autism Academy (VAA) staff strives for excellence in providing the highest quality educational programs for all students. We make every effort to provide a healthy, positive, and safe environment promoting academics, life skills, social skills, and positive behavior. We use a variety of behavioral and Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) techniques to ensure the care, welfare, safety, and security of all students, staff, and others in the educational environment are a top priority.
Physical intervention will only be used as a last resort where we deem a child to be putting themselves or others in immediate physical danger. Therapeutic holds and physical restraint will not be used unless less restrictive interventions appear insufficient to mitigate the imminent danger of bodily harm to the student or others.
Therapeutic holds will not impede the student’s ability to breathe and will not be out of proportion to the student’s age or physical condition. Therapeutic holds will end when the student no longer is a physical danger to themselves or others.
A therapeutic hold is defined as a treatment technique where a person in crisis is contained by a group of trained personnel rather than mechanical or chemical restraint.
Victory Autism Academy does not use “seclusion” as a form of intervention. Victory Autism Academy staff may, however, take a student on a walk to calm him or her, or provide an alternative area away from the classroom to maintain student dignity, and privacy, and to maintain the safety of peers.
Victory Autism Academy staff are trained in the use of physical interventions as well as de-escalation strategies. Physical interventions can be as subtle as a physical cue and as restrictive as a therapeutic hold. Victory Autism Academy staff are trained in therapeutic holds and are overseen by a Crisis Prevention Intervention trainer. Staff are fully trained each year and provided no less than two refreshers within the school year.
When a therapeutic hold occurs, the lead staff member who responded will document the incident on a therapeutic report form and administration will check the student for any injury that may have occurred during the intervention. Parents or guardians will be informed that day via phone call. Parents may request a copy of the incident report at any time. All incidents are tracked so that we analyze any patterns related to the behaviors that lead to physical interventions to develop, different techniques to prevent the behavior from occurring in the future, to determine whether a child may need extra support, and to develop replacement behaviors that will be taught to the student.
Consent for Crisis Prevention Interventions and/or Therapeutic holds
I understand and accept the above conditions, and I grant permission for the staff of Victory Autism Academy to utilize Crisis Prevention Interventions and/or therapeutic holds consistent with state and federal laws. Furthermore, I will contact Victory Autism Academy if I have any questions about behavioral interventions, Crisis Prevention Interventions, or therapeutic holds. I acknowledge that the signature of one legal parent/legal guardian is sufficient for these consents.