Policies

Updated March 1, 2024

Soaring Eagle Academy, Individualized Regulatory Support Plans (IRSP) are designed to address areas of unmet needs and support co-regulatory strategies to replace dysregulation and resulting challenging behaviors.  These stress responses arise because of a student’s individual sensory profile, language comprehension and emotional processing challenges and developmental level.  Supporting students in reaching a calm, regulated state with readiness to learn will be achieved using sensory supports, language comprehension strategies and co-regulatory strategies in natural environments throughout their day.

An individual Regulatory Support Plan (IRSP) is the completion of a complex assessment and resulting intervention Safety Plan when appropriate that is developed and updated regularly and reviewed at a student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) meeting.  The purpose of the plan is to expand the staff and parents’ understanding of the student’s regulatory profile in order to decrease stress responses resulting in behaviors and facilitate a calm regulated state throughout a student’s day.

Soaring Eagle Academy’s Individual Sensory Profile and Regulatory Assessment and the Individual Regulatory Support Plan (IRSP) contain many components including the following:

• Objective description of stress responses and resulting behavior
• Locations or situations where behavior occurs
• Locations or situations where the student is regulated and the behavior does not occur
• Events that happen just before the behavior
• Events that happen just after the behavior
• Additional information, including the student’s health, medication and strengths.
• Strengths of the student
• Additional supports and interventions that will be provided
• Data collection and evaluation
• Plan for communication with student’s family

Utilizing Soaring Eagle Academy’s Developmental Language and Developmental Individual Differences, Relationship-Based thinking, students must possess the following capacities to complete an intentional behavior.

• Develop relationships with classroom staff
• Be available for learning
• Understand the expectation
• Have an intent to avoid or escape an activity
• Consistent capacity to problem solve
• Have the capacity to pre-plan and comprehend an alternative solution to a challenging behavior

When this developmental level is reached, then additional developmentally appropriate supports will be added to the students IRSP and Safety Plan that facilitate positive relationships with staff and peers and continue facilitating the student’s sense of self and self-esteem while continuing to access Soaring Eagle Academy’s educational and social programming and the student’s IEP.     

In the event that a student’s dysregulation results in behaviors that present an imminent danger of serious physical harm to the student or to others and other less restrictive and intrusive interventions have failed, and so long as no medical contraindication exists to the student, procedures are in place for implementation of safe emergency intervention techniques to protect the safety of everyone involved through the Mandt System.  The Mandt System is a comprehensive, integrated approach to preventing, de-escalating, and if necessary, intervening when the behavior of an individual poses a threat of harm to themselves and/or others. The focus of The Mandt System is on building healthy relationships between all the stakeholders in human service settings in order to facilitate the development of an organizational culture that provides the emotional, psychological, and physical safety.   

“The Mandt System integrates knowledge about the neurobiological impact of childhood trauma with the principles of positive behavior support and provides a framework that empowers service providers to do their work in a way that minimizes the use of coercion.” Staff is trained in The Mandt System, Soaring Eagle Academy’s Individual Regulatory Support Plan, Student Safety Plans when appropriate and Relationship Based and Developmental Models by trained individuals.  Additionally, regular mental health-based processing is available to all staff across classrooms and systems. Only those staff members who are trained in the Mandt System are permitted to apply the emergency intervention techniques.

Informed Consent:

Soaring Eagle Academy’s behavior policies and procedures promote proactive developmental and emotionally affirming approaches that support students along a continuum of developing their ability to regulate him/herself. Soaring Eagle Academy does not use any behavior intervention strategies that would jeopardize the safety or security of students or that would rely upon pain as a method of control. Emergency behavioral management intervention techniques are only used to maintain a safe environment and only to the extent necessary to preserve the safety of the student and others. Such techniques are never utilized as a form of punishment. 

Prior to enrollment at SEA, a copy of this Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Policy, that details our facility’s behavior management procedures, is provided to the parent/guardian with date received listed on the Nonpublic Facility Placement Contract. Parents are also required to sign and return the Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Policy Acknowledgement form after having reviewed the policy.

After enrollment at Soaring Eagle Academy, the Individual Sensory Profile and Regulatory Assessment is initiated.  An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting is then held at Soaring Eagle Academy to share this additional information and update the student’s IEP. Additionally, a Safety Plan is provided at that time if needed.  

Individual Sensory Profile and Regulatory Assessment:

The Individual Sensory Profile and Regulatory Assessment (IRSP) includes any or all of the following in the determination of an appropriate IRSP:

      – Review of history, case records, health, medication

      – Interview of parents, teachers, aides, therapists and/or primary caregivers;

      – Direct observation of student across environments;

      – Direct observation of the challenging dysregulation as it occurs;

– Frequency of dysregulation throughout a student’s day **

– Time of dysregulation throughout the student’s day

– Location of dysregulation throughout a student’s day**

– Detailed analysis of sensory profile needs, language comprehension and communication needs and  

                affect/emotional processing needs.

– Profile Consideration that can negatively affect Regulation

• Hyper-responsivity or Hypo-responsivity to Auditory, Visual, Tactile, Vestibular or Multi-sensory input
• Specific variables in each area
  • Auditory – Ex. Unexpected loud noises, crying
  • Visual – Ex. Bright lights, people/objects moving near them
  • Tactile – Ex. Unexpected touch, wet clothing
  • Vestibular – Ex. Feet being off the ground, rotary movement
  • Body Awareness/Postural Control – Ex. climbing, unstable surface
  • Visual Spatial – Ex. Navigating self over/around school
  • Language – Ex. Use of too much language, not being able to understand what is requested or expected
  • Motor Planning/Problem Solving – Ex. Transitions, getting on/off new equipment or objects.
  • Emotions – Ex. High level of emotion positive or negative
  • Sleep – Ex. Feeling tired/fatigued, not enough sleep
  • Eating/Food – Ex. Not wanting food, eating too fast/slow
  • Toileting – Ex. Having a bathroom accident. Frequently toileting
• Range of arousal
• Postural security
• Ideation
• Problem solving

– Trial interventions and strategies; support from the Occupational therapist, Behavior DIR ® Specialist

(Substitute Teacher with additional training in the DIR® model supporting the Functional Emotional

Developmental Levels of students), Speech Language Pathologist, Mental Health worker, Teacher and

Behavior DIR ®Expert Clinician/Associate Behavior DIR® Expert Clinicians (Licensed Speech Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, Special Education Teacher), with additional training and/or expertise in DIR® model thinking from the DIR® certification

organizations).

Developing Individualized Regulatory Support Plan (IRSP):

The IRSP is based on the Individual Sensory Profile and Regulatory Assessment and consist of:

– DIR ® individualized sensory processing and motor profile, and language comprehension,

   communication, and emotional processing capacities.

      – Identification, description, location, frequency and length of dysregulation

      – Identifying strengths of the student

      – Identifying environments where the student is regulated and calm

      – Identified variables and profile considerations negatively effecting regulation

      – Underlying reason for dysregulation

      – Identified anxieties contributing to dysregulation

– Proactive strategies and techniques including sensory profile plan and language comprehension

   strategies and supports designed to support the student’s optimal level of regulation

• Auditory support – Ex. Working a quiet room, wear sound dampening headphones
• Visual support – Ex. Prepare the student when someone or something is coming into their visual field, close blinds on sunny days
• Tactile support – Ex. Towels ready to wipe clean, offer tools, gloves for unwanted textures
• Vestibular (movement) Ex. Linear swinging, rolling
• Proprioception support – Ex. Push heavy object when moving between rooms, bounce on a therapy ball or ball chair.
• Oral-Respiratory Support – Ex. Blow bubbles, eat sour or crunchy foods
• Visual Spatial support – Ex. Make student space organized and predictable, define a large space by providing smaller areas for student to play and work in within large space.
• Language support – Ex. Keep language to a minimum using more affect and gestures, use real pictures to support language comprehension
• Motor Planning/Problem Solving – Ex. Make all actions engaging and meaningful, prepare for novel activities through use of pictures and video.
• Social -Emotional – Ex. Provide transitional objects, express simple statements reflecting feelings or needs of student
• Eating/Food – Ex. Allow enough time, prepare food items ahead of time
• Toileting – Ex. Use visuals of bathroom, all time to transition to bathroom

– Least restrictive interventions (see Regulatory Interventions Hierarchy) to support regulation and co-

  regulation in order to maintain safety during instances of dysregulation

– Interventions and strategies to reduce the need for more restrictive intervention techniques (if

   applicable)

      – Data collection to monitor success of intervention plan and sensory supports

      – Data collection to monitor the need for more restrictive intervention techniques (if applicable)

All individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in the development of his or her IRSP. Individuals can request changes to his or her plan by notifying any staff member.

Individual Regulatory Support Plan development for any individual will utilize the approach that best allows the student to self- regulate and regain a well-regulated state as established in the Regulatory Interventions Hierarchy and as determined by the sensory profile and regulatory assessment.

Regulatory Interventions Hierarchy:

1. Co-Regulatory Interventions that are least restrictive:
2. Procedures for increasing co-regulatory capacities:

1. Emotional Support Strategies: The identification of and capacity to empathically join the emotional state of the student during moments of negative affect (frustration, anger, embarrassment, rage, sadness, jealousy) while using language that is developmentally appropriate to the student’s linguistic level. Staff will create a safe and trusting emotional tone in the context of any dysregulation to support the student’s capacity to express his/her emotions freely and without judgment.  Capacity to express emotions can be nonverbal or verbal. Any nonverbal attempt to express an emotional state will be interpreted and validated by staff.  A warm and positive environment creates opportunities for thinking, learning and social interactions.

2. Environmental and Sensory Supports: With the support of the Occupational therapist, Behavior DIR ® Specialist and Behavior DIR ® Expert Clinician as well as the student’s individual sensory profile, specific environmental modifications will be made to support the student to maintain a well-regulated state. This may include reduction of visual information, movement near or around student, tactile information, auditory information, and/or increased active or passive movement to support regulatory capacities.

3. Contingent Communication:
4. a) Student’s emotional state is identified and responded to immediately by staff;
5. b) Reasons for student’s dysregulation are identified and responded to immediately by staff.
6. c) Staff provides matched affect or counterbalance affect state to support co-regulatory

    capacities

1. d) Student’s capacity to regulate is met with positive support and review by staff.

4. Providing support for student’s comprehension of language or the situation/context:
5. a) Staff will be aware of student’s comprehension capacities when supporting regulatory

    capacities.  Reduction of language or language that is developmentally appropriate will be

    used.

1. b) Use of visual supports/photos/gestures/facial expressions to aid in the student’s ability to

     understand the overall situation or context as well as to give ideas and options about

     regulatory alternatives will be provided for the student.   

1. c) Staff will monitor rate of speech, pacing of interaction and vocal intensity to support

     student’s regulatory capacities. 

5. Supporting new self-regulatory capacities:
6. a) Staff will initially help student find sensory, language, affect/emotional supports that lead to

     co-regulated states (Staff may choose the option that they know has helped the student in

     the past or introduce a sensory support to help the student).

1. b) Staff will provide student with a range of choices that have supported their regulatory

     capacities in past interactions.  Student will be able to choose from these options given their

     own internal understanding about what supports their regulation. 

1. c) Staff will comment on the student’s growing dysregulation and support their ability to think

    of a regulatory strategy that has worked in past interactions.

1. d) Student will experience dysregulation and spontaneously seek out or ask for strategies and

     supports that have successfully worked in past interactions. 

1. Procedures for decreasing physical acts towards self or another (hitting, biting, throwing, etc.):

Soaring Eagle Academy is committed to understanding the reasons why a student engages in physical acts towards self or another.  As stated in above sections, understanding the student’s unique profile is essential to understanding why these acts occur and how to support the student.  Challenges in the student’s auditory sensitivity, visual spatial system, sensory processing capacities, motor planning and praxis capacities, comprehension of language capacities and expressive language capacities all contribute to physical acts towards another or towards oneself.  Therefore, procedures for decreasing these acts will be directly tied to understanding the unique profile and applying strategies that support the deficiency or challenge within that capacity.  This information will be part of the student’s Safety Plan when development of such plan is indicated. 

1. Providing support for student’s unique individual sensory profile:
2. a) If student is hitting, in addition to above strategies under part (A), staff will determine if there are any underlying physical reasons or sensory needs when hitting occurs. If student’s motor planning capacities are compromised, hitting may be the easiest motor plan when they are in distress. Supporting motor planning capacities to develop will be a strategy when hitting is occurring.  If student needs more proprioceptive or tactile input, hitting may serve as a way to obtain that input.  Staff with support of an occupational therapist will explore providing other ways to achieve this input.
3. b) If student is biting, in addition to above strategies under part (A), determine if there are any underlying physical reasons or sensory needs when biting occurs. If student needs more proprioceptive or tactile input, biting may serve as a way to obtain that input. Staff with support of an occupational therapist will explore providing other ways to achieve this input. 
4. c) If student is throwing, in addition to above strategies under part (A), staff will determine if there are any underlying physical reasons or sensory needs when throwing occurs. If student’s motor planning capacities are compromised, throwing may be an easy motor plan when they are in distress. Treating throwing as intentional, providing destinations for throwing and supporting intentional motor planning of this act will be strategies when throwing occurs. 

2. Gentle physical guiding of student to safe place (ex. Sensory room) utilizing a visual of the

room and their transitional items.  Safe areas for students are the sensory room or therapy rooms located within each classroom system.  Designated safe areas are mapped out along all transportation routes and offsite locations. Egress is not restricted while a student is in the sensory room.  At least one staff member remains in the room with the student unless requested by the student to leave the room. 

3. Boundary and Limit Setting: Staff will support the student to feel safe in their environment.

When students are ready developmentally for boundaries and limit setting, staff will place these boundaries and limits for safety, physical acts towards others or themselves by supporting the student’s comprehension through visuals (written and/or pictures) and verbally and nonverbally expressing/indicating that this is not acceptable.  Verbal limit setting will take the form of staff members indicating to the student that they will not allow him/her to hurt another or themselves.  Students will be supported in understanding what they can do through visuals of activities and ideas. Limit setting will typically be provided by the student’s team (Classroom Teachers, Behavior DIR® Specialist, Occupational Therapist, Code Blue Responder and Mental Health worker) versus 1:1 Teacher Assistant/Teacher Assistant.

4. Use of Emergency Alert Codes: When appropriate staff are required to wear a walkie talkie. 

     All staff are trained to call codes for regulation support.   1:1 Teacher Assistant/Teacher

     Assistants step aside during the code allowing the Crisis Team to intervene with

     strategies to de-escalate and support bringing the student back

     to a regulated state.  The codes, their meaning, the responders and the call is

     detailed as follows:

Code Yellow–   Meaning: staff requesting support pre-emptively due to student’s increased anxiety, loss of engagement, loss of idea, struggling to stay on schedule. 

Responders:  Classroom Teachers, Behavior DIR® Specialist, 1:1 Teacher Assistant/Teacher Assistant

                                                      Call:  Code Yellow (teacher name) (place in school)

                                                      Example- Code Yellow Lindsey Sensory Gym

Code Red –      Meaning: Staff requesting support in a situation that is currently involving personal injury to staff or students including hitting/hurting self or others, throwing objects, disrupting other students, destroying property.

Responders:  Code Blue Responder and/or Crisis Team Member trained in SEA clinical model of DIR Floortime/Developmental Language Model and SEA’s nonviolent crisis intervention methods supporting student dysregulation/behaviors and Mandt)

                                                      Call:  Code Red (teacher name) (place in school)

                                                      Example- Code Red Brenna Cafetorium

Code Red Spill – Meaning:  Staff requesting support in a situation that is involving bodily. Fluid or excessive liquid that creates an environmental hazard.

                                                     Responders:  Janitor

                                                      Call:  Code Red Spill (place in school)

                                                      Example- Code Red Spill High School Classroom

Code Blue–      Meaning:  Code Blue Responder requesting support to assist with a situation that involves continued injury or fleeing from building.  Code Blue Responder assist and walk/accompany student from a situation that is currently involving personal injury to staff or students including hitting/hurting self or others, throwing objects, fleeing building, disrupting other students, destroying property. 

                                                      Responders:  Code Blue Response Team

                                                      Call:  Code Blue (teacher name) (place in school)

                                                      Example- Code Blue Brenna Classroom

Code Green – Meaning:  Code Blue Response team member is calling for additional crisis team to assist and walk/accompany student from a situation that is currently involving personal injury to staff or students including hitting/hurting self or others, throwing objects, fleeing building, disrupting other students, destroying property that requires additional responders.                                                                          

                                                           Responders:  Crisis Team

                                                           Call:  Code Green (teacher name) (place in school)

                                                           Example– Code Green Danielle Classroom

Behavior DIR® Expert Clinicians or DIR Crisis Support staff member is called when the student continues to have Code Blues, a Code Green is initiated and the Individual Regulatory Support Plan and Safety Plan are not supporting the student to reach a calm and regulated state.   The Principal and the Code Blue Responder Supervisor/Mandt Trainer are contacted for any student or staff injury or property damage. Reasonable attempts are made for Parents to be contacted on the same day of the incident.  The parents receive the ISBE Physical Restraint and Time Out Form within 1 business day of any incident involving physical restraint.   Soaring Eagle Academy’s Dysregulation Form is sent to the school district and parents within 48 hours. 

1. More Restrictive Interventions:

Soaring Eagle Academy has adopted a relationship-based non-violent means of restrictive intervention called the Mandt System®. The Mandt System© is based on the philosophy that all people have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Mandt believes that relationships should be based on principles in which people are allowed to participate in decisions about their lives. Mandt recognizes and considers people’s behavior, even negative behavior, as a form of communication. The foundation for the entire program is to build healthy relationships between staff and students we serve to ensure that people feel safe, their needs are met, and goals are achieved.

Soaring Eagle is a “no holds” school that uses assisting and supporting instead of restraint. More Restrictive Interventions are trained for preventative measure only when there is an imminent danger of serious physical harm to the student or another. It is the belief that when staff use de-escalation tools and focus on safety, there is no need to do a physical hold. Teacher assistants and teachers are trained in proactively assisting and supporting students.

The following intervention hierarchy is implemented when a student is a danger to themselves or others.  

1. Physical intervention Hierarchy:

1. Gentle physical guiding of student to safe place (ex. Sensory room) utilizing a visual of the room and their transitional items. This is typically a momentary period of physical restriction with limited force by direct person-to-person contact or no physical contact at all, and this is completed without the aid of material or mechanical device, and often is in order to prevent a student from completing an act that would resolute in potential physical harm to the student, others, or property. Safe areas for students are the sensory room or therapy rooms located within each classroom system. Designated safe areas are mapped out along all transportation routes and offsite locations. Egress is not restricted while a student is in the sensory room.

1. B. Environmental Intervention:

1. If student is unable to be guided to a safe place (sensory room, floor time room, sensory gym) outside of the classroom environment within a relatively short period of time (5-10 minutes), staff will have other students move out of the classroom to a new location while supporting regulation of the student engaged in harm to self or others.
2. Staff will make the current environment as safe as possible by moving furniture out of the student’s way and ensuring safety of all students within the environment.
3. Two staff members will stay within the room and visual site and auditory contact of student at all times during dysregulation.

1. C. Parental Intervention:

For students that have continued challenges with regulation due to stress responses, parent meetings are held at a set frequency either weekly or every other week.  The purpose of these parent meetings is multifold including but not limited to the following: 

1. Keeping parents informed and allowing time to discuss and answer questions
2. Carry over of support strategies from school to home and home to school.

When regulation improves, then parent meetings decrease in frequency.   During the school day, if the student is unable to regulate and return to their daily schedule, then parents are contacted after 30 minutes to alert them to the challenges.  If the student continues to aggress towards themselves or others, the Individual Regulatory Support Plan and Safety Plan and involvement by the Behavior DIR® Expert Clinicians are not providing effective support, and the student’s behavior is a basis for suspension, the staff will contact the student’s parents to pick them up and this will be considered a suspension.  If a student leaves school early, then district will be notified through a Dysregulation Incident Report and Suspension notice.

Criteria for Implementing More Restrictive Interventions:    

 More restrictive interventions pursuant to this policy may only be utilized when the student’s behavior presents an imminent danger of serious physical harm to the student or others, other less restrictive and intrusive measures have been tried and proven ineffective in stopping the imminent danger of serious physical harm, there is no known medical contraindication to its use on the student, and the school staff members or members applying the intervention have been trained in its safe application.

Emergency or more restrictive interventions may be implemented by the Mandt trained Code Blue   Responder or Crisis Team Member. The Principal or administrative designee and Code Blue Responder Supervisor/Mandt Trainer will review all Dysregulation Reports.

Implementation of more restrictive interventions will be designated for safety and in the best interest of the individual and shall never be used as punishment, for staff convenience, or as a substitute for proactive co-regulatory strategies and interventions.

Examples of physical acts which may require the use of more restrictive interventions include:

– Any physical act (biting, hitting, scratching, pinching, punching) that continues without responding to co-

  regulatory efforts and least restrictive measures/attempts by staff.

– Any repetitive self-injurious behaviors which are resulting in injury.

      – Fleeing from the building

-Aggression towards students/adults in the community

Time out and isolated time out are prohibited. Certain physical restraints under the Mandt system and in which staff have been specifically trained (as listed below) may be utilized only when the student’s behavior presents an imminent danger of serious physical harm to the student or others, other less restrictive and intrusive measures have been tried and proven ineffective in stopping the imminent danger of serious physical harm, there is no known medical contraindication to its use on the student, and the school staff members or members applying the intervention have been trained in its safe application.

Emergency or restrictive intervention in a Community Setting or Vehicle: 

At times, dysregulation resulting in physical acts to others or self may occur while in vehicles or on a community outing. In such cases, staff will intervene following Mandt Training Protocol (see steps below). If least restrictive interventions are unsuccessful to provide for the immediate safety of everyone involved, more restrictive intervention may be necessary.

It is very important that signs of dysregulation and anxiety are identified and addressed at the earliest level possible to avoid dysregulation that may lead to physical acting out.

In the event of any instance of dysregulation in the community, the following steps will be taken:

1. As soon as signs of dysregulation or anxiety are noted, an available staff will phone Soaring Eagle Academy to notify the Code Blue Responder Supervisor/Mandt Trainer and the Behavior DIR® Expert Clinician on duty of the situation. The Principal or Behavior DIR® Expert Clinician may choose to immediately send additional staff to assist in regulation and/or transportation.

2. If physical acts meet the criteria under “physical acts which may require the use of more restrictive interventions” staff will implement approved more restrictive interventions as a last resort to provide for the immediate safety of all individuals involved.

3. After returning to Soaring Eagle Academy, the administrator on duty must be notified as soon as possible of the use of more restrictive intervention in the community.

4. Appropriate documentation of the incident through completion of a Dysregulation Report, and required State Board of Education form if applicable, must be filed for review by Code Blue Responder Supervisor/Mandt Trainer and Principal or administrative designee and other appropriate staff.

More restrictive interventions may include:

1. Side body hold/restraint
2. Two-person side body hold/restraint
3. One arm hold/restraint
4. Two-person one arm hold/restraint
5. Two-person moving one arm moving hold/restraint

Supplemental interventions may include:

1. Restraint of a person of short stature
2. Restraint of a person of short stature adapted
3. Emergency lifting and carrying of a person of short stature

If a more restrictive intervention is required to be used by staff, reasonable attempts will be made to have parents contacted the day of the incident.  The parents will also receive the ISBE Physical Restraint and Time Out Form within 1 business day of the incident. Report to the State Superintendent will occur per the regulations no later than two (2) school days from the date of the incident. Soaring Eagle Academy’s Dysregulation Form is also sent to the school district and parents within 48 hours. 

A Dysregulation Report must be completed anytime there is a more restrictive intervention. Physical restraints are rarely required at Soaring Eagle Academy as a result of the methodology and lesser restrictive techniques utilized by the school. However, should a physical restraint be utilized in emergency circumstances, Soaring Eagle Academy adheres to 23 Illinois Administrative Code 401.140(a), 23 Illinois Administrative Code 1.285; 105 ILCS 5/14-8.05; and, 105 ILCS 5/10-20.33, as applicable, and all applicable regulations will be followed and a form prescribed by the Illinois State Board of Education will be completed and copy will be provided to parents/guardians within 1 business day and to the State Superintendent within 2 school days.

Restrictive Interventions may only be implemented by staff meeting criteria under “Staff Training” section (see below).

Other than the above-listed holds in which Soaring Eagle Staff is trained, physical restraint of a student, including supine and prone restraints, mechanical restraint of a student, time out or isolated time out are prohibited at Soaring Eagle Academy.   

Meeting to Review Interventions:

• No later than 2 school days after each incident of physical restraint, the principal or another designated administrator will notify the student’s parent/guardian that they may request a meeting with appropriate school personnel to discuss the incident. This meeting will be held separate and apart from meetings held in accordance with the student’s IEP. If a parent/guardian requests a meeting, the meeting will be convened within 2 school days after the request, provided that extensions are permitted if agreed to by the parent/guardian. This meeting may at the parent/guardian’s request be convened via telephone or video conference. A summary of the meeting and any agreements or conclusions reached during the meeting will be documented in writing and placed in the student’s school record. A copy of the documents will be provided to the student’s parent/guardian. If a parent/guardian does not request a meeting within 10 school days after the school has provided the documents to the parent/guardian or if a parent/guardian chooses not to attend the requested meeting, that will also be documented in the student’s school record.
• When a student experiences instances physical restraint on any 3 days within a 30-day period, SEA personnel who initiated, monitored, and supervised the incidents shall initiate a review meeting of the effectiveness of the procedures used, review the student’s Individual Regulatory Support Plan, which functions as the student’s functional behavioral assessment, and prepare or update the Safety Plan, which functions as the behavioral intervention plan for the student, that provides either for continued use of these interventions or for the use of other specified interventions.  The review meeting will also consider the student’s potential need for an alternative program. The parent/guardian will be invited to participate in this review meeting, which may be held as an IEP meeting, and SEA will provide ten days’ notice of the meeting’s date, time, and location.

Meals and Snacks:

Restrictive interventions may occur during times that were scheduled for meal or snack times. The student will always be offered their meal or snack when they are regulated. Meals and snacks are never withheld for any reason. Reasonable access to food, water, medication, and toileting facilities will be provided to students during restrictive interventions.

Use of Sensory Room/Sensory Gym:

Each Pod at Soaring Eagle Academy has rooms designated space called “sensory rooms” in addition to a sensory gym. These rooms are designed to meet the specific needs of each student based on their individual profiles. Sensory rooms can be used for calming purposes, de-escalation and to meet sensory needs through low lighting and sensory objects/tools.  Sensory gyms are spaces students can use to meet their sensory/regulatory needs on sensory equipment or for gross motor movement. Egress is not restricted.

Staff Training:  

Soaring Eagle Academy complies with the staff training requirements for behavioral interventions pursuant to 23 Illinois Administrative Code 1.285(i). Prior to implementing a more restrictive intervention, staff must successfully complete an additional 6 hours of Mandt Training in person as dictated by the Mandt System led by the Mandt Trainer.  In total, staff who are involved in the supervision or implementation of any crisis behavioral management technique described in this policy, receive at minimum 8 hours of training annually in areas that include: crisis de-escalation; restorative practices; identifying signs of distress during restraint and time out; trauma-informed practices; and behavioral management policies.

The Mandt System® program presents an education and training system of gradual and graded alternatives for de-escalating and supporting people, using a combination of interpersonal communication skills and physical interaction techniques designed to reduce injury to all the participants in an encounter (http://www.mandtsystem.com/solutions/direct-care-pro/the-mandt-system-training-foundation).   Staff is instructed on the hierarchy of least to more restrictive interventions and is instructed that certain restraints and time outs and isolated time outs are prohibited and egress cannot be restricted. Authority of individual staff members in the implementation of more restrictive intervention techniques may be rescinded at any time by the Licensed Speech Language Pathologist/Behavior DIR® Expert Clinician, Principal or an administrative designee. Staff is required to participate in regulatory in-services on an annual basis.

Soaring Eagle has 2 on-site Mandt System® certified trainers who train all staff annually in the use of this intervention.  While Soaring Eagle Academy maintains a hands-off environment, it is essential that all staff members are trained in the Relational Chapters of the Mandt System and the Crisis Team is trained in an appropriate manner should a student become a safety risk to himself or others.   All staff participate in an initial training consisting of both an online e-learning training (self-paced 2-3 hours) including a test battery, followed by a 1-hour training by the Mandt instructor with an annual online eLearning or in person yearly re-certification and a yearly Soaring Eagle Academy Training on the Policy for Non-Violent Crisis Intervention and Individual Regulatory Support Plan, Isolated and Time Out and Restraint and Student Discipline.  Training on physical restraint techniques occur in person.  At that time, the staff member is certified in the Relational Chapters of Mandt with an annual online eLearning or in person re-certification.   Certified staff that potentially would physically restrain when circumstances require per this policy, specifically if there is an imminent danger of serious physical harm to the student or others, receive yearly, in person physical management training on safe holds.

Additionally, a minimum of monthly preventative safety trainings and review of specific student safety plans are completed in each classroom system. Staff are certificated in the Mandt Relational Chapters after passing their test battery.  The Crisis Team is led by a Mandt Certified Trainer with support from a Licensed Speech Language Pathologist/Behavior DIR® Expert Clinician or other designee and made up of 18 to 25 staff including classroom specific Code Blue Responders, Behavior DIR® Specialists and some 1:1 Teacher Assistants specifically trained for More Restrictive Interventions.  The Mandt trainer completes a monthly review of these More Restrictive Interventions as dictated by the Mandt system.  

Individualized Regulatory Support In-services: 

The Mandt System® program presents an education and training system of gradual and graded alternatives for de-escalating and supporting people, using a combination of interpersonal communication skills and physical interaction techniques designed to reduce injury to all the participants in an encounter (http://www.mandtsystem.com/solutions/direct-care-pro/the-mandt-system-training-foundation).  Soaring Eagle has 2 on-site Mandt System® certified trainers who train all staff annually in the use of this intervention.  While Soaring Eagle Academy maintains a hands-off environment, it is essential that staff members are trained in an appropriate manner should a student present an imminent danger of serious physical harm and a safety risk to himself or others.  All staff participate in an initial training consisting of both an online e-learning training (self-paced 2-3 hours) including a test battery, followed by a 1-hour training by the Mandt instructor.  At that time, the staff member is certified in the Relational Chapters of Mandt with an annual online elearning or in person yearly re-certification. Certified staff that potentially would physically restrain, in the case of harm to self or others, receive yearly, in person physical management training on safe holds.  Additionally, monthly preventative safety trainings and review of specific student safety plans are completed in each classroom system. The Crisis Team is led by a Mandt Certified Trainer with support from a Licensed Speech Language Pathologist/Behavior DIR® Expert Clinician and made up of 18 to 25 staff including classroom specific Code Blue Responders, Behavior DIR Specialist and some 1:1 Teacher Assistants/Teacher Assistants specifically trained for More Restrictive Interventions.  The Mandt trainer completes a monthly review of these More Restrictive Interventions as dictated by the Mandt system.  Staff members sign in and document their additional time for ongoing training above and beyond their training described above.

Staff is required to be trained on a student’s Individual Regulatory Support Plan (IRSP) and Safety Plan prior to working with him or her. All team members are required to attend Safety Plan team meetings for all students to which they are assigned. The team is then required to review the updated Safety Plan with the student’s 1:1 Teacher Assistant.

Documentation of emergency or restrictive interventions:

Documentation for any more restrictive intervention procedure shall be reliable and accurate. Dysregulation reports are utilized for documentation. Physical restraint of student (unless required in an emergency due to an imminent danger of serious physical harm to self/others and only through the above-stated holds in which staff is trained), mechanical restraint of student, time outs and isolated time out are prohibited at Soaring Eagle Academy.   

Data collection through a Dysregulation report will include the following:

      – Date

      – Name of individuals involved (including students and staff)

      -Description of the Incident and student behavior leading to intervention

      – Regulatory Intervention(s) implemented

      – intervention(s) implemented

      – Time intervention(s) began and ended

      – Context and/or circumstances preceding physical act

      – Least restrictive procedures attempted prior to use of restrictive intervention

      – Indicating if a more restrictive intervention was used

      – Physical act which necessitated the use of emergency intervention

      – student’s reaction to the intervention and behavior during the intervention

      – Documentation of student or staff injuries or property damage

-Planned approach to dealing with similar behavior in the future, including de-escalation methods or procedures to avoid the use of the intervention in the future. 

Documentation of restrictive interventions is reviewed within 24 hours by the Principal or appropriate designee. The  Principal and Code Blue Responder Supervisor/Mandt Trainer are responsible for the supervision of all restrictive interventions and shall regularly review data on physical acts as well as frequency of use of restrictive interventions.

Soaring Eagle Academy also utilizes the form prescribed by the Illinois State Board of Education to document as required by state law and regulations.

Individual Regulatory Support Plan (IRSP) and Safety Plan Monitoring:

All Individual Regulatory Support Plans (IRSP) and Safety Plans will be reviewed during the annual IEP and more frequently as needed. Safety plans will be reviewed and shared for those students with these plans.  Safety plans may be discussed and reviewed at weekly team meetings and/or case presentations.  Parents and district are provided a copy of the updated Safety plan when developed.

Internal and External Monitoring of Restrictive Interventions:

At least one administrative designee (this may be the classroom teacher, Code Blue Responder, Behavior DIR® Expert Clinician) is available on premises during regular school hours. Staff is encouraged to contact the administrative designee for consultation and support during a student’s dysregulation. The administrative designee will assist in providing ideas and strategies for regulation.

An administrative designee will review each individual episode of restrictive intervention with the staff assigned to work with the involved student. When appropriate, the student will also participate in the meeting.

Other Notifications and Procedures:

• When a student is sent home by Soaring Eagle Academy during a school day, the removal may be considered a suspension. After 10 suspensions in any given school year, a manifestation determination review (MDR) meeting may be convened by the IEP team, including the placing school district, to determine the appropriateness of continued placement at the school.
• State Complaint Process

Any parent or guardian, individual, organization, or advocate may file a signed, written complaint with the State Superintendent alleging that a local school district or other entity serving the student has violated Section 1.285 of the Illinois Administrative Code concerning the use of time outs, isolated time outs and physical restraints.

The complaint shall include all of the following:

1. the facts on which the complaint is based;
2. the signature and contact information for the complainant;
3. if known, the names and addresses of the students involved and the name of the school of attendance;
4. a description of the nature of the problem, including any facts relating to the problem; and
5. a proposed resolution of the problem to the extent known.

The State Superintendent shall only consider a complaint if it alleges a violation occurring not more than one year prior to the date in which the complaint is received.

After receiving a complaint that meets these requirements, the State Superintendent shall:

1. carry out an independent investigation, including, but not limited to, an on-site investigation, if deemed necessary by the State Superintendent;
2. give the complainant the opportunity to submit additional information, either orally or in writing, about the allegations in the complaint; and
3. require that the public entity that is the subject of the complaint submit a written response to the complaint. The public entity shall submit its response and all other documentation to the State Superintendent and the parent, individual, or organization filing the complaint no later than the date indicated in the written correspondence received under this subsection (k), except as prohibited under the Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140].

The State Superintendent must issue a written decision to the complainant that addresses each allegation in the complaint and that contains all of the following:

1. findings of fact and conclusion;
2. the reasons for the State Board of Education’s final decision; and
3. orders for any action, including technical assistance.

If the State Board receives information, from school data reporting or any other source, alleging or indicating that a school district or other entity serving a student has violated this Section, the State Board shall have the authority to commence an investigation and issue a written decision as to the allegations or indications.  An individual, organization, or other entity providing such information to the State Board shall be able to do so confidentially.

This complaint procedure does not limit, diminish, or otherwise deny the federal and State rights and procedural safeguards afforded to students.

• SEA’s Annual Review of Physical Restraints: Annually, Soaring Eagle Academy will conduct an annual review of the use of physical restraints by the school, which at minimum will include the review of the number of incidents involving the use of these interventions; the location and duration of each incident; the identification of the staff members who were involved; any injuries or property damage that occurred; and the timeliness of parental or guardian notification and timelines for agency notification and administrative review. This annual review will be conducted by the SEA Principal and Mandt Trainer/Code Blue Responder Supervisor. 

Updated March 1, 2024

NOTE: This policy document is intended to provide all policies and protocols related to Soaring Eagle Academy’s response to and management of communicable and infectious diseases. These policies are based upon guidance received from local, state and federal agencies and have been adapted as necessary to meet the needs of our school environment and population. These protocols and policies may be changed and updated at any time with or without notice upon additional information, guidance or recommendations received from local, state or federal agencies. This document is not intended to address all possible applications, or exceptions to, the policies and procedures described herein or otherwise in place at SEA. Further, this document does not confer any contractual right, either express or implied with a SEA community member.

Introduction

Soaring Eagle Academy (SEA) continues to review and update its policies based upon the guidance of the relevant agencies including the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the DuPage County Public Health Department, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) in order to build upon and update its policies to make the school as safe as possible for its students and staff in the face of infectious and communicable diseases, including COVID-19..

Symptom Monitoring

Parents/guardians and staff are strongly encouraged to monitor for symptoms and stay home and isolate if the following symptoms are present: fever (100.4°F or higher), cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or dermatologic manifestations, or any other change in symptoms included in updated guidance by local, state, or federal agencies. If such symptoms appear, parents/guardians are requested to contact the School Nurse to discuss testing and suggested isolation period. Staff should contact the HR Director.

Students who have symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, should stay home. Testing is recommended for people with symptoms of COVID-19 as soon as possible after symptoms begin. If a student with COVID-19 symptoms tests negative for COVID-19, Parents should consider getting the student tested for other respiratory illnesses that could be spread to others, such as flu.

When Symptoms Occur at School

If any concerning  symptoms appear during school hours or activities, the student will be referred to the School Nurse and staff will be referred to the HR Director, for initial evaluation and possible isolation from others and ultimately sent home and referred to a medical provider for evaluation and treatment of suspicion of  communicable infectious disease. Proof of negative testing may be requested prior to return. Other protocols may include:

• The school nurse will assess the student as an initial evaluation. Based upon the nurse’s findings, the student will either stay in the classroom/pod system if symptoms are confirmed to be unrelated to COVID-19 or will be separated and placed in a designated isolation room for next steps.

• PPE/Enhanced PPE may be provided and required for staff, as determined to be necessary by the school nurse, and only necessary staff will remain in the isolated room until the family arrives.

• Regardless of vaccination status, all students or staff presenting with COVID-19-like symptoms are recommended to test.

• Students are recommended to undergo testing for respiratory infections to help them decide on the next steps, such as seeking treatment to reduce the risk of severe illness and taking precautions to prevent spreading the virus to others.

• SEA may contact the local public health department for case specific guidance and disclose student information, as necessary, for public health safety purposes.

• Sanitation procedures and precautionary measures will be taken within the immediate space affected if the individual who tests positive for COVID-19 or has a probable case of COVID-19 has been in the space within the last 24 hours.

SEA will continue to follow the latest guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health regarding COVID-19 and communicable diseases in schools and recommendations regarding exclusion. As such these policies are subject to modification with or without notice.

Positive Cases & Isolation

As a result of new CDC guidance released on March 1, 2024, we have adjusted our SEA policy. When a SEA student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they will NO longer be required to isolate for 5 days from onset of symptoms. Parents/guardians are encouraged to seek medical consult on available treatments and testing for respiratory viruses that can lessen the symptoms for illnesses like influenza and COVID-19. With the intention of student and staff wellness remaining a priority, please remember to stay home when unable to participate in daily activities and refer to this communicable disease policy below regarding specific symptoms requiring exclusion from school.

Strategies for Maintaining a Health School Environment

Hygiene

SEA promotes daily hygiene procedures.  Staff provide hand-over-hand support when needed to ensure thorough and safe hygiene and handling procedures.  As part of daily programming the following may be incorporated into student schedules, as needed and deemed to be appropriate based upon community transmission rates: 1) practicing wearing masks in the school building when required, for example when a student returns from isolation and/or during an outbreak; 2) proper removal and storage of mask while eating or drinking on site, as appropriate; 3) proper hand washing procedures; and 4) physical distancing on site, as appropriate.

Food/Lunch

Students eat lunch at their pod assigned time within their designated lunch area. Disposable materials are suggested for transportation of lunches and snacks. Areas where students and staff consume food will continue to be cleaned thoroughly.

Building Cleaning & Sanitation

As guided by the CDC, SEA has developed cleaning and disinfecting procedures that are utilized throughout the school day when needed. Training continues to be provided to staff to ensure appropriate cleaning and disinfecting procedures are utilized.  In addition, signage will be posted to remind all personnel of appropriate cleaning policies and procedures.

While most of the spaces in the building have returned to their original layout and function for social, educational and eating purposes, SEA continues to monitor and promote appropriate physical distancing guidelines per ISBE, IDPH and CDC recommendations and follow recommended sanitation and cleaning procedures for these areas. SEA has also returned to the use of shared spaces, resources and materials in the classroom and will follow agency recommendations for sanitation of any shared materials when appropriate.

Building Ventilation

In accordance with CDC guidance for schools and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), SEA maintains improved ventilation in the building in consultation with our HVAC professional based on local environmental conditions (temperature/humidity) and ongoing community transmission in this area and increased the percentage of outdoor air (OA) using economizer modes of HVAC operations, upgraded our HVAC unit air filters to recommended levels utilizing MERV-13 air filters for better central air filtration to capture more particulates in the air and increased the use of portable HEPA filters around the site.  We will continue to monitor guidance set forth for schools from governing agencies and inform our school community of future updates.

Response to Outbreak

In the event of an identified outbreak at SEA or in the local community, as determined by the school and in consultation with local and/or state agencies if needed, additional layers of mitigation may be reinstated within the designated area or schoolwide.

Infectious & Communicable Illnesses

Students will not be penalized for missing school and are encouraged to stay home when not feeling well. A Parent must call the school at (630) 323-2900 or inform the SEA attendance email by 8:00 a.m. if the student will not be in school that day due to illness. Please give information about the type of illness and any COVID-19 symptoms your child is experiencing.

SEA follows the Communicable Disease School Nurse Guidance in the management of illnesses in school. Please refer to –  https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/infectious-diseases/cd-school-nurse-guidance.html

List of required exclusion (but not limited to):

• Symptoms that prevent child from participating comfortably in school programming including but not limited to: unusual lethargy, unusual irritability, unusual aggression, or other symptoms that may be indicative of illness.
• Symptoms that call for greater care than staff can provide without compromising health and safety of other students and staff
• FEVER: a temperature at or above 100.4 degrees requires exclusion until 24-hours fever free without the use of fever reducing medications 
• VOMITING: any episode of vomiting within the last 24 hours, unless vomiting is determined noncommunicable due to underlying, diagnosed conditions 
• DIARRHEA: 2 or more occurrences within the last 24 hours requires exclusion
• CHICKEN POX: at least 5 days and until all lesions have crusted
• CONJUNCTIVITIS (PINK EYE): 24 hours after the start of treatment/antibiotics.
• IMPETIGO: until 24 hours after treatment has begun.
• SCABIES: until the morning after treatment has begun.
• RINGWORM: until 24 hours after treatment has begun.
• HEAD LICE: until morning after 1st treatment.
• RASH: exclude if accompanied by fever or change in behavior, unless determined noncommunicable by a physician.
• STREP THROAT: until after 24 hours of effective antimicrobial therapy and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
• HAND, FOOT MOUTH: exclude if fever present or if child cannot avoid contact with others or picking of lesions.
• MEASLES: exclude for 4 days after start of rash
• OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES: consultation with a medical care provider.

Parents are to contact the School Nurse if the student has been diagnosed with a contagious illness (including any of the above illnesses) so that proper precautions can be taken. A return to school note from a health care provider may be required if a contagious illness is suspected. Soaring Eagle reserves the right to request students be seen by a physician based on concerning symptoms identified by staff members before returning to school.

This policy is devised under guidelines by the Center for Disease Control, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the National Association of School Nurses and the Illinois Control of Communicable Diseases Code.