Time-Out Rooms – An Overview of DLC’s Advocacy

 

Interior of a school seclusion room and exterior locking mechanism (red button). Photo displays a very small, padded room with a red button on the exterior

* Photo Credit: USDOJ website Combating Improper Seclusion in Schools

 

Since 2019, DLC has been engaged in a systemic effort to eliminate the use of time-out rooms in Massachusetts schools. Time-out rooms cause trauma to children and school staff, and their use can be phased out through the adoption of neuroscience based and trauma informed alternatives.

 

DLC had been addressing this issue through individual advocacy/representation.  Then, in 2019, DLC shifted to a systemic approach, began intense monitoring efforts, and collected stories from parents, caregivers, and school staff.  Many of these responses detailed the trauma caused by restraint and seclusion in time-out  rooms.

 

In 2021, DLC and other stakeholders approached the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to discuss our findings and concerns.  In response to these discussions, DESE developed and issued a new advisory, Reducing and Eliminating the use of Time-out Rooms. In subsequent years,  DESE released two rounds of grant funding (approximately $ 4.5 million dollars) for training and other supports to reduce and eliminate these practices.  In 2024 and 2025, DLC participated in meetings with DESE and other stakeholders to provide input on revising the time-out regulations, and presented public comment to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).  The new regulations were approved and go into effect in August 2026. 

 
While the regulations add substantial protections, they don’t fully eliminate the use of time-out rooms.  DLC will continue to advocate to end this practice and move towards neuroscience based/ trauma informed alternatives.  
 
DLC and our co-sponsors also hosted two webinars to help schools eliminate the use of time-out rooms (Keep our Kids in Classrooms – Stop the use of Exclusionary Time-out Rooms and Helping Schools Help Students). Please use the links below to access the webinars and navigate to other useful resources on this topic.

 

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DESE Guidance on Time Out Rooms
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DESE Regulations on Time Out Rooms
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DLC Time Out Room Conference Series

DLC has co-hosted two conference series about the use of time-out rooms in schools and alternative methods that can be used.

 

April 17, 2026 WebinarMay 17, 2024 Webinar
April 17, 2026 Helping Schools Help Students webinar flyer. May 17, 2024 Keeping Kids In Classrooms webinar flyer.

The Work Continues

DLC continues to monitor schools for abuse and neglect due to seclusion/time out room usage. Information obtained from DLC’s monitoring and investigation efforts are used in DLC’s ongoing systemic time-out room advocacy efforts. 

Do you have experiences you would like to share? Take our School Time Out Room Survey

Resources for Schools in Building Alternatives to Time-Out Rooms and Seclusion

Lives in the BalanceShanker Self-Reg
Ukeru SystemsThe Regulated Classroom
Revelations in EducationBuilding Communities of Care
The LASER ProgramSupportable Solutions
Alliance Against Seclusion & RestraintThink Kids

The Disability Law Center does not endorse or promote any particular vendor. These links are distributed and intended to be used for informational purposes only.

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