If you’ve been thinking that there has to be a better to way to treat kids — especially the most vulnerable — you’re right. And you’re in the right place.
We know that parents, teachers, and professionals in Ireland have kids’ best interest at heart! Most people have tried everything they can think of to help kids do their best at home and school. And yet…all over Ireland, there are children who are still suffering because of harsh and ineffective discipline practices. Some of them are our most vulnerable children, who may have disabilities or may be neurodivergent. Some have had difficult childhood experiences or may struggle in situations other kids seem to sail right through. And there are also parents and teachers who are at their wits’ end trying to find something that works to reduce distress and conflict. If you are looking for alternative approaches that are more effective, caring, and fair, you have come to the right place. And the great news is that you can get started right away!
We think you are ready for something different from the outdated and ineffective ways we were all told are needed to “manage” kids’ behaviour. Instead, we want to share ideas that are pretty new in Ireland but are backed up by decades of high-quality research and the experience of many thousands of families and schools around the world who are using Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS.) The good news is that this approach is becoming better known in Ireland. We now have the experiences of hundreds of children, families, and professionals here to understand how this works for our children. Here’s a one-page description of the model to get you started.
There are lots of helpful sections and links on this page. So please explore and be in touch if you’d like to learn more.
THE KIDS ARE NOT OK
Here are the sobering statistics:
- 1044 children on Reduced School Days (2022)– of these 677 (65%) are
children with Special Educational Needs. 170 children are on reduced school
days for between 12 and 18 weeks (133 SEN/78%) and 86 children are on
RSDs more than 18 weeks (76 SEN/88%) - Special education schools account for 1.3% of primary school pupil population
and 19.6% of suspensions and 30% of expulsions (2018) - Mainstream schools with special education classes account for 25.8% of
primary school pupil population and 34% of suspensions and 36.7% of
expulsions (2018) - 35% of disabled children have experienced seclusion in school (2024)
- 27% of disabled children have experienced restraint in school (2024)
- Restraint and seclusion widespread in child mental health and care
facilities including 42 incidences of children being locked into a room by
themselves, some for more than 3 days (Mental Health Commission Report
2022). - In 2022 the use of physical restraint in children’s facilities increased from
248 to 365 (increase of 47%). - There are 397 children in residential care (2023)
- 67.5% of Irish parents do not think corporal punishment is acceptable
(2021). (We still have a ways to go!).
Listen.
An Irish mother describes her son being locked alone in a small room
in school for 5 hours, and being found curled up,
cold, in the dark, covered in broken glass. A father
describes his son being left in a corridor for an hour
and taunted by teachers in front of his peers. LISTEN NOW
Nearly 60% of teachers have experienced
physical aggression from students in schools.
Reaction from Primary School Principal, Simon
Lewis. LISTEN NOW
Read.
New survey says 35% of disabled children endure seclusion and
27% suffer restraint at school. READ NOW
An animal wouldn’t be treated this way. 35% of children with
disabilities secluded or restrained at school. READ NOW
‘A primary school teacher shook a child in class,
according to my granddaughter. What should I do?’
Families of special needs children resolve legal
actions over alleged abuse at primary school. READ NOW
Parents of children with special needs taking 40
cases against schools for alleged harm. READ NOW
Vulnerable girl ‘held in hospital room without natural
light for almost 60 days’. READ NOW
Rise in use of restraint in child psychiatric units. READ NOW
Children in care in Cork were put in restraints reveal
report READ NOW
FACTS MATTER
There are a lot of myths and incorrect information out there about children’s behavior and the best ways to help those with concerning behaviors. Here are two fact sheets to set the record straight.
