Ep. 38 | Dismantling Restraint & Seclusion: A Conversation with Guy Stephens (Pt. 1)

About this episode

A conversation with Guy Stephens about ending seclusion and restraint in schools and advocating for trauma-informed approaches.

SUMMARY - Today's episode is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation with Guy Stephens, founder and executive director of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR), a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the use of punitive, exclusionary, and dangerous discipline in schools. Driven by his own son’s traumatic experiences, Guy advocates for trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned, and neurodiversity-affirming approaches in child-serving systems. Listen in on the conversation with Eileen and Guy, as they discuss a topic that is important for parents and professionals alike. TAKEAWAYS: This work is personal for Guy and he shares how he came to his advocacy work to prevent seclusion and restraint in schools and other environments as the parent of a neurodivergent child who had multiple experiences of being secluded and restrained. Guy shares details about the mission of Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR), which is to inform changes in policy and practice to reduce and eliminate the use of punitive discipline and outdated behavioral management approaches and end the school-to-prison pipeline. Guy explains the AASR's 3 areas of focus: legislation and law policy…

People in this episode

Host: Eileen Devine

Guest: Guy Stephens

Topics covered

• restraint
• seclusion
• trauma-informed approaches
• neurodiversity
• school discipline

Keywords

• seclusion
• restraint
• trauma-informed
• neurodiversity
• school discipline
• AASR
• advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint

More episodes of Brain First Parenting with Eileen Devine

• Ep. 43 | Interrupting Those Exhausting Escalation Cycles · June 1, 2026 · 17 min
• Ep. 42 | 8 Essential Mind Shifts for More Connected Parenting · May 18, 2026 · 19 min
• Ep. 41 | Rethinking "I'm a Bad Parent." · May 4, 2026 · 15 min
• Ep. 40 | When Your Child’s Behavior Feels Personal: Understanding Relational Cognitive Skills · April 20, 2026 · 22 min
• Ep. 39 | Dismantling Restraint and Seclusion: A Conversation with Guy Stephens (Pt. 2) · April 6, 2026 · 33 min
• Ep. 37 | Supporting Siblings: Practical Brain First Tools for Parents - Pt. 2 · March 9, 2026 · 22 min