Hi everyone,

Steve asked me to post on here a little about myself and my advocacy work in Ohio and other areas.

I am Helena Stephenson, I am a Autism Self Activist and Mental Health Self Activist. I am also the Author of the book:

Dirty Little Secrets: Restraint and Seclusion in America's Schools

http://http://tgimdigitalpublishing.wordpress.com/tgim-authors/helena-stephenson/

I tell my story as well as current students with disabilities across the United States in Public schools who have lived or died due to the archaic, abusive, and traumatizing Restraint and Seclusion practices happening everyday.

I also am the individual in March 2012 who went to the Ohio State Board of Education supported by Ohio Legal Rights Service (Disability Rights Ohio) and testified about how these traumatic sanctioned abusive practices impacted me and my classmates. The testimony ultimately resulted in the board passing Ohio's first ever Restraint and Seclusion Policy/Rule for Ohio schools.

http://http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/news/restraint-seclusion-testimony-osbe-march-2012

http://http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/news/lrs-hs-tasc-award-june-2012

Since 2012 I was in the Documentary by Dan Habib, Restraint and Seclusion Hear Our Stories, which can be viewed on the Stop hurting kids website and is a National campaign to end Restraint and Seclusion practices in our Nations schools.

I hope everyone will consider joining.

http://http://stophurtingkids.com/

I attend conferences now and speak I will be attending the ACLU of Ohio conference in July 2014 to speak about Solitary Confinement of children and what can be done. I will also be attending the 2014 TASH conference in DC this December.

I try to do as many workshops in Ohio as possible and help children and parents know their rights and how to enforce them.

My life philosophy is that if you're not living to make someone else's life better then you are wasting your time.

I hope to collaborate more in Ohio with y'all!!

Best wishes,

Helena Stephenson