An advocate’s journey: A mission to shut down seclusion rooms and end restraint across the nation

Join us for a special interview with self advocate Alex Campbell.

Alex is an advocate for students with disabilities and the Executive Director of Campbell Advocacy. Alex is the KASSA Campaign Director for the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. Alex is also proud to be a part of the education team at the Human Projects. He attends high school in a public school setting in rural Virginia. Alex is enrolled in Powhatan High School’s Advanced College Academy program. This means that he will graduate high school and earn his Associate's Degree through Reynolds Community College concurrently. Alex was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 3 years old.

When he was in elementary school, he was subjected to multiple counts of restraint and seclusion for disciplinary reasons. In 2014, Alex began advocating for the need to regulate the use of restraint and seclusion. Alex has inspired the creation and passage of three laws in Virginia and hopes to continue inspiring others. He has been invited to provide testimony to the Commission on Youth, the Virginia House of Delegates Subcommittee #1 under the House Committee on Education, the Virginia Senate Subcommittee on Public Education, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, and the Virginia Department of Education In 2018, Alex was invited to a Congressional briefing and asked to re-introduce the Keeping All Students Safe Act to the United States House of Representatives. Alex has inspired the creation and passage of three laws in Virginia and hopes to continue inspiring others.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Alex was a 2016 recipient of the Yes I Can Award from the Council for Exceptional Children. He was also named as the Spring Champion by the United Methodist Family Services in 2016 and received the Catalyst for Change Award by the Arc of Virginia. In 2018, Alex was invited to a Congressional briefing and asked to re-introduce the Keeping All Students Safe Act to the United States House of Representatives. Alex has inspired the creation and passage of three laws in Virginia and hopes to continue inspiring others. Alex has been featured in the Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Powhatan Today, NBC 12, ABC 3, NBC 23, ABC 8, The Story with Martha MacCallum on Fox News, The Hill, Boy’s Life, aclu.org (National), nbcnews.com (National), newswire.com, ideastations.org, and he has been interviewed by NBC’s Dateline. He has an Op Ed published in the Richmond Times in celebration of Autism Awareness month. Alex has inspired the creation and passage of three laws in Virginia and hopes to continue inspiring others.

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