Timeout, a widely used approach with severely handicapped and deaf blind students, is nevertheless potentially aversive and should not become a routine procedure. The decision to employ timeout from positive reinforcement should be based on careful consideration of the child's behavior, the severity of the target behavior, and the need for emergency intervention. All procedural safeguards should be understood and followed, and the timeout plan included as part of the child's individualized education program. Tables and charts depicting considerations concerning implementing the seclusion timeout and sequencing the procedure are included. (CL)