A parent calls the timeout space at his son's South Jersey school "solitary confinement."

A Monroe Township School District official says the special room is designed to protect special needs students from hurting themselves or others when they act out and allow them to have a place to retreat when they feel overwhelmed.

Concerns about the padded "timeout" or "seclusion" room are now going to be reviewed by the district board of education in the Gloucester County community.

"Our son came home one day and said he was put in a room for time out and we asked him to describe the room," Scott Reiss recounted Wednesday. "He said it was a little room. 'It's like a jail,' he said."

"We didn't know if it was real or not," said Reiss of himself and his son's mom, Stephanie Reiss.

But on a recent visit to Whitehall Elementary School in Williamstown where their 8-year-old son is in the third grade, they saw -- at their request -- the timeout room firsthand.

"My son was being generous," Reiss said of his reaction after seeing the space. "This is solitary confinement. This is unacceptable."

Their son -- NJ Advance Media is not naming him -- has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum, Reiss said.

The seclusion room as it is called is a space sectioned off in a corner of a special needs classroom, with interior walls and the floor padded with mats usually found in a gymnasium.

NJ Advance Media reviewed photos provided by Reiss on his Facebook page and those provided by Monroe Township Superintendent of Schools Richard Perry.

Perry says the space is designed as an area where students can regain their composure if they experience problems with anxiety or behavioral issues, Perry said.

"This area is utilized in conjunction with special education related services and interventions, involving behavioral disabilities in which students may become violent toward other students and staff and/or causing harm to themselves," according to the superintendent. "Also, other students, who are classified, utilize this space as a means of safety when they feel emotionally overwhelmed.

A view of the seclusion or timeout room in the corner of a classroom at Monroe Township's Whitehall Elementary School. Parent Scott Reiss took the photo after asking to see the special room. He posted it on Facebook. (Photo provided/Scott Reiss via Facebook)

"When a child is in there they are not locked in or closed in," Perry said. "There is an adult with them."

Perry said parents know about this space through visits during back to school nights and other communication.

He says Monroe Township keep students with behavioral problems in the district and provides education there rather than send them to other districts.

"With that said, the district is looking into all concerns and we are re-evaluating its use through possible implementation of a new policy. The safety of all of our students and staff are of the utmost concern to us," Perry said Wednesday.

Perry said the issue will discussed with the board of education. The board meets Thursday night, but it's not clear if it will be brought up then.

Before leaving office early this year Gov. Chris Christie signed a new law outlining rules for seclusion or restraint for students with disabilities.

It says "physical restraint is used only in an emergency in which the student is exhibiting behavior that places the student or other in immediate physical danger."

It requires those who restrain students receive proper training from "an entity" the board deems qualified to provide the guidance.

Any student who is restrained, the law says, must be "continually visually monitored to ensure the appropriateness of its use and that it (the restraint) was used in accordance with established procedures set forth in a board policy ...."

Each instance of restraint must be documented and parents must be "immediately" notified, the law says.

Reiss claims after initially finding out about the room, he sought, but didn't receive answers.

"I have no idea of how many times they have been put in there," he said, claiming he and his son's mother were never notified of any visits by his son to the room.

Reiss said the lack of answers prompted him to a make the decision to go public with his concerns via Facebook. Other parents have told him since the post that they didn't know about the room either.

The Reisses met with school officials on Wednesday afternoon.

Afterward, Scott Reiss called the meeting "a step in the right direction, but the case is not closed."

Perry said because they were discussing matters concerning the Reiss' son, he could not publicly comment any further Wednesday.

"The only thing I want to accomplish is a better situation for my son and the other kids," Scott Reiss said.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips