[nagdu] Dog helps stabilize autistic boy's life, but Hillsboro school says not in the classroom

[Ginger Kutsch]

Dog helps stabilize autistic boy's life, but Hillsboro school
says not in the classroom
By Wendy Owen, The Oregonian 
January 10, 2010, 11:00PM
Source:
http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2010/01/dog_
helps_stabilize_an_autisic.html
 
View full sizeOlivia Bucks / The OregonianMadison, a 2-year-old
German shepherd, is trained to assist his 9-year-old buddy,
Scooter Givens. But the $13,000 dog spends most of his time at
home after the Hillsboro School District said he was not
necessary for Scooter's educational progress at school. 
 
HILLSBORO -- Every day, Scooter Givens tries to hit his
third-grade classmates and instructors at Patterson Elementary
where he attends class for children with severe autism. 
 
Sounds that surprise him, especially crying children, can send
the 9-year-old Hillsboro boy into yelling, flailing "meltdowns,"
which have lasted more than an hour. 
 
Eric and Wendy Givens know Madison, a trained autism service dog,
can calm their son; they've seen the German shepherd do so at
malls, in parking lots, at restaurants. But the Hillsboro School
District won't allow the dog in school, saying Scooter is doing
well without the shepherd.
 
The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating a
complaint filed by Disability Rights Oregon on behalf of the
Givenses. The outcome could affect other families in Oregon that
hope to use autism service dogs in schools. 
 
The argument pits special education law against the Americans
With Disabilities Act. Although the district argues that the dog
is not necessary for Scooter's classroom education, the family
says the dog improves the boy's access to his education by
keeping him calm. 
 

"It makes Scooter easier to teach," said Wendy Givens. Madison
"would help mitigate Scooter's disability in class." 
 
Disability Rights Oregon attorney Joel Greenberg equated the
situation to a person who is blind being told he does fine with a
cane even though a trained guide dog is more effective. 
 
"Essentially, the school district is saying, 'we get to pick the
tool,'" he said. 
 
Hillsboro Superintendent Mike Scott said it's an issue of
process. 
 
"We agree that across-the-board exclusion of a service animal
would not be appropriate." But, he said, "If we have a student
that is doing well in school, is there a need for a service
animal?" 
 
The district had raised concerns over allergies and other
students' fears of dogs, but Scott said those are "not the
issue." 
 
The debate also hinges on whether Madison is considered a service
or a therapy animal. In other words, is he the equivalent of a
guide dog for the blind or is he a well-trained pet? 
 
Therapy animals are not covered under the Americans With
Disabilities Act, but they are growing in popularity and are
often used in hospitals to comfort patients and in schools where
children read to them. The training is not as extensive as it is
for a service animal. 
 
The Americans With Disabilities Act describes a service animal as
"any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained
to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with
a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals
with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing
to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue
work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items." 
 
In the case of Scooter, the dog is usually tethered to the boy.
Scooter, whose given name is Jordan, wears a belt that is
attached to a harness on Madison. When Scooter tries to bolt, the
dog sits or digs his claws into the ground and pulls back,
stopping Scooter. 
 
The dog is trained to assist Scooter, who has autism. If
something startles Scooter and he works himself into a violent
on-the-floor "meltdown," the dog puts his paw on the boy. If that
doesn't work, Madison stands over him and then lies down on
Scooter. The flailing and yelling stop almost immediately, and
Scooter can get back on task, said Wendy Givens. Should Scooter
run off and can't be found, Madison is trained to track him with
the command, "Where's your boy?" 
 
Madison's primary mission is to keep Scooter safe and calm. He
has 500 hours of training from simple obedience to advanced
skills, said Karen Shirk,  founder, 4 Paws for Ability Inc. a
nonprofit in Ohio that trains dogs for people with various
disabilities, including autism. 
 
The Givenses paid $13,000 for the dog, largely from fundraising,
and Wendy Givens flew back to Ohio in March 2008 for two weeks of
training with Madison before bringing him home. 
 
For years, Oregon school districts, including Hillsboro, have
allowed service dogs in training to traverse school halls. But
fully trained dogs assisting children with autism in public
schools are rare. 
 
"It's new territory that school districts are not familiar with.
They fall back on basic policies," said Genevieve Athens,
executive director of the Autism Society of Oregon. "I think
eventually as this gets more prevalent in society, ... there
might be more acceptance in the classroom" for autism dogs. 
 
In the Portland area, Beaverton is the only district known to
have allowed the use of a dog for a child with autism. The dog
was allowed on a trial basis last spring, but hasn't been coming
this school year, said Patty Lawrence,  special education
facilitator for the Beaverton School District. Lawrence said she
couldn't provide specifics because of student confidentiality but
said the school had not refused the dog. 
 
"As a team at the school, we decided to try other things as
well," she said. 
 
Other options that can help calm a child include wearing a
weighted vest or applying deep pressure, which can be as simple
as a hug. 
 
"Sometimes they just need that squeeze that calms them down," she
said. 
 
But every child with autism is different and what may work for
one child doesn't work for another, Lawrence said. 
 
Unlike most school districts in the state, Beaverton has a very
detailed policy that requires assistance animals be accredited
guide dogs or certified therapy dogs from known training
organizations. 
 
As for Scooter, Madison has become a social bridge for the boy,
who can talk but doesn't like to interact with others, said Wendy
Givens. The brown-and-black German Shepherd loves to be petted
and is a magnet for people, which helps Scooter socialize and
gives people a better understanding of autism and Scooter. 
 
He is no longer "the weird kid biting his hand," Wendy Givens
said. 
 
 
 


Ginger Bennett Kutsch
Morristown, NJ