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

[Meghan]

It sounds like this dog would be a service animal, as it sounds as though he 
was trained at least 3 specialized tasks?

Regardless, my question is, who's responsible for the dog while at school? 
A nine-year-old little boy will not be taking the dog out, correcting if 
need be, etc.  I'm surprized this was not brought up in the article.

Meghan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ginger Kutsch" <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 11:05 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Dog helps stabilize autistic boy's life,but Hillsboro 
school says not in the classroom


> 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
>
>
>
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