[nagdu] Teacher's allergy disrupts plans for autistic girl, service dog - The Athens Messenger: News

Marsha Drenth marsha.drenth at gmail.com
Mon Aug 26 16:28:52 UTC 2013


I'd like for one of the legal minds to comment on this. Whose rights have to be  observed here? personally my opinion is that the teacher, needs then to move schools, not eh child. Again that is my opinion. I am curious... 

Marsha drenth  
Sent with my IPhone 

On Aug 25, 2013, at 8:54 AM, "Ginger Kutsch" <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Teacher's allergy disrupts plans for autistic girl, service dog - The Athens
> Messenger: News
> 
> Athens Messenger
> 
> Source: 
> 
> http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news/teacher-s-allergy-disrupts-plans-for-aut
> istic-girl-service-dog/article_5b4859e2-a4b1-568a-adb8-acc649e08556.html
> 
> 
> 
> Shyanna Gretz, 6, of The Plains, is seen with her new service dog Spring
> last month. After attending her first day of school at Morrison-Gordon
> Elementary
> 
> on Monday, the school informed Shyanna's family that their autistic daughter
> and service dog would have to transfer schools as Morrison's K-3 special
> education
> 
> teacher is severely allergic to dog dander.
> 
> 
> 
> By Sara Brumfield Messenger staff journalist
> 
> As Shyanna Gretz, an autistic 6-year-old from The Plains, and her new
> service dog Spring attended their first day of first grade at
> Morrison-Gordon Elementary
> 
> on Monday, her family was hoping for a smooth transition into Athens City
> Schools. But a special education teacher's severe allergy to dog dander has
> caused
> 
> a hiccup in the family's schooling plan.
> 
> 
> 
> The Messenger has written several stories about the Gretz family and their
> journey to get a service dog for Shyanna, who has had a history of extreme
> mood
> 
> fluctuations and wandering off. After two years of fundraising and waiting,
> the family welcomed a 1-year-old black Labrador retriever, Spring, into
> their
> 
> lives last month.
> 
> 
> 
> Since Spring's arrival, Shyanna's mother Charla told The Messenger that her
> daughter's moods have been more in line with her peers and that family
> outings
> 
> that were once impossible are now achievable.
> 
> 
> 
> Shyanna attended kindergarten at Beacon School on West Union Street last
> year. Beacon, operated by the Athens County Board of Developmental
> Disabilities,
> 
> is a school designed to serve students with special needs in all five of the
> county's public school districts.
> 
> 
> 
> According to Charla, it was determined that Shyanna should be integrated
> into the Athens City School District this year and the family made plans for
> Shyanna
> 
> to attend Morrison-Gordon Elementary, which is located next to Beacon
> School.
> 
> 
> 
> However, at the end of the day on Monday, Charla (who plans to attend school
> with Shyanna on a daily basis) was told that her daughter would have to
> transfer
> 
> to a different elementary school because the K-3 Individualized Education
> Plan teacher at Morrison is severely allergic to dog dander.
> 
> 
> 
> Athens City Schools Supt. Carl Martin told The Messenger on Friday that only
> two of the district's four elementary schools have programs for autistic
> students
> 
> - Morrison-Gordon and East Elementary. He said that Morrison has two
> teachers for the program - one who serves grades K-3 and another serving
> grades 4-6
> 
> - and East has one teacher. The district's middle and high schools also have
> such programs.
> 
> 
> 
> He said it's not uncommon for special needs students to begin their
> education at Beacon School and then move into the public school system.
> 
> 
> 
> "We have a fair amount of autistic kids in the district," Martin said.
> 
> 
> 
> While switching elementary schools may seem like a simple enough solution,
> Charla said her daughter doesn't cope well with change or riding the school
> 
> bus. She told The Messenger that the bus ride to East Elementary would be
> longer and that the change in surroundings could be a setback for Shyanna.
> 
> 
> 
> Martin emphasized that East Elementary is only five miles from the Gretz's
> home in The Plains and the bus ride wouldn't be much different than it is to
> 
> Morrison-Gordon.
> 
> 
> 
> According to Martin, he was unaware that the Morrison-Gordon K-3 special
> education teacher was allergic to dogs until Monday afternoon. Charla said
> the
> 
> teacher was out sick on Monday, but the school told her that Shyanna and
> Spring could not return to Morrison because of the teacher's allergy.
> 
> 
> 
> When asked if returning to Beacon would be an option for Shyanna, Martin
> said that would have to be worked out between the family and Beacon School.
> He
> 
> said that it's not uncommon for students to return to Beacon after they've
> tried public schools.
> 
> 
> 
> The Gretz' youngest child, Conner, attends pre-school at Beacon. Charla said
> her son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional
> 
> defiant disorder (ODD).
> 
> 
> 
> Charla said she will meet with members of the Athens City School District on
> Sept. 3 regarding their options for Shyanna's schooling. Martin said the
> district
> 
> had hoped to meet with the family sooner, but the family's schedule didn't
> allow for that.
> 
> 
> 
> "The dog is not the issue," Martin said. "The issue is where can I serve
> this child in a program that works for everyone. East is a wonderful school
> in
> 
> a wonderful building."
> 
> sbrumfield at athensmessenger.com
> 
> ; Twitter @SaraBmessenger.
> 
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