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

[Star Gazer]

Right, these guys don't want this little girl at the school. There is no
reason this couldn't have been sorted out before the first of the school
year. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ginger Kutsch
Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2013 8:55 AM
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Subject: [nagdu] Teacher's allergy disrupts plans for autistic girl, service
dog - The Athens Messenger: News

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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