Posted on 08/05/2004 12:01:14 PM PDT by freeeee
On 7-year-old Cheyenne Gilliam's first day at Mount Vernon Elementary yesterday, her new principal, Leon Davidson, explained to her classmates that the dog she brought to school isn't a pet: It's a working dog trained to respond to Cheyenne's epileptic seizures.
But the pair's first day in second grade ended abruptly when Rockcastle County Schools Superintendent Larry Hammond notified Cheyenne's parents, Jennifer and Anthony Gilliam, that the dog was, in a manner of speaking, being suspended.
Two hours after the day began, the family took the dog, and their daughter, home.
Hammond said in an interview that he wants to find out whether the school is legally obligated to allow Cheyenne to bring Mikki, a 55-pound Wei-mar-aner, into the classroom. The school board's attorney is reviewing the case.
"I've never dealt with a situation quite like this," he said. "I regret the inconvenience to the parent and the child."
Jennifer Gilliam said she's frustrated that the issue is coming up now.
When the family first bought their house in Rockcastle County two months ago, she said she began working with the school system to ensure that it was prepared for the dog, which came home with the family Sunday after five months of training. Gilliam said she had responded to the district's questions, sent in the paperwork officials required and worked with them to draw up plans for how the dog would be handled at school.
Although he has not had any complaints from parents, Hammond said the dog could be a liability to the district and might disrupt the classroom. He also noted that some children might fear dogs or be allergic to them.
"It's my responsibility to see to the safety and the well-being of all," Hammond said. "I would rather look at getting an instructional assistant and training them."
But a human aide couldn't do all the things Mikki can, Jennifer Gilliam said.
She said the dog senses oncoming seizures and alerts Cheyenne by obsessively licking the palms of her hands. That cues Cheyenne to sit down on a mat on the floor, so she will not hit her head on furniture.
During a seizure, Mikki lies across the girl, providing a sense of security. When Mikki gets up, Cheyenne knows it's safe for her to get up, too, Gilliam said.
Cheyenne takes medicine that helps prevent seizures, but she still has three to five "full-blown" episodes a week, Gilliam said.
The family raised $8,000 to pay for the dog and its training as well as training for Cheyenne in Oxford, Pa., where Gilliam said the girl had to prove "that she can handle the dog in any situation."
A lawyer with expertise in service animals and the protections guaranteed their owners under the Americans with Disabilities Act said he does not believe Hammond has the right to stop the dog from coming to school, as long as Cheyenne truly has a disability and Mikki truly is a service dog.
"Unless this dog is menacing the other children, that superintendent doesn't have a leg to stand on," said Aaron McCullough, who works for the Texas-based Disability Law Resource Project.
Gilliam said she believes her refusal to have an "Individual Education Program" drawn up for her daughter is part of the problem.
She said the plan would involve not only testing Chey-enne's intellectual capability, but also her mental and emotional health, something that is not required for most children.
Gilliam said her daughter is a good student and she does not want her treated differently.
McCullough said the refusal of the plan shouldn't matter, since the plans "are for students who have learning impairments or disabilities that affect their ability to learn."
"There's no other formality they (the Gilliams) have to go through," he said.
However, Kentucky Department of Education spokeswoman Lisa Gross said the plans "are also for kids who have physical disabilities," and unless parents agree to setting one up, schools are not required to provide special accommodations.
The family is filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education and will continue going to school each morning to see whether Mikki can go in. If she can't, both the dog and Cheyenne will go back home. Gilliam said she hopes the situation is resolved quickly, as Hammond has pledged.
"I really don't want her to fall behind," she said.
(Article posted for educational purposes only)
Because she has epilepsy. It can cause unseen brain damage. It helps the school be better prepared.
Parents can also refuse different parts of the testing. For example a blind kid who is talking great would probably not undergo a speech evaluation.
She is asking for special services. Any accomodation is a special service. Having the dog in the classroom is a special service.
The parents can opt out of the testing, and still have an IEP.
By the way, it would be very valuable for an epileptic to have a psychological eval because epileptic seizures are either a result of brain damage or can cause brain damage that cannot be seen by an MRI.
Thanks. She's quite a gal - a natural teacher... At age nine she taught our youngest daughter to read at the third grade level before she entered kindergarten ...
You are wrong. IEPs also handle physical accomodations. Kids in wheelchair do require an IEP.
They don't. I wish I had my IEP forms, but parents can opt out of the testing and still have an IEP.
When they would have a siezure, it would last a few minutes, and then they would be brought to the nurse's office.
Nobody made fun of them, the other kids were sympathetic and didn't treat them any differently than anyone else, except perhaps showing them more kindness.
I guess you grew up in a different kind of neighborhood than I did.
That's where I think the IEP would also be helpful. It protects everyone.
My daughter has an IEP so I see that side of things.
However, my daughter is also very scared of dogs, and all 3 of my kids are probably allergic because I am allergic to dogs.
I wouldn't want my kids to be in the same classroom.
I am suspicious that the ONLY reason this administrator wanted to give this child an IEP is to qualify for more federal funding.
What you apparently do not understand is that the family did not request any special services. They paid eight thousand dollars for a dog which will protect this child at the onset of a seizure. They want nothing more than to allow this child to go to school like everyone else. This dog will sit next to the child and is trained to ignore distractions like other children.
I see no difference between the dog and the millions of dollars of prescription medication pumped into young children with behavioral "disorders" just so they can sit in class like everyone else.
the girl doesn't belong in a public school.
Amen! There is a disconnect among the government school establishment that thinks that school is for everything but learning.
Look, I have no problems with people who have epilepsy. Several of my relatives have it. Hell, I had a dog who was epileptic.
But, you cannot be serious if you believe that this girl's epilepsy (and I am speaking only of her, not people with epilepsy in general) does not require her to be treated differently--she wants to have a dog in the class with her, at all times! That is different!
My only point was that if she expects to use something that will require significant accomodation on the part of the school, she should go through the process of having an IEP done--just like everyone else in that position does.
I honestly intended no insult to people with epileptics--I was just trying ot make the simple point that in her case, the school says she should have an IEP because of the adjustments they will have to make.
This is from the epilepsy foundation:
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/efforums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=2&threadid=23813&enterthread=y
Just having the dog is an accomodation. She doesn't have to have psychological testing. She may need a 504 plan instead of an IEP, and I don't quite know the difference there. My daughter with brain damage needs an IEP. She qualifies under Other Health Impaired and that is what epilepsy is under.
It's a Weimeraner..... Not a pit bull.... or did you think it said Rottweiler?
I think there is something much more valuable to be learned with her being ~in~ the classroom than outside it. You're being hysterical, not only about her, but about the dog. YOU would have benefitted greatly from being exposed to both dogs and epilepsy somewhere in your development.
I read this as a kneejerk reaction on the part of the school, and I would like to know why it was handled this way.
I am serious when I do say that this girl's epilepsy does not require her to be treated differently. She knows she has it and if she has seizures three times a week, she is probably used to it. The children in her class will get used to it too, but there needs to be some explanation and education going on. The liberal public school system likes to include everything in a "normal" classroom these days - mentally challenged, behaviorally challenged, homosexuals, and children with emotional issues, which require a teaching aid or other adults in the classroom. If these children are allowed to be included in the classroom, why shouldn't a little girl with epilepsy be allowed to be in the same classroom?
Once again, I am suspicious at the need to have an IEP for this child.
"and who will have at her side a weapon that kills many people in this country every year"
Chances are this fact will tend to limit the teasing, don't you think?
I don't understand why the parent didn't want to have an IEP.
One of my daughters has an IEP just to get speech therapy. She does not have brain damage (like her sister). She's top in her class. However, in order to get speech she needs an IEP. She doesn't have to have any testing except for speech testing. She's never had a psychological test.
The psychological test is mostly to find out if a kid is gifted or has a learning disability. My son did it because his teacher (at a private school) thought he had ADD. We had the public school evaluate him, and they found out that he actually had a very high attention span, and that he was gifted.
The psychologist is the one who performs any IQ testing, and that is what is meant when a parent says that they will allow psychological testing.
I agree. There's been a lot of ignorance displayed on this thread. IEP's are not a bad thing. They help the child and have the input of the parent. It allows everyone to know what is going on. I think IEPs allow special needs children go into a regular schoolroom and have everyone involved knowing how to address the needs.
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