The Virginian-Pilot
©
CHESAPEAKE
Brandy and Michael Yetter claim administrators at Grassfield Elementary treated their son like a criminal rather than the boy he is: a 6-year-old first-grader with special needs.
The Yetters and special education advocate Cheryl Poe spoke to the Chesapeake School Board on Monday to try to ensure what happened to Riley does not happen to another student.
Riley, diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, had a behavioral meltdown at the school June 14, leading to administrators calling police. A school security guard pressed assault charges against Riley that have been resolved.
"The administrators at Grassfield Elementary should be ashamed of themselves for victimizing a child," Brandy Yetter told the board while Riley sat with his father.
The Yetters said they believe the school's handling of the incident was retaliatory. The administrators had originally been cooperative and even emphatic, Brandy Yetter said.
But throughout the school year, the Yetters became frustrated with the inability of the school to put proper behavioral interventions into place for Riley, who had been moved from an inclusion classroom to a self-contained class during the year. When they hired Poe last spring, the Yetters contend, "things changed."
After several ineffective meetings, Poe informed the school the family was considering due process. That was the day before Riley's June 14 outburst.
Riley had been suspended three times previously, so just as before, the Yetters say the school called them to pick up Riley because of his behavior. When Brandy Yetter arrived at the school 20 minutes after the call, she was stunned to see police talking with her son.
"When I got there, he was sitting calmly in an overturned chair and yes, he had overturned the chair," she said. "But he wasn't being disruptive."
She was informed the school's security guard had filed charges, reducing her to tears.
"We're law-abiding people," she said. "He's 6 years old. You wonder, 'Is this going to be on his record?' "
The Yetters told the board they were frustrated that, despite working with Riley since kindergarten, the school did not know his trigger points nor were staff members trained in the proper interventions for a child with autism.
"Second, the decision to call the police was strictly retaliatory," Brandy Yetter said. "This particular episode was neither the first nor the worst episode."
Poe, who owns Advocating 4 Kids LLC, asked the board to conduct an internal fact-finding mission into the incident and suggested leadership at Grassfield Elementary be trained about the resources and best practices to help students with difficult disabilities.
Tom Cupitt, spokesman for Chesapeake schools, had no comment about the incident.
In other news from the Board's lone July meeting, Harry Murphy was re-elected chairman for the 2011-12 school year, and Jay Leftwich was re-elected vice chairman. Both were unopposed.
Vicki L. Friedman, (757) 222-5218, vicki.friedman@pilotonline.com
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NEUROLOGICAL disorder
It would appear that some of these post are by Grassfield elementary school personnel attempting to defend its inactions and lack of appropriate services for a 6 yr old student who has a NEUROLOGICAL disorder! Morals has nothing to do with the family or this student. Again he has an organic,neurological dysfunctions.He has a disability. @datagirl: You were a lucky one, however these parents weren't.
@ ZeastnZeal: You have reported untrue information. The Security Guard was NEVER in a cast.
The purpose of have a security guard per her job description is to provide "protective service work and maintaining security at a school". Given her assertion that she was ASSAULTED by 6 year old, I doubt that she is competent to perform her job duties.
Shocked and saddened
I am shocked by some of the comments to this article. My son has special needs diagnosed at age 3. He is now 7 and has made significant improvements, but only because we as parents fought and advocated for him. People that don't have a child with special needs can never understand the daily struggles and are so quick to blame the parents. "The child just needs more discipline" is not the answer. These children don't comprehend things the same as others. It took an entire school year with meeting after meeting to get interventions and an IEP in place for my son. Luckily, he is at a great school and has wonderful teachers that care and want to see him succeed. The Yetters should be commended for advocating, not ridiculed!
Interventions were developed
Interventions were developed and training was in place! Training was approached as a team effort, with school suggestions, her therapist and our parenting philosophies. Were there fustrations, yes! Was there compromise, yes! We are advocates for ALL children, not just ours with her special needs. The Grassfield Administration and Staff had/have a respondsibility to the other 900 students to provide a safe environment for learning. Vilolent behavior under any situation should not be tolerated, even less when safety is a concern for 900 other children. I perfer to see the presence of the police officer as training, meeting the objective of what society whould expect as allowable behavior.
WOW!!!
Both my children attend Grassfield Elementary. My daugther has special needs!The job of the school is to educate our children and re-enforce, not teach them morals, behavior,or a basic code of conduct. That starts at home! I find it ironic that the article mentioned that the "Security Guard" pressed charges. The article failed to mention that the 6 year old injured the Security Guard to the point where she finished the remainder of the school year in a cast. If it were the other way, the parents would have absolutly been seeking justice. I wonder if the Yetter's ever even considered the guards position or the school's for that matter? My guess is that they were so self consummed that they "forgot" the real issue... SOMEONE WAS HURT!!!
failures of Grassfield Elementary school Leadership!
@ "datagirl: I'm sure your attitude would different had you experienced the staff failures to develop behavior intervention plans and offer training to staff when requested, and then had the police called on your six year-old grandchild! It is easy for people who have not experienced difficulties to understand the fear, and sadness that parents of child who have disabilities have to endure. Once you get over(if you ever can get over it), that your child has a lifelong disabling conditions that will impact his/her quality of life forever, you then have to deal w/ school personnel's failures to ensure services are provided. Shame on you for so insensitive and the needs of this child and all children with disabilities.
With a granddaughter with
With a granddaughter with two of the special needs mentioned in the article, THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I WOULD CHOOSE FOR HER! Thanks Grassfield Admistration,Staff and Support Personnel for the last three years of support shown to her and us! GFE ROCKS!
Comment deleted
Comment removed for rules violation. Reason: Obscene, vulgar, sexual
WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CHILD
What is best for the child; improve parenting skills or improve teaching skills? Sounds like both can be improved. Is there a witness who saw the entire incident, actions of the child, teacher & Security Guard?
In Virginia Beach, my son, who has cerebral palsy and in a special needs program since age 2, LOVED school until his 2nd grade teacher refused to work with him (witnessed) & targeted him to move to another school separated from his twin (emotional issue). At new school, his teacher walked the halls (witnessed); non-special needs assistants let him play. Finally got a teacher who taught, when he moved up in grade...
Schools are given federal funds for special needs...no excuses, but parents need to do their job and stay involved!
RE: training and compassion helps
As someone who has worked with a number of children with autism, and who does know the kinds of interventions, strategies, and skills you need to do the job correctly, I would like to say this; behavior interventions are part of an educator's job. The school system is not doing this family a "favor" by educating him, they are required to, by law. Children with autism have been identified by medical science for a long,long time. Many can be very successful given the right support, and many are attending college and working successfully as adults. If Grassfield wants to educate this student appropriately, there are hundreds of ways to help him on the Internet they could use. They are abdicating their responsibility to this child.
Good luck!
I agree with you 100%. As the parent of an autistic and disruptive child (now deceased), I know first hand how difficult it is for those who have no knowledge or experience with them to realize the problems involved. Their solution? Cut the funding, and blame the parent. People refuse to acknowledge the fact that the "acting out" and disruptions are caused by frustration from their inability to communicate or comprehend. They (the people) are still operating under the misconception that those kids "just need more discipline", and that they (the kids) are able to show good behavior if they wanted to. Public law DOES mandate education in the "least restrictive environment", which puts the onus on public teachers to try to cope with them.