For The Sake of One Child

For The Sake of One Child

Future Reflections Fall 1990, Vol. 9 No. 3
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FOR THE SAKE OF ONE CHILD
by Denise Mackenstadt
[PICTURE] Amanda Haug,daughter of Irv and Sharon Haug.
Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from the Blind Washingtonian, the newsletter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Washington.
Amanda Haug is a multi-handicapped blind
nine-year-old. When Amanda came to Irv and
Sharon Haug at age five, she was functioning at
the level of an infant. In four years, with a great
deal of love and hard work, Amanda had made
incredible strides.
In September of 1988 Sharon Haug asked the
National Federation of the Blind to work with
her in obtaining a quality education for her
daughter. The Haug family had recently moved
to Snohomish School District. Previously, Amanda
had been placed in a class for the developmentally
disabled --with itinerant services of a
teacher for the blind. In her new setting Amanda
had a teacher who was unfamiliar with the special
needs of a blind child. Denise Mackensdadt and
Eun Jung Lee accompanied Sharon Haug in an
observation of Amanda's class. The instructor
seemed to be anxious to hear any suggestions that
would help her in serving Amanda in an appropriate
manner.
By November, however, things had changed.
Sharon again contacted the NFB of Washington
because she was concerned about the Individual
Education Plan (IEP) which had been presented
to her by the school district. She felt that Amanda
was being denied an appropriate education. She
wished to incorporate pre-Braille activities and
more cane travel instructions. She felt that
Amanda was not receiving educational services
which addressed her special needs due to blindness.
Sharon requested a meeting to discuss
revisions of the IEP. Denise Mackenstadt accompanied
Sharon and her husband to this meeting.
Five staff members from the
school district attended. At the
meeting it was made abundantly
clear that the school district
had no intention of dealing
fairly and cooperatively with
the parents in order to provide
the education Amanda needed.
The school refused to instruct
Amanda in any Braille, even though her classmates were enrolled
in a language/reading
program. But Sharon was
adamant that her daughter
receive an education which met
all of her needs. It was evident
that if Amanda were not blind
she would be receiving better
services.
Following that meeting Sharon wrote a letter to
the director of special education formally requesting
minimal Braille instruction, additional
orientation and mobility, and additional communication
instruction. In addition, the Haugs
requested the services of a qualified teacher of
the blind. All of these services had been successfully
provided in the previous school district.
The Snohomish school district responded with a
letter stating that an education in the skills of
blindness was inappropriate for Amanda because
she was multi-handicapped. But Sharon
and Irv Haug were insistent that their daughter
be given the kind of education that she deserved
under the law. They were not ready to give up on
her. After attending an NFB convention, Sharon
had learned to trust her instincts as a mother, and
she knew that she knew her daughter best.
With the help of the NFB of Washington and
Oregon, and the Northwest Parents of Blind, the Haugs embarked on a ten-month struggle for a good
program for their daughter.
Ruth Van Ettinger performed
a more complete and updated
assessment on Amanda. Based
on this assessment, the Haugs
again insisted that Amanda
needed blind services in addition
to her developmentally
disabled program. The NFB
worked with Sharon and Irv to
obtain an attorney. The school
year was moving quickly and no
agreement had been reached
about educational services for
Amanda.
The Haugs requested another
IEP meeting in order to come
to some agreement on the points which were in
dispute. They were optimistic that a resolution of
the problem could still be negotiated. The school
district, however, did not come to that meeting in
good faith to negotiate a viable program. The
Haugs left the meeting greatly discouraged.
As a result, they informed the school district that
they were filing for a due process fair hearing to
settle the dispute. The School district had
pushed the Haugs far enough. This struck a
responsive chord. The district then wished to
negotiate. Amanda was deemed eligible for extended
school year during the summer. In addition,
she would have orientation and mobility and
speech therapy.
A date was set in August when the Haugs and the
school district would sit down to discuss a teacher
of the blind and the Braille and mobility services.
As it turned out, Amanda would have a new
teacher in September and the Snohomish School
District would have a new director of special
education. Just before school began a most highly
Children Division, the Haugs embarked on a qualified teacher of the blind was hired to provide blind services for Amanda, and a new classroom
teacher expressed delight at having Amanda
in her class.
In November of 1989 Sharon Haug attended her
daughter's IEP meeting accompanied by Denise
Mackenstadt. This parent-teacher conference
was cordial, respectful of all parties and a true
team approach. All of the participants went away
with a feeling of real hope for the future of Amanda
Haug. Everything which Sharon and Irv had
been asking for was being provided. Most importantly
Amanda was again in a nurturing and
loving school environment with a talented staff
willing to work for her welfare.
Sharon and Irv Haug had to endure hardship and
distress during this time. They could easily have
given in to the school district. However, they
knew that the future of their child was at stake
and that ultimately Amanda would benefit in
ways unimaginable.
The ripple effect has been just as dramatic. Initially
the school district had said that there were
not enough blind children to justify hiring a
teacher of the blind. But in the past month five
parents have requested services for a teacher of
the blind! The Haug family, with the assistance
of the National Federation of the Blind, fought
not only for Amanda but for a quality education
for every blind child in this country.
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