Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,158
- Reaction score
- 7
Guide dog joins Allen Park teacher in classroom | news-press.com | The News-Press
Chris Hamstra looks forward to a cold, wet nose and wagging tail greeting him in the morning.
It's his four-legged alarm clock, one that follows him to work every day at Allen Park Elementary.
Hamstra, who is deaf, believes he's the first Lee County public school teacher with a hearing dog, although the school district does not maintain records on employees with service dogs.
California-based Canine Companions for Independence said Hiro is the first hearing dog it has placed in Southwest Florida.
Hamstra, 30, can read lips, but not every sound comes from a person's mouth. That's where Hiro comes in, a rare service dog trained to pick up sounds of everyday life: the alarm clock, doorbell, video phone, a colleague's call for help or a child crying.
Although guide dogs have long assisted blind individuals, Hamstra has found himself having to educate business owners and employees that service dogs also are permitted for deaf people.
"There were a couple of places that were asking questions about Hiro, and I showed them our dog team certification and ID card," said Hamstra, of Fort Myers. "After that, we got in with no problem."
Hiro, a yellow Labrador and golden retriever mix, has lived with Hamstra for about two months, accompanying him to work, shopping malls, restaurants and even the movie theater.
Animals are not permitted on school campuses, but Hamstra applied for a policy waiver based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. He was granted approval about a month ago to bring Hiro to class, where the pooch already has learned to navigate from the playground and cafeteria to Hamstra's classroom.
Allen Park has five hearing-impaired classrooms, but Hamstra is the only instructor who is deaf. His students also have learning disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.
Prior to Hiro's arrival, the school contacted parents for the OK.
Enrique Sanchez, 8, was terrified of large dogs, keeping a distance on Hiro's first day. Day by day, though, Enrique inched closer and closer.
"Why is his nose black? Enrique asked on a recent school day, kneeling face-to-face with his new best friend.
During instructional time, Hamstra's six students are not permitted to play with or pet Hiro. While they learn, he spends much of the day napping on a blanket under Hamstra's desk. If students are well behaved by day's end, Hamstra will sign "play" to Hiro, allowing him to go off-duty, when he proceeds to lick children, sniff cabinets and wag his fluffy tail like any other 2-year-old canine.
Hamstra lost his hearing as an infant after a bout of meningitis, an infection of membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. He adapted to the hearing loss with nary a glitch, playing high school sports, landing on the honor roll and even earning a spot as goalkeeper for the U.S.A. Deaf Soccer national team.
One incident, however, helped Hamstra realize another set of ears - even a dog's ears - could be a lifesaver.
A few months after 9/11, he attended an out-of-town education conference. As he slept alone in a hotel room, the fire alarm activated and everyone evacuated the building - except Hamstra. Two hours later, alarm still ringing at full force, he awoke to vibrations.
"I looked at the door because it was halfway open, and saw some sharp tools hitting on the door latch, thinking maybe some terrorists took over the hotel," Hamstra said. "But it turned out to be firemen axing down the door latch that I had on my door for security."
It was a false alarm.
But that experience stuck with Hamstra's wife, Michelle, driving her to find a solution in case she's not there by his side.
A Georgia family spent eight months training Hiro until he mastered dozens of commands and sounds. Dog owners also can customize commands to fit their particular lifestyle or activities, such as learning to recognize the ding of an e-mail landing in Hamstra's inbox.
"A lot of people with hearing dogs are able to move to the next chapter in their life," said Jeanine Konopelski, marketing director for Canine Companions. "They can enhance their independence."
Hearing dogs, guide dogs and other service dogs cost the nonprofit organization about $45,000 from breeding to retirement, Konopelski said. The organization relies on donations from the public and grants from private foundations, and provides dogs for free.
Hiro's arrival has the Hamstras getting prepared to start a family, knowing the dog can relay a baby's cry with a gentle tap of a wet nose on Hamstra's thigh.
For Hamstra, life has come full circle. Twenty years ago, he was a deaf student attending Allen Park, not realizing at the time how much work his teachers put into their instruction. He wants to return the favor.
"This time, it's something I would like to do, to pay back, be a good role model for the deaf students and to make sure they feel comfortable being in my classroom because they understand me and I understand them using sign language," Hamstra said.
Chris Hamstra looks forward to a cold, wet nose and wagging tail greeting him in the morning.
It's his four-legged alarm clock, one that follows him to work every day at Allen Park Elementary.
Hamstra, who is deaf, believes he's the first Lee County public school teacher with a hearing dog, although the school district does not maintain records on employees with service dogs.
California-based Canine Companions for Independence said Hiro is the first hearing dog it has placed in Southwest Florida.
Hamstra, 30, can read lips, but not every sound comes from a person's mouth. That's where Hiro comes in, a rare service dog trained to pick up sounds of everyday life: the alarm clock, doorbell, video phone, a colleague's call for help or a child crying.
Although guide dogs have long assisted blind individuals, Hamstra has found himself having to educate business owners and employees that service dogs also are permitted for deaf people.
"There were a couple of places that were asking questions about Hiro, and I showed them our dog team certification and ID card," said Hamstra, of Fort Myers. "After that, we got in with no problem."
Hiro, a yellow Labrador and golden retriever mix, has lived with Hamstra for about two months, accompanying him to work, shopping malls, restaurants and even the movie theater.
Animals are not permitted on school campuses, but Hamstra applied for a policy waiver based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. He was granted approval about a month ago to bring Hiro to class, where the pooch already has learned to navigate from the playground and cafeteria to Hamstra's classroom.
Allen Park has five hearing-impaired classrooms, but Hamstra is the only instructor who is deaf. His students also have learning disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.
Prior to Hiro's arrival, the school contacted parents for the OK.
Enrique Sanchez, 8, was terrified of large dogs, keeping a distance on Hiro's first day. Day by day, though, Enrique inched closer and closer.
"Why is his nose black? Enrique asked on a recent school day, kneeling face-to-face with his new best friend.
During instructional time, Hamstra's six students are not permitted to play with or pet Hiro. While they learn, he spends much of the day napping on a blanket under Hamstra's desk. If students are well behaved by day's end, Hamstra will sign "play" to Hiro, allowing him to go off-duty, when he proceeds to lick children, sniff cabinets and wag his fluffy tail like any other 2-year-old canine.
Hamstra lost his hearing as an infant after a bout of meningitis, an infection of membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. He adapted to the hearing loss with nary a glitch, playing high school sports, landing on the honor roll and even earning a spot as goalkeeper for the U.S.A. Deaf Soccer national team.
One incident, however, helped Hamstra realize another set of ears - even a dog's ears - could be a lifesaver.
A few months after 9/11, he attended an out-of-town education conference. As he slept alone in a hotel room, the fire alarm activated and everyone evacuated the building - except Hamstra. Two hours later, alarm still ringing at full force, he awoke to vibrations.
"I looked at the door because it was halfway open, and saw some sharp tools hitting on the door latch, thinking maybe some terrorists took over the hotel," Hamstra said. "But it turned out to be firemen axing down the door latch that I had on my door for security."
It was a false alarm.
But that experience stuck with Hamstra's wife, Michelle, driving her to find a solution in case she's not there by his side.
A Georgia family spent eight months training Hiro until he mastered dozens of commands and sounds. Dog owners also can customize commands to fit their particular lifestyle or activities, such as learning to recognize the ding of an e-mail landing in Hamstra's inbox.
"A lot of people with hearing dogs are able to move to the next chapter in their life," said Jeanine Konopelski, marketing director for Canine Companions. "They can enhance their independence."
Hearing dogs, guide dogs and other service dogs cost the nonprofit organization about $45,000 from breeding to retirement, Konopelski said. The organization relies on donations from the public and grants from private foundations, and provides dogs for free.
Hiro's arrival has the Hamstras getting prepared to start a family, knowing the dog can relay a baby's cry with a gentle tap of a wet nose on Hamstra's thigh.
For Hamstra, life has come full circle. Twenty years ago, he was a deaf student attending Allen Park, not realizing at the time how much work his teachers put into their instruction. He wants to return the favor.
"This time, it's something I would like to do, to pay back, be a good role model for the deaf students and to make sure they feel comfortable being in my classroom because they understand me and I understand them using sign language," Hamstra said.