Mary Beth Ainsworth is battling the Wake County School District over the absence of special services for her son with Down Syndrome. The mother addressed the lack of certified feeding therapists and the absence of an actual policy in the school district.
Ainsworth's 3-year-old son named Gavin cannot feed himself and has difficulty swallowing and chewing. Ainsworth explains that not being able to chew properly before swallowing can lead to the lost of her son's gag reflex that may cause choking.
While Gavin was enrolled in a public early intervention program where he received food therapy, feeding therapy was not offered in his pre-kindergarten center. Ainsworth was told that feeding therapy was a medical need, instead of an educational one, according to WRAL.
Feeding therapies must be conducted by someone certified with the proper qualifications. Mary Beth hires a professional feeding therapist every week to teach her son how to eat safely. During other times, the mother expects Gavin's pre-school to provide a therapist for assistance.
Unfortunately, Weatherstone Elementary in Cary does not have any certified feeding therapists. Despite willing to shell out money from her own pocket to pay for a feeding therapist, her request was ignored.
Ainsworth's request to contract a private therapist to feed his child has been denied by the Wake County School District for months. Aside from being denied, Ainsworth was told that feeding therapy was not necessary for her son as occupational therapy will be able to meet Gavin's needs, according to ABC 11.
Bill Hussey, the director of the Exceptional Children's Division of the State Department of Public Instruction explains that there is no actual policy that addresses feeding therapy. Hussey's department is expected to meet the unique requirements and needs of an individual child.
Ainsworth took her plea to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The department concluded that her son is entitled to a feeding therapist and notified the state Department of Public Instruction to develop an appropriate program for the student.
While Wake County developed a team of speech and occupational therapists to work with Gavin, they still did not provide a feeding therapist. Ainsworth explains that the team of professionals are not trained or qualified to address Gavin's specific feeding needs.
Ainsworth continues to battle her son's right to a feeding therapist in hearings with the Wake County Public School District. She claims that she will not put her child in danger due to the school district's negligence.
