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Autistic Girl Kicked out of Girl Scout Troop
Filed under: In The News
Like many autistic children, 8-year-old Magi Klages finds new situations to be stressful. So her parents weren't surprised when she began acting out by biting herself and running around at her first gathering with her new Girl Scout troop in Wisconsin earlier this month. But despite the fact that the troop she joined was specifically created for children with special needs, the troop leader decided that Magi was a "danger" to the other children and promptly kicked her out of the troop.
"To feel like someone doesn't want your child around, it rips your heart out," said Magi's mother, Michele Klages. "I never expected my child to be discriminated against. Never in a million years."
Even a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts admits kicking Magi out goes against everything the organization stands for. "We are very inclusive and have a national policy against all forms of discrimination," said Michelle Thompkins.
Because the Girl Scouts receive federal funding, they are required under the Americans With Disabilities Act to make a "reasonable accommodation" for children like Magi. This troop leader, a mother of a disabled child herself, clearly did not put much effort into accommodating Magi. Perhaps she should read the Autism Society of America's booklet Growing Up Together, written to help children understand the disorder and learn how to befriend a child with autism.
"To feel like someone doesn't want your child around, it rips your heart out," said Magi's mother, Michele Klages. "I never expected my child to be discriminated against. Never in a million years."
Even a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts admits kicking Magi out goes against everything the organization stands for. "We are very inclusive and have a national policy against all forms of discrimination," said Michelle Thompkins.
Because the Girl Scouts receive federal funding, they are required under the Americans With Disabilities Act to make a "reasonable accommodation" for children like Magi. This troop leader, a mother of a disabled child herself, clearly did not put much effort into accommodating Magi. Perhaps she should read the Autism Society of America's booklet Growing Up Together, written to help children understand the disorder and learn how to befriend a child with autism.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 2)
11-29-2008 @ 2:39PM
LS said...You know, not everyone fits into every situation they go into. It's hard enough for "normal" kids to fit in and get along in a new setting. I'm sure there's another side to this story, that we're not hearing.
Considering that this troop was already established as a "special needs" troop, perhaps there were other kids that were uncomfortable with Magi's outbursts.
In every situation like this - a group of kids in a learning situation - the needs of the group must come before the needs of one. I'm sorry for Magi that this didn't work out, but that doesn't mean that she was discriminated against. It may simply mean that this was not the group for her.
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11-29-2008 @ 3:54PM
Derek said...I gotta agree with LS, without knowing both sides of the story its a tough one to call.
What if she was biting other kids? Not saying this is specific to Magi, but what if a child was yelling profanities or you had children who startled easily. Sometimes exclusion is necessary for the greater good.
It sounds like this could have been handled better though, and they didn't put much thought into finding a proper place for Magi.
11-29-2008 @ 11:25PM
ninainindia said...I completely agree with LS.
12-03-2008 @ 11:44PM
Helen said...I understand that the group should not suffer for one individual, but to make up your mind that it can't work after one stressful meeeting? I think Magi got the short end of the stick.
11-29-2008 @ 5:41PM
Kathy said...I agree with the previous posters. It would be good to hear details of the other side of the story.
My son was in a cub scout troop that wound up becoming mostly a special needs den. The leader was a lovely woman who not only couldn't say no to a boy who wanted to be in the den, which is nice, but she also couldn't control the boys. Meetings became chaotic, so my son quit.
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11-29-2008 @ 6:41PM
Hannah said...I agree with the previous commenters. I am a Girl Scout leader and I believe there is a whole lot more to this story than we are being told. No matter how your troop is made up, not having any parents helping makes a leader's job 100xs more difficult. Nearly every leader I have known (myself included) has been treated like a free babysitter, and contrary to popular belief we are not babysitters. Perhaps this leader did not have enough helpers to accomadate this girl. It's sad, but we need to hear all the facts before we attack this leader for her decision.
11-29-2008 @ 7:37PM
penny said...I was going to comment on how this is a disgrace, and as a mother of a special needs child....
Then I read the other comments and said, hey maybe they have a point, what if there is more to the story that I don't know? Thank you guys, I need to remember that there could be more to a story then meets the eye and to not jump to conclusions. I hope this gets worked so both parties are happy.
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11-30-2008 @ 11:03AM
Pam said...As a Girl Scout Leader for 11 years, I have to admit it's difficult enough without any "special needs" girls, just the usual rambuctiousness of childhood. To have a troop especially for special needs girls would seem to require one adult per girl. Or at least one adult for the especially difficult cases. I hope this family can find a way to make it work.
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11-30-2008 @ 12:10PM
dansfae said...I agree with Penny.
The mom should have provided extra supervision for her daughter or even have volunteered to assist the leader. Having her own mom around might have made the transition easier for the reluctant scout.
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12-03-2008 @ 9:01PM
Nicole said...I disagree with you.....
I understand that it would be difficult to control the young girl, but as the mother said other special needs children belonged to the troop. It isn't the mother's duty to supply extra help, the leader should know that she'll need help with the special needs kids. The leader really shouldn't have kicked her out, she should have talked to the mother to work out the situation like good adults should. For all the people who are looking at the mother and the girl as antagonists, take a walk in their shoes and imagine how the girl and her mother feel about this. Like I said I agree there are two sides to every story but think about how both sides feel and there were many different ways they could have resolve this.
12-01-2008 @ 10:25AM
tami said...To all you I am an assistant troop leader for the Daisy Girl Scouts. Our troop isnt a special needs troop, and we accept all.. That is what the Girl Scouts was founded on. No discrimination. I dont care if your only hearing one side it is wrong to disband this poor girl.. I know how she feels I have Tourette Syndrome and the troop leader has welcomed me with open arms and so have the parents and the girls. It is appalling to hear the troop leader has kicked out that girl. The troop leader should be fired and get a better leader that will do the job the right ethical way...
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12-01-2008 @ 11:45AM
Hannah said...Tami- Girl Scout leaders are volunteers, not paid employees. There is another side to this story and it is extremely unfair to judge this leader based on one person's story. As a leader you should understand that.
12-01-2008 @ 5:10PM
tami said...You dont read too well. I know it is volunteer and I never said I was a leader I'm an assistant leader. I would never and I mean never kick a girl out because of a disability that was disrupting the troop. We would as a group recognize each ones disabilities and help each other. Girl scouts was founded on fairness, kindness to one another. That is what Juliette Gordon Lowe wanted us all to learn as a troop... What this leader did was wrong it was not doing things the Girl Scout way...
You said: it is extremely unfair to judge this leader based on one person's story. As a leader you should understand that.
I do understand but its not fair to that girl that struggles. Do you have a disability. If not then you dont know all the struggles they go through. I hope you understand that. As it says in the Girl Scout Promise: On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
And The Girl Scout Law: I will do my best to be honest and fair,
friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
She was not helping that girl in the end she got her out of the troop instead of keeping her in she was not 2. helping her as it says in the promise. She wasn't considerate and caring. She did not instill in all the girls to be sister to every Girl Scout.
And she definately did not make that world a better place for that little girl. She just taught that little girl that people are unfair to people with disabilities which is not right. The Girl Scouts was founded on making girls feel good about themselves and feel important to society and to be better people when they grow up. This little girl being kicked out is learning not to feel good about herself quite the opposite, feeling not wanted and no one needs that. She also did not use her resources wisely. Since the girl was being disruptive to the troop yes the parent should have been envolved more being there to help the leader. The leader could have done more activities to foster and help the girls understand their limits and getting along not getting someone out.. I had an arson fire across the street that helped me to realize life is too short and we as human beings need to help each other and understand that we all are different and try to work with each of the girls to try and get along with each other not make anyone not feel that they are also important. When I was a Girl Scout all those years ago, Having Tourettes was very difficult. I was teased by the other girls in the troop and at school. This was when we were all just getting into the brownies. This was all our first year as girl scouts. The leader was great too all of us equal. This was the leaders 10th year I found out when I got older. She stopped the teasing right away and taught us all theta even though we are all equal (human beings) we are also all different people with our looks and feelings. With my Tourettes I shke alot which was disruptive but the leader was very understanding. The girls learned to adapt and I alos learned ways of supressing my shking. I was not on any medication becasue each one made me so tired. Anyway back to the most most important is that that leader should have also been responsible for what she did.
12-01-2008 @ 12:54PM
LM said...If you read other articles the parents did stay at the meeting as they always do. So she did get one on one supervision I think the parents are just looking to have their daughter be included in social networking...go to wisn.com or jsonline.com to see the other articles or abcnews.com
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12-01-2008 @ 8:03PM
Hannah said...I am by no means defending her. I am, however, thinking very much about the Girl Scout Law. By judging this leader without hearing her side of the story are we being Fair? Considerate? No. By demanding that she be fired are we being Helpful? I don't think so. By badmouthing a Girl Scout Leader we have never met are we acting like a Sister to every Girl Scout? Caring? Not in my book. If she was malicious in excluding this girl, than yes, her postion as a leader needs to be evaluated by her service unit and council.
I do read quite well. Volunteers can't be fired. Only paid employees are fired. Volunteers can be asked not to return. Leaders, assistant leaders, coleaders, whatever you call them, all have the same training and are all considered leaders, at least in our Council here.
And as a mother of a special needs child I know what it's like to deal with people who don't understand. I have just learned to be patient, look at things from every point of view, and not take everything personally.
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12-02-2008 @ 9:13PM
lashawngardner said...I love you Tami and had to send you an AMEN to your comments. You are looking from my daughter's eyes whom is 9 years old and down sydrome. She is a Brownie Girl Scout. I thank GOD for my daughter's leaders. Yes, I am an Assistant Girl Scout Leader for my daughter's troop. I love all children good, bad, one leg, for their disabilities and all. Loving what you do will make you want to help all girls fit in your troop. You would be amazed at some of the girls when we go camping they want to help her and some asks questins remember they are only children. I try my best to explain why her speech the way it is. PLEASE LEADERS TRY TO SERVES THE GIRL FROM YOUR HEART NOT JUST AS A VOLUNTEER. YOU ARE REWARDED FOR THE THINGS THAT WE DO FOR FREE.
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12-02-2008 @ 1:59PM
SHAWN said...THANK ALL OF YOU FROM VOLUNTEERING.
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12-02-2008 @ 3:28PM
tinytoes151 said...as a parent of an autistic child that has been 'removed' from many day care centers and even a CCD program at my church, I can relate. It's a major frustration. My son will be 18 on Thursday, and now is a senior in High School - a special needs classroom. He works a part-time job, and saves most of his paycheck. When the children are small, and the communication bridge is tough, it's hard to get a link in with these little ones until that gap is met. At my son's school - the adult to child ratio was often 4-1 or even 3-1 at the early years - and I'm quite certain even though it was a special needs Girl Scout troop they didnt have enough volunteers, or someone who was specially trained in dealing with autism. If she was biting herself, she was probably frustrated that she couldnt communicate her needs to the group. Input works, output broken. They can understand just fine, they just cannot communicate back out.
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12-02-2008 @ 5:10PM
Ashley said...If this was specifically a "special needs" troop, then that leader needed to be trained to work with all kinds of kids with different dissabilities! My mother has worked in an disabled class, and many kids have different dissabilities- YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT...what makes me so upset is the fact that she is the mother of a disabled child.
HMMMMMMMMMMMM.................
I wonder what goes on in her house?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
What has the world come to? =
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12-02-2008 @ 8:02PM
Laura said...It is so disheartening, myself as a parent of a disabled child, to see how many people think it's ok to dismiss this differently abled young lady. Everyone seems to say "there must've been a reason" and more sides to every story. I am sure there are more "sides" to this young lady's story as well. But we are very quick to say it's OK, there are sometimes reasons to discriminate...last I knew discrimination was still discrimination, whether it is cloaked with good intentions or not. End result is a young lady, already isolated by illness or condition, left feeling ostracized as well. The belief that differently abled means lack of understanding is hurtfully inaccurate. Leaders are trained, and therefore are somewhat knowledgeable of alternative solutions, including asking mom to assist during the transition. Easy was opted over effective.
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