FAIRHAVEN SCHOOL Student, teacher to receive awards

The two will be honored at a ceremony Aug. 19.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- A student and his teacher at Fairhaven School will receive recognition for their work together in the past year.
Christopher Alter, a 19-year-old from Brookfield with autism, will be presented the R.A. Horn Outstanding Achievement in Special Education Award, while his teacher, Debbie Oguttu, will receive the Franklin B. Walter Outstanding Educator in Special Education Award.
The awards will be presented during a ceremony Aug. 19 in Columbus. One pupil and one teacher from each of 16 regions in Ohio will be recognized for their achievements in special education.
A group of statewide organizations -- including the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, the Ohio Association of County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and more -- sponsor the awards each year.
Alter's progress
Douglas A. Burkhardt, superintendent of Fairhaven, said Alter began attending Fairhaven last fall and has made tremendous strides in working with Oguttu.
"With different surroundings and a different environment, he has really blossomed," Burkhardt said. "He's having a good time, and his parents are just tickled with his progress."
Gail Winner, director of education for Fairhaven, said Alter came to Fairhaven last year in a rather unorthodox way, having first spent time working with the county's autism unit and attending a regular county multidisability class.
He transferred to Fairhaven last fall, and Alter and Oguttu spent much of the year working with each other, but also cooperating with Alter's personal assistant and Wendy Szakacs, who coordinates the autism unit for the county, Winner said.
"The progress he's made would not have been possible without their help," Winner said.
She noted the difference in Alter since working with Oguttu is "night and day."
"He's started participating in a number of sports with our Special Olympics team," she said.
Burkhardt said Alter has particularly taken to basketball.
"He can make baskets from anywhere on the court," he said. "It's just amazing."
Winner said Alter and Oguttu's selection for the awards marks the first time anyone from the school has received the honor.
The awards are named for Dr. Raymond A. Horn, a well-respected educator who made major contributions toward the education of children with disabilities, and Dr. Franklin B. Walter, former state superintendent of public instruction in Ohio.
slshaulis@vindy.com