Teen with autism targeted in alleged mall incident

AFTER an alleged confrontation with a security guard at a local mall, a matric learner with autism suffered from a seizure and broke the cartilage between two of her ribs. The teenager hopes to turn this situation around and create awareness and bring attention to the law about service dogs and the life-saving role they play.

Hesmé Cronjé said she arrived at Westville Junction on Wednesday, August 18 a full 15 minutes before her appointment with her general practitioner. She was accompanied by her mother, Lomé, and her service dog, Raindrop Grantleigh.

“We usually arrive early in case I am stopped. I would then have time to explain why my dog was with me,” said the determined teen. “While walking into the mall, I was stopped and told that no dogs were allowed inside.”

Cronjé noted that her dog was wearing its ‘service dog in training vest’ and had the accompanying paperwork with her.

“As much as we tried to talk to him, he would interrupt me. He wouldn’t let me finish explaining to him that, by law, he (Raindrop) is legally required to accompany me,” she said. “I was showing signs of a panic attack. Raindrop was picking up on that and alerting us that I need to calm down.”

The security guard is then believed to have gone to the doctor’s office.

ALSO READ: Illegal dumping continues to spiral across Highway

Helen Anderson, a counselling psychologist, said, “With autism, neurologically, they function differently. Their nervous system is very sensitive and they can become overwhelmed by loud sounds and bright lights. Anything sensory, they can become easily overwhelmed.”

Cronjé said she was disheartened when the security guard returned and noted it was against the rules of the centre to allow her access with the dog.

“I was telling him I’m disabled and need the dog. He would cut me off. The more we tried to explain, the more he disregarded any explanation. He raised his voice and shouted,” she said.

Cronje reported she sat down at this point and Raindrop climbed onto her lap for Deep Pressure Therapy.

“I then asked him for his name so I could speak to his manager for the way he was speaking to me and for refusing me the right of access as a disabled person,” said Cronjé. “At this point, a few people were watching this happen.”

Lomé said her daughter was rocking back and forth on the floor. “I said Raindrop needed to go back to the car so she didn’t miss her appointment. As she stood up, she had a seizure,” said the mom.

Anderson noted it was the interaction that could have caused Cronjé’s nervous system to go into overdrive and trigger a neurological seizure.

“It’s not the same as someone who suffers from epilepsy. Because of all that stress, it caused the seizure,” she said.

ALSO READ: Residents hacked off by illegal tree felling in Westville

The landlord of Westville Junction responded to the incident:
“A security officer, from Ngoda Security (the externally appointed security company), stopped a customer, her 10-year-old daughter and a guide dog, from entering Westville Junction. The security officer was not sure if the guide dog was allowed in the centre and proceeded to contact his supervisor. The supervisor met them at the entrance and telephonically requested permission from the property managers to allow the guide dog access. The property managers allowed access immediately.

After informing the customer that they may proceed, the 10-year-old girl can be seen on CCTV footage falling outside of the main entrance due to a seizure (as per confirmation from her mother). The security officer ran to the doctor’s rooms to request assistance, after which the girl was escorted to the doctor’s rooms on a wheelchair.

On 20 August, the same mother, her 10-year-old daughter and the guide dog visited Westville Junction again without incident.”

The centre management said it was in contact with the doctor regarding the events that unfolded and the he was its point of contact to the customer.

“Nogada Security agreed that their staff will receive training on the laws of guide dogs and there will be a refresher course every six months,” said the landlord.

The Highway Mail requested to view the CCTV footage. The landlord of Westville Junction declined access to the footage ‘due to security reasons’.

Nogada Security did not respond to comment by the time of going to print.

ALSO READ: Ashley Road residents call for road repairs

Service dogs explained:
Grant Smith, an animal behaviour and training specialist at The Smart Dog, said it takes about two years to fully train a service dog.

“They are being trained all the time, from when they are at the centre to when they are at home or, in this case, when Raindrop joins Hesmé at school,” said Smith.

He noted that when they are made aware of complaints about denied access, he would contact the centre directly to find out why there was a blockage.

The big issue is lack of awareness. We all know that dogs generally aren’t allowed in shopping centres. In terms of the law, the dogs are regarded as medical equipment. Service dogs are so rare and most people see them only as a guide dog for the blind,” he said.

Anderson said the dog allowed for an autistic person to interact with the rest of the world as the animal would form a buffer.

“The dog is a comfort and is aware of her. He is able to pick it up in her body language and he will paw at her. He will give her signals to lie down should she be about to have a seizure. They are trained to pick up cues like that so their owners are safe. In Raindrops case, he is watching her constantly and is aware so that he can protect her,” she said.

To support Hesmé Cronjé’s awareness drive, follow her on Instagram at autistic_hessy.

Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).