Dogs for Autism OK in School?

The judge clearly sided with the child and his dog. So he was mistaken then? Apparently you are not convinced.

I think this issue has a lot to consider. One, some children are horribly afraid of dogs and I suppose to the school would need some sort of liability insurance. Also, in these stories, it’s not often mentioned how the school failed the child. Does the child have the dog and a Para? Is the dog replacing the Para? I think if the school is providing for the child, it’s a more natural setting of people contact than dog. I think these dogs can surely be a help to families in the community, but within school I am not so sure. I am wondering who takes the dog out for bathroom breaks and who cleans up after it? Is the dog allowed water during the school day or not? Who prepares the peers? 2 different situations, inclusion and self contained classes. If we’re talking self contained with special ed kids, I know my son is horribly afraid of large dogs and I can see it being a distraction for peers.

These cases will win in court, however I think there is much more to consider surrounding just the child with autism having the right to have the dog in school. Many more issues need to be considered.

As a parent who has applied in the past for such a dog, here in Canada anyways, a form must be filled out by the school principal…and this form comes from the service dog provider.

My sons’ principal first thought it was a request form, asking for permission for such a dog to be in the school. I had to clarify with him that the form was no such thing…that it was a form for him to sign acknowledging the fact that we were applying for such a dog and that he also acknowledged the fact that it would come to school wtih my son/stay with my son.

Each state may be different in the US, but here in BC, a service dog (note: not Therapy dog) must be given the right to enter any public building including schools and hospitals and restaurants.

The distinguishing between a service dog and a therapy dog is very clear. A service dog is doing a job, assisting his handler in day-to-day activites that the handler would otherwise not be able to do. A therapy dog is only providing comfort to someone and requires no special training to do this. They do not have the same rights as a service dog.

I am not sure why there is all this cafuffle over 2 things that are extremely easy to seperate.

My 2 cents anyways.
Cheers
Caroline

My son cannot go to school without an aide because of his “elopement” issue. If the dog substitutes for the aide, then I think that makes him more “independent.” If independence means being able to function more safely in the world despite disability and without more assistance from people, then I think the dog qualifies as a service dog.

Well, I have to say that the photo that goes along with the story appears the dog isn’t doing much service just laying on the floor at the grocery story with it’s head on it’s paws and the child is behind the dog, out of the dogs sight. The dog to me looks bored and not paying attention to the child at all. The dog to me doesn’t appear to be a services dog at all and maybe not even a therapy dog. They never should have included a photo with the dog not engaged with the child, laying on the floor.

Para’s are generally not only there to help with a running child. They’re also there to help the child stay on academic task and redirection and I can not see any type of trained dog replacing a Para.

When it comes to autism, providing emotional support DOES allow the person to do something that he/she would not be able to do for themselves. Managing anxieties and providing sensory support allows the child with autism to perform assigned tasks.
Also, therapy dogs are not just for restraining a ‘runner’. The dogs ARE trained if they are to perform effectively. Sure an untrained dog provides support jsut as any pet would, but a trained therapy dog is a working dog and should be involved in scheduled routines for the individual.

Although my grandson has a dog and farret it is best that I homeschool him.I would also like to see more help with homeschooling for autistic kids.You dont see much out there for them and if you do find them they are expensive.More picture books in all subjects would be a great help.

In the article above, ServiceDogCentral.org’s own quote says “Their defined function is…to do something the handler cannot do for themselves which allows that handler to overcome or ameliorate an inability to perform major life activities.” Breaking that down, if they are helping the autistic child to avoid potentially dangerous outbursts, or focus more on the work-at-hand simply by being there, then they are helping to do something the handler can not do for themselves. This in turn will help to overcome the inability to perform the otherwise simple task of ‘going to school’.

Jon – I have to ask, though, given the actual description of the dog’s work, whether the child is handling the dog, or vice versa. If the dog is actually managing the child’s behavior, then the child is not the handler – nor does the child have control over the animal.

While I agree that the dog’s presence is evidently very helpful for the child, it seems reasonable to consider the school’s perspective.

A guide dog for a blind individual is handled entirely by the blind person. That person gives the dog commands, keeps the dog under control, makes sure the dog gets poop breaks, etc. The child with autism, as described in this article, does none of that.

So who does?

From the point of view of the school, SOMEone needs to consider the fact that there’s a large dog in the classroom — and if isn’t the child, is it the teacher?

Lisa

I David rs Greer Recognise That theres too much Safty around chrilden Say let our small ones tuffing up and not be wimps! .Condition Cynophobia (Fear of Dogs)can be stoped at an early age ! .someone having a fear of a dog if its FOR SOME THING THAT ANT GOING TO BITE find This really intresting.I Will Speek Aspergers now can be that let your kids have flees so the bite are not that painfull later on in life .Cynophobia reconised as a disorder.

If any looked at the photo that went long with the main article, the red leash the child was connected to the dog with was wrapped up beneath the dog while it was laying on the store floor. It didn’t seem to me the child had any concept of handling the dog, or that the dog was handling the child for that matter.

As the article pointed out, these types of dogs for children with autism has not been well researched for the benefit but lets say while at school it doesn’t help avoid potentially dangerous anything and adult intervention is still required? I can also see the health issue of where the dog goes to the bathroom, and who cleans up after it in a place where children are every where.

Not all fears of children are rational, yet those fears are very real to them. You can no easier nip those fears in the butt at an early age either nor can I convince my child not to fear spiders or large dogs and by rights, everyone should have some amount of fear of those things. It’s not fair to ask for consideration for the dog yet have no consideration for the children who will also be around that dog.

In another article from ABC news shows a picture of the family going to or from school, and the mother is holding the main leash of the dog, and the child is tethered. In any of the photo’s I have seen, it doesn’t look like the child is in control at all of the dog, and one does wonder if a Para is required to hold that main leash as the mother is doing? Would that para also need training as the family does with the dog?

Autism dogs for children are not meant for the child to be the handler. They are part of a triad, where a third party, generally a parent, is the facilitator. When this case first broke, the parents expected the school to assign someone to be that facilitator while the child was in class. It should never be the school’s responsibility. Guide programs don’t make placements with children under 12 for a reason. They require candidates to be able to navigate on their own as well as be able to see to the animal’s needs.

I’d also like to point out that most programs (be it guides, mobility, or medical alert/response) don’t place dogs under a year old. This puppy was 10-11 months old at placement. There is still a fear period to go through (roughly 18 months) and the dog is expected to stop the child from bolting before its growth plates have closed and final evaluations could be made on hips and elbows (can’t be done until 2 years old). The joint wear and tear this dog is facing is greater than any mobility dog; most programs won’t place a mobility dog before 2 for those reasons.

These dogs don’t provide independence (and the subject of how much independence a 5 year old needs is up for debate); the service they provide is more for the parents than the child. The question should be asked “How fair is it to either party (child and dog)”? The dog is a living breathing paperweight and forced to deal with emotional outbursts (some of which are likely to be dangerous for the animal). There is footage of the dog literally dragging the kid around (no facilitator attached).

I wish I had known that I could have refused to be a student with ASD’s service dog handler. I had an issue arise at work (I am the triad in this case) and the service dog was not responding to my commands and the student was throwing himself on the ground as I was trying to transfer. I commanded the dog to stay so I could get the student to resume activity. It is tough to be a handler especially after two days of training with the dog and the child. Both me and a para are handler’s for the dog, and I am not sure if the dog is able to differentiate between us. When other kids in the classroom here us give the commands, they do too and the dog will listen to them as well. I get’s really confusing. I see the dog in my scenario more as a tether, not really a guide. The adverse behaviors in my student have not improved, in some ways they seem worse. Now, I am asked to have a third party help me with the student and the dog. So, now you have two adults who have to 1) walk beside the child, and 2) handle the dog. Before the service animal came to school, I could walk holding the student’s hand without any problem. Now, it takes two adults plus the service animal? Something is broken here, and the administration doesn’t see it.

AJ~ thanks for that comment. In most of the current articles, it doesn’t even state the age of the dog or the school to assign a facilitator of which in photo’s I’ve seen, the child wasn’t capable of doing this himself. Do you know if the school did assign some one to do that?

There seems to be a lot of views, and as having dealt with National Service Dogs in Ontario, I know the guidelines where they are coming from…and agree with them.

First of all, a service dog for children with Autism is NOT provided to replace the care and supervision of a responsible adult…neither in the home, school or out in the community.

The dogs are trained to be under the direction of a supervising adult at all times. The child is attached to the dog via a leash extension and the dog is attached to the adult via the leash. Although this may seem cruel by those who don’t understand, but the idea is that the child gains independence because he doesn’t have to hold onto the adults’ hand at all times.

The dogs are screened carefully for appropriate temperment and if at any time of their training they exhibit undesirable traits, they don’t go further with the training. They get adopted out to families.

The training and screening that the family go through is quite significant. It involves a meeting where a retired service dog (or one that didn’t make training requirements completely) comes to the home and an evaluation is done on the child as well as the family. Interaction with the dog goes along with that. I do must say that the people from this particular organization anyways go to great lengths to do this. We live in BC, and they didn’t hesitate to come over from Ontario. They also check the home to see if it is suitable to house a dog and ensure that the dog can and will be taken care of.

Should you pass (we didn’t due to space limitations) this stage, you get put on a wait list for a dog. Once your turn comes up, the parents travel to the agency for a 6 week training program on how to work with the dog. The agency also comes to the child’s home to work with the child as well as goes into the community and trains school staff and family members on the purposes of the dog, how to handle him and the child.

The dog knows that at all times, when it wears its’ Service Dog vest (which all service dogs are identified with, or they are not recognized as a service dog) it’s on duty. Family and Community members are taught the same thing. Ample time is mandatory to be given to the dog to “be a dog” and not wear the vest so it can run, play and socialize with other dogs.

These dogs would be very useful in the school system, but NOT to replace a special ed assistant. A dog cannot be held responsible if the child does bolt/gets hurt as a result. The dog, in the school must be under adult supervision at all times. So where does independance come in?

The child can play in the playground with friends and have the Special Ed assistant be at more of a distance. The child can line up with the class without having the Special Ed assistant being directly at their side. These are HUGE gains for any child.

You don’t have to agree with whether or not they have a place in the school. If a seeing eye dog is allowed to be in a public school in your state or province, then so is one of these service dogs as they fall under the same jurisdiction. Perhaps there may be the odd exception to that rule, but the issue has been fought long and hard to have these dogs be accepted in the same way as a seeing eye dog.

Anyways, I could go on but won’t due to time and space here. Just like a seeing eye dog is not benificial to every single blind person, neither is a service dog trained to work with people with autism suitable for all children with autism.

Agree to disagree sometimes people, but please do understand that there is a time and place for everything.

Then there is no real comparison to a service dog for a blind person to a person who has autism. They have two very different jobs and purpose and those who are blind do not require an additional person to handle the dog, nor is the blind person only attached to the dog by a leash. They are the handler. If the child with autism dog requires adult supervision along with the dog, then I disagree that the school is responsible to provide that trained person. The parent should provide that person. One Para in charge of a dog and child then would take away from the instruction that the child would need. If the child couldn’t go into a class line prior to the dog, then is the dog trained to take the child to the line? It contradicts the earlier said supervising adult at all times. The adult would be doing that any way, only difference is now they’re supervising child and dog.

Just a short comment. There is no legally recognized expert on this subject. It is controversial just as the use of medical alert dogs for those with diabetes or seizures for example were controversial. Whether or not an animal is a service animal and the person has a qualifying disability is a decision that is made by the courts based on laws and regulations that differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction as well as being covered by the ADA or the Rehab. Act. Our opinions mean nothing. That’s the point of civil rights legislation. Simplistically put, it is designed to shield people from the impact of others’ opinions.
Therapy dogs – which are dogs that do pet visitation and/or animal assisted therapy – DO NOT work for the benefit of their handler. Their job is to be helpful to others. Emotional support dogs have no legal definition under federal regulations that I’m aware of. I don’t even understand what the term “emotional support” means. The term is usually used to indicate that a dog is not task trained to mitigate a disability and is therefore not a service dog, but again, this differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and with regard to housing, the Fair Housing Act makes no distinction between the two.
My understanding is that both parents have been trained to handle the dog and the mother will be the dog’s handler at school. Press coverage often distorts or doesn’t tell the entire story.
And if safety isn’t a job, what is the benefit of using a guide dog? Among other things, a service dog for autism can help a child safely navigate his/her environment. So does a guide dog. A blind person can use a cane or a partner or aide to help them. Not all choose guide dogs – but they do have that choice. So should this child and his/her parents. I can’t imagine that if the child didn’t want the dog, he would be silent about it. The argument that a para or a PA can do the job cuts all ways.
So much for brevity.

The last sentence Lisa said was “what’s your take?” So opinions is what we’re giving.

I disagree with any comparison to a blind persons use of a dog to a person with autism using a dog. The blind person doesn’t require a cain or dog and a person. I personally, and it is my opinion, that if dogs for children also require an adult to handle the dog full time, then the child is not gaining the independency that one would think of while using a dog. It is also clear the child can not handle the dog on his own and does require an adult to handle the dog. So let’s say in school, you have child, dog, parent and Para. That to me does sound like there’s not alot of gain to independency, and I have to wonder if it’s worth the high cost. I personally for my child with autism, would not rely on an animal for any reason mainly because the dog cant tell me anything. I would much rather have my child interact with people, and leave the animal stuff for home.

Sandy, I’ve known people who use guide dogs or canes and still require the assistance of a person to help them navigate safely at times. I’m afraid you appear to lack a great deal of experience with people who use service dog. Not meant to be a criticism; most people don’t. If the opinion of others determined whether or not I or others like me should have access with a service dog or that I should have some other form of assistance or if I’m “disabled enough”, my quality of life would be such that suicide would be a reasonable option. This is not opinion; it’s fact. Do I have strong feelings about this? You bet. So do most of us who have their lives back because of using a service dog.
A child – with or without disabilities – should be in an educational environment that focuses on what’s possible rather than limitations. I hope this child is able to use his dog in school and that it is a successful partnership. This can make all the difference in the world to him. That’s opinion.

Cissy~ since you want to use the comparison of a blind person, yes I do have experience and yes, the blind person does need assistance here and there but the difference would be the blind person is the one in control of the dog, where as the child with autism clearly is not and requires an additional person. The child with autism is simply tethered to the dog and that additional person is now the parent going to school with her child to maintain the dog. Maybe as the child get’s older, he can handle the dog on his own. It has nothing to do with ‘disabled enough’, but let me ask you, are you simply tethered to the service dog? Do you have an additional person to help maintain the dog? Do you have some one else take it out to go to the bathroom? Those are important questions for the school, other peers of which we’re talking about. It’s clear such dogs can help families while they’re in the community, but generally speaking, no one spends 6 to 8 hrs at the store as they do in school.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Sandy.
I was asked to go into a classroom to talk to children about service dogs. This is a school for children with severe disabilities; their principal was getting a service dog and wanted to do education. I work a very large dog – 125 lbs. The children were told beforehand about service dog etiquette. I started by sitting in front of the room with the children in a semi-circle. I talked to them about how the dog helps me. I answered questions from the kids and staff. These children are aware that they are different from “normal” kids. They asked if people didn’t like me because of my dog. Then we talked about the public’s lack of acceptance of people with disabilities and how much it hurts.
After then the children took turns petting my dog and feeding him treats. They were not afraid; they were delighted. Some wanted the dog to kiss them, which he did. Before leaving I gave them a photo album with comments given to me for the presentation by a grade school child and her mother talking about the child’s life with her service dog.
The school made every effort to prepare the students for the arrival of their principal’s service dog, and it went very well. This is the true meaning of reasonable accommodation.
Without education and preparation, it’s likely that some of the children and/or their parents would have freaked. Surely these children will be exposed to dogs in the course of their everyday life. Learning how to interact and not be fearful would be a benefit to all the children. In addition it exposed them to an assistive option that they may not have considered.
I agree there are concerns that need to addressed. I also believe it is in the best interest of everyone, school, children, community – to address these concerns with non-confrontational open discussion rather than make assumptions and draw conclusions about how a dog would work in a particular situation. Isn’t it at least worth a try – regardless of what the final legal ruling is?
And to answer your question, yes I do have someone who cares for the dog when I am unable to do so. I would think that’s a necessity for anyone with a service dog or pet.

Then let me ask you this. How old are you? How old were the kids at that school? I don’t think you’re understanding where I’m coming from.
For example. I have a child with autism, this child for years relies on me to fix the world for him. Many children with autism have that one person they rely on as the care giver, fix-all. I spent many early years being with him every where, and once grade school started I made my presence less and less, allowing the opportunity for my child to seek other adults than me. I will say that’s an on-going thing in school, a goal is to tell an adult at the time but so far he still comes home and throws the fit he should had while in school. Let’s say I get a dog and my child is unable to maintain that dog and is only tethered to it and the dog requires another adult. Now me, as the parent, must go into the school where as I wasn’t before to handle and maintain that dog for him. To me, it defeats the idea of breaking my child of cling-on, plus me being that parent conflicts with the authority of the teacher in charge and not only adds dog to class, but another adult. I can see teaching the child to handle the dog and that is must be carried over in all settings however I can easily see where this would conflict and interfere with academics. I am all for kids who can handle that dog, minus the times of unable care for the dog if that equals the whole day for you since it is clear the child in this story can not care for the dog at all at this point. If it were me, and this is just me, I’d teach my child how to handle the dog without a full time adult. If I had to go to school with my child for the full day, I’d do that (and I have) but I’d leave the dog at home! Once my child would be able to handle his own autism dog, then I’d allow him to bring the dog to school.

I have also seen stories in the past where parents have had a dog as such and on the first day of school they all came with no preparing the school staff or children. Since there’s a ADA law, some parents fail to be compassionate towards others and I feel that is wrong. I cant say that this be true of this family, yet there is no mention that it isn’t true either. As much as we want people to be considerate of our kids, autism and autism dog, we must also find it within ourselves to offer that same consideration back to others who are around our kids all day at school.

If you read the update to this article,it is clear that the mother quit her job so she can attend school with her child, and be the official handler. She also says it takes teachers and/or aides a half-hour to calm her son enough to do tasks, or participate in activities, but the dogs calms him down in just a few minutes. Seems like a good idea to me.

Sandy, thanks for the very detailed explanation. The children in the classroom ranged in age from what I’d estimate to be around 7 to 15. The child who sent the album has had a dog in school with her since she was 6, if I remember correctly. I’m 64 and do not have ASD.
I think people’s needs, children included, are not diagnosis driven. Who better than a parent to make decisions about what’s best to maximize their child’s potential. You’ve made a decision about your child and I certainly respect that you know best how to handle your particular situation.
We don’t know how the parents interacted with the school, so it’s hard to blame them. I imagine that given the opportunity, the dog could have been introduced to the school population and educated about service dogs and a meeting held to address staff and parent concerns.
I have a friend who has a Down child who is now 22. When her daughter was born, she had heart/valve problems and her mother was advised by her doctors to let her die. Through the years she was told her daughter would never be toilet trained, would never learn to speak properly, would never learn to read or write. All of this turned out to be incorrect. Had she listened to the experts, her daughter’s quality of life would have been greatly diminished. And it was a battle all the way.
Years ago the founder of the North Star Foundation was faced with enormous opposition to her idea of having a service dog for her then 5 or 6 year old son with autism. She was determined, trained the dog herself and was so taken with the positive changes in her son that she started the Foundation to help other families who have children with disabilities. She had the first program for children with autism. If you haven’t, you might want to check out her website.
I’m old enough to remember the days when “experts” proclaimed that children developed autism because they had cold mothers.
You sound like an incredibly responsible parent who has a well thought out plan for you child. You don’t know these parents; I do believe they deserve the benefit of the doubt until all the facts are known and who knows if that will ever happen.

Cynthia — it sounds like this child has a teacher, an aide, a parent and a dog all supporting his school experience.

While I’m sure he’s getting awe-inspiring support, I can’t help but wonder whether he’s in the right place. Any child who needs three adults plus a trained dog just to avoid meltdowns must be stressed beyond belief.

Surely there’s a better solution than this?! Honestly, if the mom can quit her job to do this, why subject the child to an environment that’s obviously overwhelming? In her shoes, I’d certainly opt for homeschooling or at least a different setting.

Just my thoughts.

Lisa

and how is this affecting the other students who are there to learn?

Cynthia!~ Quiting a job even makes it worse if that’s what the mother did. If any look at the footage, the dog helps this child from not running just due to the weight of the dog, which just lays there as the child tries to run. Although for some it may be impossible to teach a child not to run, certainly it’s far less to happen with the sole use of a dog when the dog just lays there, and no redirection then from an adult. There is no interaction between child and dog, you could as easily tether the child to anything to prevent running. To my eyes, it’s sad to see a child tethered to anything, let alone an animal.

The mother also said Chewey doesn’t react when Kaleb “throws a fit” during times of transition from one activity to another, I’m not sure if a person is suppose to bond with the dog, but I just don’t see acknowledgement of the child to the dog. Just out of curiosity, what is the dog suppose to do during the fits? Nothing? So the presence alone of the dog calms the child? If that’s the case, my own dog can do that, and he’s not highly trained either. Those transitional fits are still happening regardless, and I have to agree that the setting may not be the proper setting, or proper supports for the child or proper time between transitioning to another activity. I’m not sure if there is many children with autism who don’t have issues with transitions. My son is 10 and he has these issues.

Cissy~ I may know many things about my child, but much of it is trial and error and a guess. Same with teachers and my kid. What works for me may never work for them, they’re not me. The school has to find what works for them. When we got our first dog which my aunt made us take home, it was more a hopeful wish that dog was going to work out. The second dog we got this past winter ended up being a much better match for my kid and even brought my RDI unpredictability naturally into the house. No big fits when he ate video games, was a big fit over eating the memory card but I took it apart and fixed it, and just today the dog ate the school supply marker package. I couldn’t ask for a better dog to bring new situations to our house. I tell that dog to go get my kid or the other dog, off he goes. I hear horses are even better than dogs, my sister has a ton and there’s something to horses and children with disabilities such as autism. I think like anything else, there is a market for things and things pop up every day. Why not dogs for autism? As for the benefit of the doubt for this family, I can only base my opinion on what I see and read and trust me, it didn’t come without thought. I think both sides (school and family) have valid issues to consider when dogs enter an elementary school for the full day.

Sandy, I’m no expert on autism and don’t play one on line. My only point is that as you said, both the school and the parents have valid issues to explore. The issue for me is that they do not appear to be being explored outside of a courtroom which is by its nature adversarial.
The relationship between the child and the dog is new. It may be the wrong match (happened to me); it may just need time to develop. This child may not benefit from a service dog. I don’t think anything can be said about how the dog will ultimately work for the child and the family. But, if you say, trial and error is a part of raising your child, than doesn’t this fall into that category? There’s a wonderful quote that’s served me well over the years: “Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done and why. Then do it.’ (Robert Heinlein (1907 – 1988). I think this is the journey that every parent takes and is particularly true of those who are raising children with disabilities.

Cissy~ I never considered you to be an expert, you’re giving your opinion the same as I am. I’m not sure what outside of the court room really means or that it matters at all. Since this is new for those with autism, little research can be provided at this time for the overall benefit. Trial and error has to also consider other’s and my own opinion, from what I have seen of this footage, the school is questioning therapy dog vs service dog and I’m not sure the dog is actually either to this child. The issue I have is a child tied to a dog. That not only to me is inhumane to both, but also makes the child stand right out. I disagree with subjecting so many and so much money to court over this and I agree that the school does have to consider all children, not solely the one child. Things that work for us at home would never work for my child in school or at a store. The benefit of the dogs may be better suited for home use.

I guess the only there are 3 areas in which we disagree. The school and parents could have sat down and tried to work this out without the expense of litigation. It’s hard to tell what happened prior to the lawsuit to bring them to litigation. I’m a mediator, so this is my preferred method of conflict resolution.
The second is the $ the parents spent. People spend what they can afford to help their kids overcome the limitation of disabilities. In their opinion, this would have the potential to benefit their son in a school situation as well as other situations. The term therapy dog doesn’t fit the circumstances. Some people use “autism support dog” to describe the relationship.
What one can glean from limited footage and press coverage is questionable as to whether or not this constitutes animal and/or child abuse, both of which have statutory definitions. We simply don’t know enough to make a judgment IMO.
If there is an evidence based study on the best way to help children with autism, I would appreciate it if you would point me to it.
My main point is that the lawsuit and drama could have been avoided if both parties had engaged in good faith discussions. If this happened and why productive communication broke down is something we don’t know. What I do know is that a service dog accompanies its handler and whether or not it is assisting in any particular circumstance is not relevant to access rights. If the child is found to have access rights with the dog, then whether or not it provides educational benefit doesn’t matter. Whether ultimately a judge decides that this is covered by the ADA or IDEA or an IEP is a legal decision the parties will have to abide by. IMO, it’s usefulness should be dismissed at this stage.

It’s not judgement, it’s opinion, based on what I have seen and read. The transitional issues are still there in school too, according to statements. It is my opinion, not judgement, that a child not be strapped to an animal and have an additional person handle the dog. To me it is not therapy or service. if the child could handle the dog on his own, my opinion would be different.

Does the animal help with a medical condition? Yes the animal is a service animal. Unser IDEA the school has the duty to do what it takes to get the child to school, through the door and to remain in school, the service animal makes thier duty easier. I am still amazed at the lengths school districts go to and the money they spend to excludee children with disibilities, Especially autism. Morons.

Lisa I have to agree with you there. If school is so completely terrifying at this point, it seems like homeschooling for a while might be a good choice. But if they feel comfortable with that choice, I think it would be worthwhile to give the arrangement a chance.

I think that some of you have never had a child with autism. I think this is a wonderful idea. As the parent I would bring the dog to school and introduce him to all of the students in my sond class. If they are afraid of dogs this would be good for them to. Letting them know that not all dogs are bad. My son ran put of school into the parking lot before and refused to come back in. By law they are not alowed to touch him in any way. In that situation the dog would have been a big help. Also someone made a comment that if one child has a dog then all the children will want one. well if a child is in a wheel chair are you going to make him park it outside because all the children want one. or crutches or anything else that helps a child function better while at school. as parents we need top start parenting our children and not just relying on others to do it for us. Explain to your child that he needs that dog because he has disabilities that require it and that we should support him in this and not make fun of him. Our children bully others because we are not stopping it at home as parents. If you do not have a child with autism then you should keep your opinions to yourself on this board and allow the parents that do know what this is like to make commments

all i know,is i have aspergers,and my dog we are getting licenced as a service dog. and thats what were doing. my doctor says im much better with the dog then going somewhere without it,as when i have him i socialize with people i dont even know and im not afaraid,but when i dot have him with me i am freaking out,haveing panic attatcks and almost deathy scard of people arround me.

so i believe he qualifiys as a service dog.

As a teacher of children with autism, I know for a fact that they are a great help, service and comfort to the students. I myself have a therapy service dog whom I have trained and she works in the classroom with me. The dog is a comfort, but it is also services the students. The student learns new life lessons because of the dog. The dog can help a non-verbal student to speak. The dog can help a student learn to control their autistic behaviors that are deemed as “weird” and “unacceptable” to society. The dog bridges the gap between their world and ours. They are indeed service dogs, not just for therapy reasons.

Im someone with autism and a dog is a very big help with being able to cope with the world around. For the people who think a autism dog is just a therapy dog you try living with autism, then we’ll talk. The people who are afraid of dogs I cant think of a better dog to face your fears with, there is no way a dog that would react to your kid would ever make it as a service dog, after all is your kid autistic, I didn’t think so

Although this looks complex to outsiders – what defines a service dog for Autistic children and adults has got to be defined by what the dog is doing for the person with autism.

As a 58 year old adult with autism – and a brother, 56, also with autism we have always had dogs in our lives whether they were sanctiioned or not. We knew naturally that they helped us feel safe in the world – I would not have been able to get my Ph.D. if I had not had the dogs.

Autism is different in each individual – there are different abilities to “be” in general society depending on the individual with autism. it is unfortunate that many “normal” adults try to “understand” needs from their often innocent, but personal experience of the world.

Most children with autism are taking in huge amounts of sound, tactile, visual, and “feeling – intuitive” stimuli that is very overwhelming to their system. the observation above – that the Service dog was in front of the child and the leash under it – and thus the dog is not doing anything is wrong. AS Temple Grandin Ph.D. has observed – and I have observed clinically and personally – many autistic children are reacting to energy. The Calmness of the dog and its presence stabilizes the child so that the child can feel centered in what is a sea of sensory overload chaos.

The dogs presence often dials down the sensory overload so that the child can relate and start to feel safe in their world. If you had all of your senses dialed up 1000 fold – it would drive you crazy . . . (people with tinnitus often feel this way) – it is a from of torture that would cause you to cut off from the “general world” – - – IF a dog helped you dial that down – you would more than likely insist on legislation for Autism Service dogs to be allowed in all public places.

Sandy
First off your comparison of a child with Autism and a blind adult is completely invalid. A blind child would not be able to completely control his/her own dog, so would they be unable to have their service dog? Also your idea of reducing your own child’s “cling-on” to you was to have him attach to other adults. I don’t see how that is helping the child interact with children his own age, which is also a benefit from having a service dog with an Autistic child. The dog is trained to nudge a child or lick them when they start repetitive behaviors. The dogs also give the child a feeling of love that they sometimes have difficulty finding in other people because they lack empathy towards others and are withdrawn. I respect your decision to not allow your son to have a dog, but you should research something more before you start bad mouthing it. The dogs are proven to keep the child safe from running away, calm the child, connect the child to others, and even get the child to talk more since people will be more likely to ask him or her to pet their dog, and it allows for continued conversation about their dog, which would be normally be difficult for some one with Autism.

No.. These THERAPY dogs should not be allowed in schools. It’s ridiculous that everyone feels that they should be treated “special”.