This post is old... from August 14th, 2009, but I discovered it still lingering in my drafts. Here it is anyway!
It should be so easy... and it should be easy for a disabled child to bring his/her new service dog into school. Time and time again, I read about children who are being denied the right to be assisted by their service dog. There are cases all over the place and it just shouldn't be! Many of these schools are breaking state laws by denying the use of a service dogs in schools. All are breaking federal law. Please read this story and you will have an example of what I am talking about:
School District Refuses to Allow Autistic Child’s Service Dog
3 comments:
It's really amazing how the schools are suppose to be educators teaching our children, yet they never can seem to comprehend service animals. Heck they still have issues with guide dogs and hearing dogs. They always seem to use the same thing as an accuse. Allergies & or Fear.
I believe in students who can handle their dogs having service dogs in school. This child is fine and the dog is so young I doubt it is fully trained. have you read that the dog is only 11 months old? Who's going to potty the dog during the school day?
From all the conversations I've monitored about this child and others like him I've noticed some common themes. The dogs are usually too young (with another fear period to go), the dogs are not fully trained (one of the program trainers even admitted to the dog not being task trained, only there for "emotional support" i.e. the dog is an ESA), and the children are not capable of handling the dog alone.
I fully believe that older children in high school or possibly middle school should be allowed to have their fully trained service dogs with them, but this child and his dog do not fit this situation.
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