Just sick! Service dog not allowed in school!

[EeyoresButterfly]

I found this news story on CNN. A 4 year old boy with autism was denied entry into a preschool because he has a service dog. Service dogs for children with autism is a fairly new thing. For this particular little boy, the dog helps him walk, keeps him awake, and keeps him calm. He is tethered to the dog so that he can walk steadily and not run ahead. The school threw a tantrum and threatened to call the pound. They said they have to determine if the dog is "needed" before they will allow it to enter.

I'm sorry, but this is just sick! First of all, I'm pretty sure this is illegal. You cannot question a person about their disability. You would never tell a child who has some use of their legs that their wheelchair is not allowed just because you don't think it's necessary. Why would you do that to a child with a service dog? This is plain and simple discrimination, and I hope the family wins their lawsuit. (I'm assuming they are suing, I know they are talking to lawyers.) While I am not normally a fan of lawsuits, it is only through suits that special education is where it is today. FAPE, LRE, etc. are here only as a resort of lawsuits, and it looks like this is the next hot issue.

[Oasis Chipmunk]

What about the children in his classes who may have allergies to the dog? Should they be subjected to a smaller environment with a potential health issue just because another child needs the animal?

I grew up being highly allergic to animals, so this becomes a bit of "hey, the other kids need some thought in the situation too" thing for me.

[EeyoresButterfly]

While that is a valid point, by law, service dogs may not be turned away from a public environment. The only place a service dog may be denied entry is a private home. I was a TA for a college course where we had a student who was visually impaired and depended on a guide dog. While I'm sure there were some students with allergies to dogs in the classroom, it was a non-issue. If a child had an allergy that serious, I'm sure arrangements could be made to place them in a different classroom from the child with the dog.

Again, you would not deny a person with mobility issues the use of their wheelchair. A child who has been placed with a service dog is as dependent on that dog as a person with mobility needs is on their wheelchair or crutches. Denying access is not only cruel, it is illegal.

[DisneyMom]

It could be that there would be someone with a dog fear or allergy, and some hard decisions to make, but it doesn't sound from EB that those concerns were considered- take a therapy dog to the Pound? They have got to be kidding.
At our Autism Walk there was a Therapy Dog provider and I hear more about their use for persons with autism, so this could be an important case.
If the School District won't allow the dog, they could end up paying for the child to go to a school that does- possibly expensive

[Switchbeam 9]

When it comes to schools, like any bureaucracy, they want paperwork. They are required by law to accommodate but they require the paperwork be filed. I don't know specifically the case of service animals however. For example, a kid with dysgraphia may not be permitted to just show up with a laptop and open it up on his desk of his 5th grade classroom. The paperwork needs to be filed.

Seems like they were surprised to see the dog. Service dogs are allowed anywhere that is public or serves the public (such as WDW). I know this well because a boyfriend of my ex-roomate was in the final stages of a huge settlement from McDonalds for turning away his service dog. He was even on the news because his dog saved his life not long before the McD's incident. It is trained to dial 911 on a cell phone. He has an extremely bad kind of diabetes that invokes Gromal seizures at any time. The dog can even smell his blood sugar.

Being enrolled in a school does carry some specific rules that are more limited than merely rules of a public place. They require documentation for any accommodation.

[hobie16]

Is it the same school that fired a substitute teacher for being a wizard because he did a magic trick? Sounds like the same dopes.

[albino_pygmy]

Is it the same school that fired a substitute teacher for being a wizard because he did a magic trick? Sounds like the same dopes.

I thought he was a normal teacher and not a sub

Anyways, you can't please everyone with any situation. If the school lets the boy in, others might complain about having the dog there or pet allergies, and if the school doesn't let him in, then you'll be hearing it from his parents and others who thinks it's cruel to not let him in because of his disability. Did the school at least offer them to a special needs school nearby?

[EeyoresButterfly]

Yes, you the school may hear about people with allergies, but again, they are not allowed to turn away a service animal. Perhaps the parents did not know that they needed documentation, but the school should not have reacted in the way they did. They should have offered a viable educational alternative to the parents until the proper documentation can be provided, instead of threatening to call the pound.

Perhaps it's just me, but I can' see too many people throwing a fit because a service dog was allowed in the school, regardless of the kind of service dog it is. Plain and simple, people depend on their service dogs, and being told they must leave their service dogs at home can have disastrous consequences. In this example, the child must not leave home without the service dog, it is part of the training. The child depends on the service dog to keep them running from off, something that is important. Anybody who has worked with children with special needs knows this is a common and potentially dangerous problem. I have worked with students who are "runners" and it is very stressful as they can bolt without a moment's notice. There have been cases where students with special needs have run away from school and nobody noticed, sometimes with tragic results. This dog will help prevent that for this little boy.

Other service dogs include the dogs that are trained to dial 911 like a pp poster said, seizure dogs that are able to detect when a seizure is coming allowing the person to get to a safe place, guide dogs for the blind, and dogs for people with limited mobility who can help them navigate. These are just a few examples. For a person with any one of these dogs, being forced to separate for long periods can have very negative and even potentially deadly consequences. This is why at Disney we are not allowed to say no to service animals or question the disability that the person has. Service animals are even allowed on certain attractions (the ones that are not dangerous to the animals.)

[EeyoresButterfly]

Oh, and I should add that Autism Service Dogs of American (ASDA) will not knowingly place a dog with a child whose school will not allow the dog (again, against the ADA, there have been many lawsuits of similar nature that makes it clear what the law says). Autism is a devastating diagnosis, but an ASDA service dog can help the students become more independent and work around their diagnosis. ASDA evaluates every child to determine which ones will benefit from a dog. It is a shame that a child who could benefit from a dog could be denied this therapy simply because the school chooses to break the law.

(If anybody wants a history lesson on school litigation and special ed to illustrate how it would apply to this case, I can give it to you. Yay grad school!)

[DisneyMom]

Oh, and I should add that Autism Service Dogs of American (ASDA) will not knowingly place a dog with a child whose school will not allow the dog (again, against the ADA, there have been many lawsuits of similar nature that makes it clear what the law says). Autism is a devastating diagnosis, but an ASDA service dog can help the students become more independent and work around their diagnosis. ASDA evaluates every child to determine which ones will benefit from a dog. It is a shame that a child who could benefit from a dog could be denied this therapy simply because the school chooses to break the law.

(If anybody wants a history lesson on school litigation and special ed to illustrate how it would apply to this case, I can give it to you. Yay grad school!)

EB, I am very impressed by your devotion to your students and Special Ed Law. Speaking from experience, persons like yourself make a world of difference to those Students and their families, and help to prevent senseless,costly, or tragic outcomes for them.
Much success in your career! :)