[nagdu] Fwd: [blindkid] NPR: Service Dogs Teach Educators about Disabilities

Aaron Cannon cannona at fireantproductions.com
Sun May 15 18:35:17 UTC 2011


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From: "Lenora J. Marten" <bluegolfshoes at aol.com>
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 08:55:14 -0400
Subject: [blindkid] NPR: Service Dogs Teach Educators about Disabilities
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org



Service Dogs Teach Educators About Disabilities

by LARRY ABRAMSON





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May 14, 2011
Many disabled people say that life without their service animals is
unthinkable. And while public institutions are required to admit
service animals without question, some public schools claim they
cannot handle the disruption of a dog in a busy classroom.
Disabled students are hoping new federal guidelines will help them
avoid legal battles over their animals.


Enlarge
Larry Abramson/NPR
Nathan Selove relies on his service dog, Sylvia, to help him deal with
meltdowns and other issues related to Asperger's syndrome.

Nathan And Sylvia

Everyone at Sherando High School in Virginia knows Nathan Selove: He's
the kid with the dog.
"Actually," he says, "she's the only dog in the Frederick County
public school system, so far."
Sylvia is a sweet-tempered yellow Lab who accompanies Nathan to school
every day. She wears a green vest that proclaims: "Don't pet me, I'm
working."
Nathan used to be a target of bullying, but is less so now, he says.
He strolls down the hallways, leash in hand, looking relaxed,
sunglasses propped above his forehead. You would hardly know he has
Asperger's syndrome, or that he sometimes has terrifying meltdowns in
class. That's why Sylvia is here.
"And when I feel the need to pet her," he says, "I just sort of lean
down and pet her. And sometimes, like when I get really stressed out —
which doesn't actually happen that often anymore — she'll get on my
lap."
In history class, Nathan sits down, and Sylvia grabs a spot under his
desk and chills. In a room full of high school sophomores, she is the
calmest mammal there.
History teacher Doreen Pauley says Sylvia is just part of the class
now. "If he needs her, she's there; if he doesn't, she's just quiet.
She's a good dog."
The blind don't usually get a guide dog until they are adults, so the
service animals that schools see are focused on other conditions, like
autism — a growing number of autistic children are paired with service
animals.
The Frederick County school system was initially hesitant when
Nathan's parents decided that he would benefit from having a service
dog in middle school. But now, Sylvia even rides the bus to school
with Nathan.
A Dispute In California

Not every parent has gotten the same reception. Attorney Kathleen
Mehfoud represents a number of Virginia school districts and says many
schools worry they may violate the rights of other students by
admitting a service dog.
"For example, there are a number of students and staff who may be
allergic to dogs," she says.
Disability rights groups say allergies and other issues can easily be
dealt with. They pushed the U.S. Justice Department to issue new rules
this spring clarifying that the Americans with Disabilities Act does
apply to schools.


His behaviors are really more calm at home, or when we're out with
[his service dog] Eddy. I don't know what's going on at school that's
really increasing these aggressive behaviors.


- Milka Ciriacks, whose son Caleb is severely autistic

But some districts still question why dogs are necessary, especially
for students who already get intensive special ed services.
In Orange County, Calif., Milka Ciriacks has been fighting to have
Eddy the service dog accompany her 6-year-old son, Caleb, to school.
Caleb is severely autistic and used to run away all the time.
"It didn't really make sense to me until we had the episode where
Caleb took off," she says. "And that was like the big red flag that
like, we need something else."
For the past year, the Cypress School District has refused to allow
Eddy into the school, so Ciriacks has turned to federal court. The
district would not talk on tape, but in court filings, officials argue
that Caleb is making good progress without a dog.
The district worries that being tied to an animal will reduce his
independence. But Ciriacks says that without Eddy, her son is having
outbursts in school.
"His behaviors are really more calm at home, or when we're out with
Eddy," she says. "I don't know what's going on at school that's really
increasing these aggressive behaviors."
New Rules Offer Hope

The new federal regulations are meant to stop these cases from going
to court. The rules tell schools they must admit legitimate service
dogs. But they also say that schools do not have to allow the wide
variety of "therapy animals," who are not trained, and primarily
provide companionship and comfort.
Schools attorney Mehfoud says it's about time. "We have dealt with
requests for service snakes and service monkeys in the past," she
says.
The new rules make it clear that trained dogs are pretty much the only
animals who qualify.
Home at last after working all day, Sylvia sheds her service vest and
becomes a house pet for a little while.
She gets to run around on the Selove family's 11-acre property. The
family home is a bit of service dog heaven. Ramon Selove, Nathan's
father, also has Asperger's syndrome and takes his dog, Cori, to his
job as a college professor. But he has this caution: Service dogs are
a lot of work.
Training can cost tens of thousands of dollars and involves weeks of
classroom work that can be challenging for kids like Nathan. But
Selove says his son was so motivated by the chance to have this dog
that "he was willing to do things he wouldn't have been willing to do
otherwise."
Sylvia may well be Nathan's best friend. Many other disabled
schoolchildren now also have the U.S. Justice Department as their
buddy.





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