This post was last modified: 09-18-2012 11:53 PM by Lang.

Sick.
I think they should let Aspies have them too. In fact, I think it should be MANDATORY, because Aspies tend to be able to care for an animal naturally. But I've lived in housing situations that either refused or wanted me to have one kind of animal (e.g., a goldfish only). I'm a mental health victim and have been since childhood.

I understand why it would seem silly to take fido to class for comfort when thinking of a typical child, but in the case of someone with autism, it should be evaluated case-by-case.  The animal could mean the difference between functioning well vs. frequent meltdowns.  A child who is melting down frequently is at an academic disadvantage.  How can you learn when you're in turmoil?

Sad.

This is my take on it:

Allergies to pets are usually in the form of sniffles and can be solved with cheap and safe over-the-counter medicines.
In most places where people are allowed to take pets, they self-regulate in terms of keeping dangerous animals away from the area, and those who do not self-regulate are liable for damages to people and property.  There is no reason the same principle can't be applied for service dogs.
It is well within the realm of possibility to train an animal not to be disruptive and to train children not to be distracted by service animals, such that the lesson can continue.  The common-sense solution is to require this sort of training.  

This whole "fake service animals" thing is a solution in desperate search of a problem.  If pet allergies were similar to peanut allergies, or if there were some sort of plague of dangerous service animals, or if all of a sudden it became impossible to teach children and adults how to properly behave around service animals, and to teach service animals how to behave around people, then there might be something to solve.  But the problem is the lack of acceptance of service animals, not their putative destructive ubiquity.

This post was last modified: 09-19-2012 12:59 AM by Lang.

@Alterna Thunderfox unfortunately I've never been able to connect with an animal I don't really think I'm a typical aspie... Plus I "run dark" and the only person on here that does that I've seen is Captain J.

^Exactly!  

I think that it boils down to the fact that a service animal is an inconvenience to educators.  I can sympathize with that, but how is it an inconvenience if it helps the child to be comfortable enough at school to learn?  The school could always ask for volunteers to walk a dog a few times a day, or to vacuum if the dog sheds.  They can require that the animal complete special training so that it is certified as a service animal.  It is just a matter of flexibility.  

It gets tricky when it comes to allergies.  It is hard to tell someone that their child must take medication of any kind, and from experience it is my impression that parents of special needs kids tend to be a little more particular about what they put into their kids, even if their "rules" aren't logical.  Some people (like myself) are even allergic to dog saliva.  I break out in hives if a dog licks me.  A trained service dog shouldn't be interacting with other children enough for this to be a problem, though.