As another school year kicks off, I’ve been reading a lot lately about autism service dogs – mainly the stories are on debates families are having with their child’s school about bringing the dog into the classroom. (Most recent example is Kaleb Drew and his family in Illinois.)

To be honest, I can sympathize with both sides having the debate. The school’s side: concern over other students’ allergies or general fear of dogs. The parent’s side: a service dog can calm their child, help them with the transition to school and even prevent their child from running into traffic.

This is actually much more than a friendly debate – some of these situations have turned into full out legal battles. As a parent, I think anything that could help and comfort my child would be something I’d fight for. If it’s bringing a service dog into the classroom, then so be it. And there are a number of organizations dedicated to bringing service dogs into the lives of children with autism (see a few of them below).

However, if my child was in a class with another student who had a service dog, and my child was either (a) scared of dogs or (b) allergic to dogs, I might feel differently.

It’s a tough call – one that seems to come down to individual situations.

Curious on what you think – thoughts on service dogs in the classroom?

What does autism mean to us today? It means dealing with debates. What about you?

Best,
Jenifer

Some organizations devoted to dog service/placement:

Autism Service Dogs of America  

4 Paws for Ability 

Blessings Unleashed 

North Start Foundation