Today, we are seeing more service dogs in schools. They can help students with disabilities move around schools, assist with motor and cognitive skills, and provide emotional support.
Service dogs in schools benefit students but can also present challenges. Understanding their role in schools and the correct implementation assists with the integration process. Students and teachers must understand the benefits of service dogs and the legal framework to ensure a smooth transition.
Understanding Service Dogs in Schools
Dogs of all breeds and sizes can assist children in schools. They may help students with the following tasks.
- Mobility: Dogs can accompany students with physical disabilities from class to class, ensuring they arrive safely.
- Emotional Support: A service dog provides companionship, reducing depression and anxiety in students with mental health issues.
- Cognitive Abilities: A 2022 NIH review revealed that dog-human interaction can help students demonstrate better cognitive and reading abilities and become more well-behaved and motivated in school.
- Increased Personal Development: Service dogs in schools have been shown to improve students’ personal development, communication, and social skills, which benefits autistic students.
Legal Framework and ADA Compliance
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enforces several provisions ensuring students have the right to have service dogs in school. For example:
- The ADA requires schools to modify their policies to allow service dog usage.
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities, including those who require service dogs.
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that a service dog should be allowed in school if it helps students learn.
- Several state and local laws include provisions for service dogs in school.
Benefits of Service Dogs for Students
Dogs have been shown to have a calming effect. They lower cortisol and stress levels, which is beneficial for children who find it difficult to interact with others and engage in lessons due to anxiety.
A service dog can also motivate students to learn. Although there is no evidence that dogs help students develop skills, they can make them more enthusiastic about their lessons. Students have also demonstrated better outcomes in memory tasks with a service dog present.
Implementation and Training
So, are service dogs allowed in schools? Yes, they are. Schools cannot deny students access to a service dog.
However, the student must be able to control the service dog independently, a skill that typically develops around age 14. A training program may test students to determine if they can handle the responsibility. If a student is not ready to control the dog independently, a handler may be brought in for these purposes.
Schools must also accommodate service dogs, such as bathroom needs and school furnishing adjustments. While service dog owners are not required to submit vaccination records, they often provide them to ensure the school feels safe with the dog present.
Parents must notify schools several weeks in advance to ensure they can prepare for the service dog. Schools are encouraged to educate students and staff so they are familiar with the needs of the service dog and the disabled student.
Challenges and Considerations
Can schools deny service dogs? No, they cannot. Although service dogs at schools present everyday challenges, most can be addressed to meet the student’s needs. Examples include:
Allergies and Phobias: Challenges may arise if other students and staff members are scared of or allergic to dogs. In these instances, accommodations can be made to keep the dog away from affected students and staff members.
Disruptions and Distratctions: Other students may become distracted by the dog to the point where it interrupts lessons. Teachers must prepare students for the dog’s presence and teach them how to act around the dog to prevent this from happening.
Accommodations and Accessibility: Schools and handlers must communicate to ensure the dog has the required food and bathroom accommodations.
How to Get Service at School
Students with service dogs must meet several requirements before they can bring their service dogs to school. The process may vary depending on the school and location, but here are some basic steps to follow:
- Local Laws: Service dogs must comply with local registration and licensing laws.
- Notification: Parents must notify schools several weeks before the student brings the dog in.
- Implementation: Parents or staff members may talk to students to help them understand how to treat a service dog in the school environment.
- Task Demonstration: Schools may ask the student about their disability and request that the dog demonstrate a helpful task to prove its value.
Conclusion
Dogs have a positive impact on students’ lives. They provide emotional support and motivate them to learn. They can also help them navigate the school more easily.
Schools must do their part by considering service dogs as part of an inclusive education strategy. Readers can also facilitate the process by advocating dog inclusion in schools. They can impact laws to ensure everyone has a positive learning experience.
Justice Speaks plays an integral role in ensuring students with disabilities get the service dog support they require. We can come into schools to teach school-aged children how to act around service dogs. We can also guide workplace service dog compliance and advocate for service dog support and assistance.
Contact us to learn more about what we have to offer.
