Editorial: Let kids bring service animals to school
January 19th, 2010The editorial board at the [Portland] Oregonian says schools should allow properly trained service animals to accompany kids with disabilities in the classroom. An excerpt:
Yes, school districts need strict policies in place so that families can’t abuse the system and classrooms don’t become menageries. But when a highly trained dog can help an autistic boy learn more and disrupt other students less, you’d think school officials would grab the dog biscuits rather than call the lawyers.
The editorial follows a report about an Oregon school district’s refusal to allow a 9-year-old boy with autism to bring his service dog to school. Scooter Givens’ family argues that the dog improves his access to education by calming him down.
Our RSS Feed