Posted on 11/25/2010 4:01:39 PM PST by sulena
There is a rising number of children with autism. Since autism needs special treatments, there is a huge demand of special education for children with autism. One of the latest methods used in special education for autism children is using service dogs to assist them to become independence.
We all know that children and dogs are perfect combination. It is by nature that children tend to love dogs and dogs are willing to take children as their own pack. Service dogs are trained dogs for special purposes and the used of therapy dogs to assist children with reading and speaking abilities are widely practiced.
Dogs yet again show why we love them. I made sure my son who had mild autism had dogs and cats around, he learned so many lessons from them and they were always there for a hug when he needed them. He is grown up now into a pretty fine young man who is gentler and more considerate because of the animals.
I find this demand of ‘service animals’ to be a total load of horsecrap.
By all means, get your kid a pet and have them care for the pet. But don’t make the rest of us pay for it.
And I have a disability too that the latest ‘in vogue’ stunt is to file for a ‘service animal’.
Many children with autism would mistreat and torture animals entrusted to them.
Companion dog training demands that the prospective ‘master’ have a high level of skills and training. Most autistic children would not be eligible.
My son attends a private school strictly for autistic children...mostly boys. One of the things they do is bring a dog from the humane society that has been trained as a service dog to visit with the kids. The dog’s name is Honeybun, a beautiful female golden. My son absolutely loves her and I’ve heard the other kids actually talk about how excited they are to see her and mind you, these are kids who may not talk a whole lot or say Anything at all but you can tell by how their eyes light up how glad they are to see Honeybun. And severely autistic children can be taught how to treat animals.
Aside from that, what about dogs who’ve helped out disabled vets, with brain injury or PTSD who could be effectively deemed destructive? I will tell you without a doubt, our little dog who had been abused have been a God-send for my combat wounded husband. :)
Sorry for typos I’m using my iPhone. Dogs have a great healing power!
having a dog or pet would work in some areas and with high functioning Autistic kids or Aspergers kids.
I agree about not making taxpayers pay for them. For the right child a dog would do some good, as it did for my son, but it is a private decision and should not be a burden placed upon the public.
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