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No, I was making two different points, and I guess that I needed to be clearer. A child with dwarfism, blindness, or any of a number of other disabilities that do not cause the educational processes to completely stop SHOULD be allowed in the classroom. They may be disabled, but their disability doesn't have a negative effect on the learning of the other students. Children who suffer from epileptic seizures and other disabilities that DO interrupt the learning process should NOT be allowed in a regular classroom. Yes, as a child of taxpaying citizens she does have a right to be educated by the public school system, but educating a child doesn't necessarily mean mainstreaming. There are plenty of alternative educational methods that could be utilized to teach her without disrupting the classroom. You and other posters here seem to be ignoring the fact that this article isn't describing the type of mild seizures that cause some to go stiff and twitch for a minute or two, but a total loss of control that is more akin to grand mal seizures. That IS disruptive.

My arguments about teasing were meant more in support of the psychological testing. She IS going to be teased, and it's important to know how she'll react to it or if she'll need any kind of counseling to help her adjust. If she reacts badly with a protective dog at her side, who knows what the result would be? I can tell you one result though...the school would get sued by EVERYBODY.

In the post to which I replied, you stated you had no problem with the dog being there. I have no position on the 'dog issue' at the moment.

From what the article said, this little girl would 3 to 5 times a week would get up unannounced, lay on a mat, and have a seizure. After which she would get up and continue in the classroom setting, assuming her post-ictal recovery is quick.

If her presence in the classroom actually proves to be disruptive, it is my understanding that the school district has the right to ask that she be removed from the class. However, the district doesn't appear to be stating this, and this can be determined on the actual merits of the situation rather than yours and my deductions. Instead, the district is disagreeing with the dog's presence, not the student.

My conclusion at this point is: Given the overwhelming benefit of the doubt extended by federal law, this child is legally entitled to be mainstreamed. It is my assumption that after the first couple of weeks of these events that her classmates would accept these seizures as a fairly routine event and learning time would only experience minor interruptions. If the disruption stays extreme, then the school district can petition to have this child removed from this class.

As for familiarity with seizures, I am aware of what are now called tonic-clonic seizures. And I am aware that the subject of this article has these seizures.

Most parents of classmates can use this as a teaching moment to talk about 'real life' with their children, acceptance of others with disabilities, and to clear up misunderstandings about seizures.

Other parents will be upset, and they have the right to send their child to a private school. As a child, I was scheduled to be bused a long way to elementary school as a result of a program here in California. My mother decided this was not in my best interest and enrolled me in a private school for that year.

She IS going to be teased, and it's important to know how she'll react to it or if she'll need any kind of counseling to help her adjust.

back in the day. I saw and heard our PE teacher take several strips off some of the bully/teaser types for making fun of the special education students. They had their own classroom, but shared the other school facilities with the (more or less) "normal" kids. He was a male PE teacher, more common in elementary then than now, and those guys didn't bother the special ed kids ever again, AFAIK. They were way more afraid of him than they were interested in picking on the less fortunate, way more. He'd have followed through with much unpleasantness too. Corporal punishment was allowed in those days, and he wouldn't have had to get permission from the principal either, although he would have granted it in a heartbeat. Both PE teacher and principal were "nice guys", but you didn't mess with them either. OTOH, my Jr. Hi. principal was a "guilty until proved innocent" Cylmer.

Children who suffer from epileptic seizures and other disabilities that DO interrupt the learning process should NOT be allowed in a regular classroom.... If she reacts badly with a protective dog at her side, who knows what the result would be?

I think there is something much more valuable to be learned with her being ~in~ the classroom than outside it. You're being hysterical, not only about her, but about the dog. YOU would have benefitted greatly from being exposed to both dogs and epilepsy somewhere in your development.