I guess my only two questions are: why wasn't your child being better managed at the bus stop by a HUMAN, and if these kids cannot cope with a classroom, are they not furnished with dedicated educational care in a better equipped facility? Not only do I feel that many public schools are poorly equipped to deal with special need students (such as one who darts out into traffic, and the teachers "weren't quick enough" but I also feel a disruptive child should not be interrupting the learning process for the other students... and I have a severely disabled nephew whom I love more than anything, but he was nothing but a disruption for sixteen years he was mainstreamed in public school, nor did he learn a thing. He did however interrupt learning for many students over the years.

I think that people who think that these dogs are pets have no understand of the need for these young kids to have the safety of these animals with them. If the dog or any animal will help the child to be able to function in the world should be allowed. If you could see how an animal opens up someone that is locked in a world we can not even get into you would welcome the animals anywhere.

Of course, they should.

I have never heard of service animals for the autistic. For the blind, yes... but never for the autistic. Can you elaborate on what service dogs can do for the autistic?

"Can you elaborate on what service dogs can do for the autistic?"

Autism Service dogs are basically a life-line for these children. Usually, a young child is "tethered" to the dog around the waist to keep the child from running out into a busy street or running away in general, say if the parent & child were at a busy store or mall. These dogs also have been proven to calm the children and decrease tantrums drastically as well as improve social skills.

These dogs have extensive training to learn commands as well as crazy amounts of socialization. The dogs must never bite, bark or growl, chase after anything, and be able to sit or lay still as a statue, as a child is upset and pulling.

I train these dogs and I know for a fact that these dogs really do help children! The dogs go to school with me (I am in highschool) and they really help me stay calm as well and just give me a sense of security.

Like PML said, these dogs arent pets that you throw a vest on and say "Oh! This is a service dog!" No. These dogs are much more and I think that other people should really understand these things before they make comments that are innapropriate, disrespectful & rude.

Wow, someone I agree with, and only had to read as far as two posts! A human aide is a big expense to the district. Non-disabled and gifted kids are already getting shafted due to the high costs of educating disabled kids, so if a dog keeps the kid under control and is free to the district, let the dog in!

With school districts slashing thier budgets in this economy, how can they afford one-on-one aides? If you can show the dog has been trained professionally, then it is a service dog, and should be allowed.

Absolutely. As for the plight of the allergic, I can't believe the school couldn't find some solution to balance both needs. Part of the culprit is mainstreaming, which isn't always best for either the special needs child or the other kids. If a child is disabled enough to need a service animal, there ought to be ways to deal with that, even if it does mean separate schools or separate sections of the school. Disabled kids don't care about political correctness.

I agree, if the dog is providing a service then call him a service dog. Those children or adults that are allergic or afraid have to "learn" to manage their disability in this dog-loving society, anyway. I can't imagine a better place than the (theoretically) controled environment of a school. The only concern I would have is, can the child protect his dog from other less "enlightened" children or adults?

I am so glad that there are so many nice & caring people out there that understand that these dogs aren't pets that parents put a vest on & say "It's a service dog!" These dogs really are trained and do help! :)

Like Crickett said, the ridiculous excuse for school districts not allowing service dogs is usually "Our district has a high allergy rate!" That is what my school district told me but I still bring my Autism Service dog whom I'm training to school & so far, no one has reported or told me they were allergic. This excuse is BS!

So let me get this straight ..... that dog taught you to write so eloquently???

Why don't we just homogenize everything down to the common denominator? Let's just let every Public (Or private) function cater to everyone's needs/preferences/delusions?

I call BS!

LMana, How can answer Islyn so rudely! You don't even know what her disability is. It is pretty obvious who has had a close family member with a serious disability. My son has been severly ill since he was 8 years old. It is the most difficult life experience you can imagine. To parent a child with a disability. Sometimes life is so hard you just pray for anything to help. If a service dog can help calm, protect from harm etc. then I would try it for my child in a heartbeat. It is a responsibility that never stops, day or night you have to deal with it. You love your child more than life and just as much as your "normal" children. So, please think about what it would be like to parent a child with a developmental or mental illness before you make a judgement. Sit in our shoes and watch your child suffer endlessly and you might feel differently.

DJ:

Now THAT'S funny! <applause>

I am a teacher in a small district. We have several mainstreamed autisitc children. I would be glad to have the help of a service dog for any child that would need it. Any good teacher would be able to use the situation as a learning experience for the rest of the class. Accommodations for a service dog would not be any harder than the accomindations that have been made for students in wheelchairs with personal aides, or the children with peanut allergies. Every school has a different climate. What may work in one school may not work in another. Why does every debateable situation look at solutions that allow no room for individual appilications?

It's not a "pet", SRScorpion. That's just plain ignorant. It's also why I oppose mainstreaming, since there are so many teachers like you who obviously aren't trained to deal with these kids. As for "cleaning up after the dog" these are animals that have had thousands of dollars worth of training. I seriously doubt they are going to poop on the floor.

SRScorpion, I am sorry that you, and many others in this world are un-informed about service dogs. I train Autism service dogs and these dogs are not pets. These dogs dont go around relieving themselves in the classroom. These dogs have extensive training to hold themselves until allowed. I have taken my service dog to theatres, restaurants, schools and even a college gymnasium for a volleyball game and he has NEVER acted out or relieved himself until I got home and let him go outside in our backyard.

Grandma,

Well said. Your key points..."certified service dog" and "selection training for a service dog is very long and complex" are dead on. With the right canine training and with a properly trained user, these animals are invaluable. Education to these crucial facts are essential to the acceptance of service dogs as credible assistance animals.

You are an ignorant fool who has obviously never worked with, known or tolerated a person with a disability. This article was not discussing a person who "can't cope". Children with autism do not need to go to a special school...in fact that kind of segregation is NOT allowed under federal law. You continue to show your ignorance throughout your rant. Children with autism are very successful in the regular classroom. Allowing service dogs for those children with autism who need them will also teach the other children tolerance of individuals with differences, something you obviously don't have. You do not give teachers enough credit. A service dog in the classroom is not a distraction after a few days. I've been there and seen it work! Give these kids a chance to overcome some of the difficulties of autism and succeed in this world.

God forbid that someone ever had to tolerate you. God forbid you would have compassion. God forbid you have a child with Autism. Try reading about the disorder before you ramble on like a fool. Autism is a horrible. Autism is lonely there are no social skills there are no friends "normal" people think they are weird and other Autistic kids have the same problem. Your teenager doesn't tex and hang out with friends everyday. You need to understand the only joke around here is people like you who think that reality will never hit them pray before you go to sleep that the doctor never says to you that I am sorry to tell you that your child has Autism. Its a lonely world for everyone.

I agree with problem solver, I have to say. I don't find the post cruel or uncompassionate. Simply realistic, in my opinion. I don't think it's fair nor reasonable to have a service animal in a classroom. For blind children, schools have aides that assist the child (I've seen it firsthand in three different schools I attended, in two different states). For autistic children it should be the same thing - the school should be required to provide a qualified aide.

Animals, service or not, are distracting in a school environment. Also, as a person with severe animal allergies, I couldn't be in that school whatsoever, because anywhere the dog had been, I'd be itching and scratching and my eyes would be watery and I'd be sneezing. Should children with allergies be forced to suffer?

I think service animals are WONDERFUL things. And I know for a fact that children who have autism can successfully be mainstreamed - seen it myself with my friend's child. I just believe service animals do not belong at a school, especially when other perfectly acceptable alternatives are available.

Problem Solver: Are you serious??? Do you know anything at all about autism or are you talking out of your behind? Many of these kids are not just "anxious". Perhaps you need to read up on the disease and then spend some time in a classroom that houses autistic children.

I'm not even sure about my opinion on this discussion but ignorant comments like that just drive me crazy.

Am I serious? I'm that and so much more...

As a child-free and dog-free middle-aged adult, I have no personal stake in this discussion other than as a taxpaying citizen who's tired of loopholes and whiners and selfish parents who don't give a damn about anyone's rights but their own.

You can't have it both ways without negatively affecting the other people involved!

Oops - forgot! People who demand special privileges don't care about they affect anybody else...the "short comment" above that says "Whatever will make the child more comfortable should be allowed" is exactly the "me-only" mentality that's the problem here. It's not all about "The child" - it's about ALL the kids, NOT just your Johnny!

If Johnny's condition is "disabling," he needs to be on the short bus to a special needs school or classroom with Fido; if it's not disabling, come join your class on the big bus and leave Fido at home. One or the other.

Get a grip on reality and the big picture: your child's special needs are just as special as the needs (and rights) of the other kids in his class to get an education without the myriad of problems that this would create! Why should so many others suffer for the benefit of your kid? Simple answer - they shouldn't.

Next?

wow...you're really a jerk PS. Maybe that should read P of S instead. I disapprove of service dogs in public schools due to )allergy issues and (b) special treatment issues among others but SERIOUSLY...a service dog is less likely to bite than, say...you? Or your kids (if you've ever been permitted to breed)??? "The short bus"....how old are you, twelve??? (mentally I mean) There are better terms and verbiage than the ignorant ones you choose to use, and you are a nasty bitter hostile person. And marie, if you agree you're one rock short of a bucketfull too.

"the short busses" also contain hostility issue people...maybe both of you should look into it.

what next? Kids taking mommy or daddy to school because they can't cope? Favorite blankies, Elmo...........this is crazy. Disrupt an entire class for the 1 kid? And I do have kids and they did NOT get special treatment and I do have a 'special needs' nephew who goes to a 'special needs' school. Parents think their kid is the 'only' kid. And taxpayers are paying for this? My son only wants to attend school 1/2 of the day, I want special treatment for him. It's too stressful for him and he just can't cope ...........this is unbelievable. I agree with PS 100% (PS = the voice of common sense)

Who is going to take the dog out to do his 'business' and who cleans up after him? Who will insure the dog is up to date on shots, heartworm prevention, and is tested for worms regularly since the dog will be in close proximity to kids? Some parasites can be transmitted to kids. What about flea/tick prevention? And yes, I HAVE dogs and I know the hard work and commitment needed. I can see it now........other kids wanting their own 'service dog' and looking for a reason, any reason, to bring their own animal to class to keep them calm. What about 'service cats'? 'service ferrets'? And PS is correct ANY dog can be classified as a 'service dog'. I know someone who abuses this all the time so she can take her large dog 'in cabin' on the plane.

Thank goodness problem solver doesn't have children. Who would want that ignorance passed on to another generation?

I don't even know where to start on this. First, there are about a thousand studies that show that kids with disabilities learn better when they are integrated into the regular classroom and (here's the shocker!) it also benefits the kids who are not disabled. What do you know? A WIN/WIN Situation!

I am also pretty sure that your tax dollars aren't paying for the dog. Your tax dollars don't even pay for hot lunch. But you would have to have kids in school to know that.

My only concern would be for kids with allergies, but, like anything, it can be worked out.

'My only concern would be for kids with allergies, but, like anything, it can be worked out.'

Yeah lets put the entire class on Zyrtec to accommodate the autistic child's dog!  Bottom line: The child should go to the proper school not a public school.

Donna L,

Who are you to determine what the "proper school" is for another person's child? People like you and P of S are the ones who shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion. You think you have all the answers and that everything is cut and dry. I have a son with autism who currently goes to a "special school". You don't know the first thing about what is like to be a person with autism or a parent with a child who suffers from autism. I don't currently have a service dog for my son, but if I did and the dog helped my son to stay focused and concentrate on learning in school (which is exactly what these dogs do for many of the children who have them) then I would surely be wanting my son to bring his service dog with him to school. Go crawl back under your rock of ignorance and leave the intelligent conversations to those who don't throw rocks from glass houses.

Scott P -

Thanks for your brilliant insight and input to this discus---oh, wait---you clearly have nothing constructive to say. Except for your very perceptive comment that I do, in fact, have all the answers. (Gee, maybe that's why I'm the "Problem Solver!")

That's an excellent solution you've come up with, though! Donna and I shouldn't be able to have an opinion, or even be allowed to think, let alone type out our horrible plans and schemes and post 'em. Maybe we should all just turn on Fox News and let Bill-O and friends brainwash us and tell us what our opinions should be. But I'm betting that even if you had both of us undergo lobotomies (Can we get your doctor's name? He seems to have done a fine job on you!), you'd be against a public option to help pay for 'em.

Of course you'd want your son in regular school if he could handle it, and I agree with you 100%. I truly hope your son becomes a well-adjusted, happy, productive member of society, and if he can cope with regular school, then great - sign him up! Without a dog.

For now, it sounds like he's in the right school - a special needs class. Bravo for you. You've done the right thing. You don't strike me as particularly bright or educated, but you seem to have figured that one out.

But bringing a dog into a regular classroom and disrupting the educations of hundreds of other students is not the answer! THEY have the same right to an education as YOUR son.

That's all I'm sayin'...your son's needs are no more or less important than the needs of any other schoolchild. They may be special needs, but that doesn't make them MORE important than other kids - they're EQUALLY important!

I'm just sayin...

You really are an ignorant ass, aren't you? You know nothing about teaching a child with a disability, much less autism, nor raising and providing for a child with autism. And no matter how many people try to educate you on the fact that seervice dogs are well trained for their jobs, not pets, you can't seem to grasp this fact.

All you can do is insult handicapped children who did not ask to have the disorders they have. That's about as low as a person can get. However, I suppose that was the way you were raised; to make fun of someone different from you.

Now, suppose it were YOUR child who had a disability. That YOU had to worry about being discriminated against constantly, trying to get the services and education your child deserves, laying awake nights wondering what will happen to your child when you die. This is just a few of the issues parents have to consume the precious little time when they are not involved in taking care of the child's needs on a daily basis. Let me tell you a little secret, anything that makes a disabled person able to live more independently, is cost effective for EVERYONE.

To all those with the misguided notion that disabled children 'take away' funds for 'normal' kids, you are sadly mistaken. As a matter of fact, just the opposite is true. Funding for disabled kids adds funds to the entire school. Only so much money is allotted to a school for each child; the number of disabled kids does not change that amount in relation to 'normal' kids.

Problem Solver, its hard to believe there are such cruel, unempathetic people in this world as you. You must have suffered a lot of emotional pain in your life to be such a person who feels the need to attack children....and run your mouth about issues which you know nothing about.

How IGNORANT you are! I agree with Nancy43 (You know nothing about teaching a child with a disability, much less autism, nor raising and providing for a child with autism.).

I am the mother of a beautiful and intelligent little girl who is autistic and it takes a special person and special measures to care for an autistic child. Autism IS a real disability that requires real solutions. You of all people should understand a disability as yours is IGNORANCE. Don't EVER preach about a subject that you obviously know NOTHING about.

I already have to deal with the ignorance of the public and private school systems and the insurance companies, now we have stupid people like you ranting on a subject that is very real to those of us who dedicate our lives to this disability!

To all of us who have autistic children, we don't have time to deal with more ignorance and prejudice! We have very REAL situations to deal with and very little support to help us along the way!

and disrupt the entire EXPENSIVE class. What next? Mommy and Daddy attending school with their brats?

First off, a service dog is NOT a distraction. You make it sound like they just pick up a dog at the pound and call it a service dog, when in fact they need thousands of dollars worth of training, which the PARENTS must pay for. The dogs are trained to lie quietly by the disabled person's side. It might be a novelty for a few days but the kids quickly learn to ignore the dog, especially after the teacher explains that the dog is "at work" and they aren't allowed to crowd around and pet it. As an urban resident, I ride the bus regularly with several people who have service animals.

Autistic kids are not "brats". Until just a few decades ago, most were institutionalized, which is why you aren't familiar with them.

Bipolar is the same as autism? Are you seriously THAT misinformed? NOT a sensory experience? You have obviously never interacted with an autistic child, or adult for that matter. They aren't blind or deaf, they are OVERLY sensitive to light and sounds (in my experience), the reason many children with autism become agitated is because they are OVERLY Sensitive to their 5 sense. Children are allergic to a great many variety of things, I don't see the schools eliminating peanuts, dairy, dust, or even insects and more children die from bee stings than being exposed to animal dander!

Pets? Really people. I agree, there are a great many people out there traveling and posing their pets as service animals... It's a Federal Offense! However, it's really giving the real service animals a bad name.

FYI for those of you who think that SPECIAL NEEDS children should be learning to retred tires at their own Special School? PLEASE share that thought with Bill Gates, then shut down your microsoft.

These children / adults won't all fit into any one specific category, but those with the potential should be allowed the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, regardless of how others perceive them as IGNORANT, but do some research, before you add to the ignorance of others.

Bipolar is the same as autism? Are you seriously THAT misinformed? NOT a sensory experience? You have obviously never interacted with an autistic child, or adult for that matter. They aren't blind or deaf, they are OVERLY sensitive to light and sounds (in my experience), the reason many children with autism become agitated is because they are OVERLY Sensitive to their 5 sense. Children are allergic to a great many variety of things, I don't see the schools eliminating peanuts, dairy, dust, or even insects and more children die from bee stings than being exposed to animal dander!

Pets? Really people. I agree, there are a great many people out there traveling and posing their pets as service animals... It's a Federal Offense! However, it's really giving the real service animals a bad name. ADA in the rest of the USA requires the handler have a recognized DISABILITY according to the ICD9 and show proof that the animal augments the disability, & you have to pass a public access test that is very rigid. The handlers have MANY weeks of Specialized Training, before either party GETS Public Access most 4 - 6 weeks of lost wages to do it.

FYI for those of you who think that SPECIAL NEEDS children should be learning to retred tires at their own Special School? PLEASE share that thought with Bill Gates, then shut down your microsoft. I pay taxes as well as the next guy, why should I have to pay more for a Special School. FOR those of you who don't know, the public schools get extra money for each and every Special Child! The worse off the child is, the more money they get; it's called a Matrix #. So I'm not boo hooing the schools either. How about the money spent in legal fees they accrue by denying these children the rights given to them by the ADA? Millions of dollars that could have gone to the ARTs, and Music.

These children / adults won't all fit into any one specific category, but those with the potential should be allowed the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, regardless of how others perceive them as IGNORANT, but do some research, before you add to the ignorance of others.

Sorry, Rachael, but here in California, it's incredibly easy to have a pet - dog, cat, monkey, whatever - declared a "service animal."  You fill out a form and you pay for the privilege of having found a loophole in the law so Fido can go where Fido doesn't belong.

Why do they do this? Because they can. It's a big, selfish, great-dane-sized loophole that is being abused by arrogant folks who don't feel that they need to play by the same rules as the rest of us. Just like anything else in this society, if you have the money and the inclination (and no conscience or sense of fairness), and you think you're "special" enough, you can buy your way out of any law that doesn't suit your taste.

I personally know people who have done this - more than one - and they've decided that they want to take their animal to work, the grocery store, the movies, or on a plane, a ship, or, yes, into a classroom. It makes me sick and angry when I hear about it, and I'm disgusted with the politicians who allowed this to happen in the first place.

There's no special training required, and any breed of any species will do. This is NOT what you think of when you hear "service animal."  We're not talking seeing-eye dogs here, we're talking companion animals, which is just a fancy way to say "pet."

I stand by my previous comments 100%. 

Oh, by the way, I have a degree in psychology and have extensive personal experience dealing with manic-depression and other mental disorders, so I do know a bit more than you may realize.

Bottom line: It's not all about YOUR Johnny! There are other kids in class, too - why does everyone else - kids, parents, teachers, and administrators - have to bend over backwards for a child who obviously, by definition, is incapable of handling themselves in a normal classroom situation? Don't you think that maybe Johnny shouldn't be in a regular school if he can't even stay out of the street by himself, interact with other kids, or handle the workload? What kind of sick message are you sending to this kid, anyway?  That he deserves and will always get special treatment? That he doesn't have to abide by the rules like everyone else? That he'll always get his way? Give me a break!

The school is NOT Johnny's caregiver, and the rest of the world does NOT revolve around your Johnny. It's called using common sense, taking personal responsibility, and doing what's best for all involved. Allergies, fear, distractions, sanitation, liability - these factors all outweigh Johnny's "right" to have a dog in class.

And that means Johnny needs to ride the short bus if he can't handle riding the big bus without his dog.

Problem solver, your comments might or might not have merit, but you keep managing to throw the "short bus" reference out there. Somehow, that negates any possibility that you might be semi-intelligent. It's a derogatory term and the fact that you have a degree in psychology and yet it flows so freely in your conversation speaks volumes about you as a human being.

Cathy:

Thank you for your statement, "Somehow, that negates any possibility that you might be semi-intelligent." You are correct, and I'm glad you noticed. I am not semi-intelligent. I am fully intelligent, and I choose every word I write with extreme care.

"Short bus" is both a description and an analogy, and it's much shorter than "accessible transportation that takes schoolchildren who cannot function in a regular classroom to a special needs environment." It's not a derogatory term, it's a specific description of an actual vehicle which happens to be a school bus that's substantially shorter than a regular school bus. Perhaps you've seen one. They're just like the buses that take "regular" kids to "regular" schools (what term would you prefer I use instead of "regular?"), but - surprise! - they're shorter. Hence, the "short bus."

I could have said the "special" bus, or the bus with the "special needs" kids, or the bus to the "special" school just as easily, but "short bus" is easy to understand. You apparently grasped the concept. It may not be politically correct, but it's reality, and I didn't make it up.

Politically correct terminology only waters down the meaning of a statement, softens the hard edges of reality, and accomplishes nothing but pandering to those who might be offended by calling a spade a spade. Oh, and it also makes me gag.

Why does simply describing the actual bus to illustrate a point - without any extraneous or offensive descriptions -  get you so out of whack? If you're so thin-skinnned that "short bus" offends you, well, I've got nothing further to offer you.

And I'm not hostile, I'm just very passionate about fairness and equality, and don't care a whit for people who decide they don't have to follow the rules that apply to the rest of us whenever it suits their needs, especially when it affects others.

There's no reason to sugar-coat this; it's about the right of one individual to trample the rights of hundreds of others, and in my book, that isn't fair, it shouldn't happen, and frankly, it's typical of the selfishness so prevalent in America today.

There's way too much of that in our society these days, and frankly, I'm sick of it.

Dogs simply don't belong in classrooms, and kids who can't handle a day in school without their dog don't belong in a "regular" classroom! Why is that so hard to wrap your head around?

Either Johnny stays in regular school without a dog or he can ride the "DISTRICT'S OFFICIALLY-APPROVED MODE OF MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION THAT TAKES SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN, LIKE JOHNNY, TO A SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAM WHERE HE'S FREE TO BRING HIS CANINE COMPANION WITHOUT DISRUPTING AN ENTIRE SCHOOL OF NON-SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN, TEACHERS, ADMISNISTRATORS, AND STAFF."

And that'd be the short bus.

If you were "fully intelligent," you would've gotten my name right.

Sorry 'bout that - the font they use is all tiny and squishy on my page, and it looked like "Cathy" at first glance...no disrespect intended, but that hardly qualifies as putting my intelligence into question...not rationally, anyway!

That's all you've got?

Well, at least you read my response...guess I'll wait outside for the short bus to take me away.

I didn't mean to insinuate that running into traffic was a symptom. My point was that teachers do indeed have much going on and other kids to watch as well. They can be distracted. And let's face it. Aides cost money, and right now, most school districts are cutting back their workforce. My son has no companion aide. He is in a self-contained class with other kids who don't even have autism. My son is the ony student in the entire school like that. I don't ask for special treatment for him. I only ask that the students and teachers are educated about kids with his condition so they know what to expect.

And for those folks who balk at possibly having a service animal for these kids....be very careful with your words. You may find yourself in the same situation one day...and that's a terrible time to realize you may have been wrong about the whole thing.

That being said, I've had my say, and I'm done here.

what about paying a lawsuit when an allergic child goes into an anaphylaxic (sic I'm guessing) attack due to allergies????

exceptional point McClan...my daughter was attacked and bitten by an autistic student in her high school and I was not very happy about it. I felt that that particular person did NOT belong in a regular school environment, and that was just with the noises he made, the running around the classroom behavior, and the throwing things. He panicked over nothing one day (or something unpercieved by the rest of the class), ran behind my daughter, and viciously bit her arm. We're talking serious medical attention.

BUT!!!! A service dog is not going to hurt anyone, other than perhaps by allergy.

Whatever happened to muzzles to keep ignorant people from talking out of their rear end??? Message to all those like this person who don't have a brain - stay out of conversations where you have no place in being. Why don't we make a school for all the people who think they have all the answers and let them annoy each other instead of those of us who do have an ounce of intelligence.

McClan and all other "posters" who keep stating that autistic children belong in special schools away from their precious "normal" children, ask the Federal and state governments why there aren't special education schools anymore. I would much prefer to have my autistic little girl with other children who she can relate to and bond with. Unfortunately, there is no such place where I live and I have been forced to place her into the mainstream school system where she is teased, bullied and tortured every day and the so called 'teachers and administrators' will do nothing about it. Autistic children might not need these service dogs if parents would teach their over indulged brats about tolerance and good manners! I hope I speak for many parents of autistic children when I say that a lot of the problems our children have in the mainstream school systems is the ignorance of the other children and the inability of teachers and administrators to keep a handle on these brats who think it's funny to bully other kids who aren't like them. And they say that autistic kids are over sensitive and over indulged??? God forbid a teacher would actually discipline one of these bullies for picking on another child! You parents (who have taught YOUR children to be as ignorant as you are) would be in the school screaming at anyone who would listen that your precious was yelled at!

Let's get real here ... most kids that you people consider "normal" these days are actually the most over indulged, under disciplined beings on earth!