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ervice and therapy animals have become increasingly popular for children with special needs, and for good reason. Research shows that animals can make a huge difference in kids’ physical independence and emotional well-being. Additionally, service and therapy animals are being trained to help a very wide range of people with many different disabilities, in many settings.
Types of Service Animals Service, emotional support, and therapy animals are trained differently, perform different tasks, and have access to public places at different levels. According to the Service Animal Association, a service dog works to help the owner perform tasks they cannot perform on their own because of their disability, an emotional
support animal works to improve the health of their owner who is disabled, and the therapy animal works with their owner to improve the health of others. SERVICE ANIMALS: The vast majority of service animals are dogs. Service dogs may guide individuals who are blind or deaf, alert others to an individual who is having a
seizure, pull a wheelchair, retrieve dropped items, and otherwise perform meaningful physical services to a person with a physical disability. Service dogs are not pets; they are highly trained, and are considered to be “medical equipment.” As a result, they have special legal status and may accompany their owner virtually anywhere they can fit. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS: Emotional support animals may be dogs—but may also be almost any other species. They are medically prescribed by a doctor and provide support for a single disabled person. Emotional support animals are not continued on page 14 >>> Special Needs Guide | BostonParentsPaper.com
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