Why does an autistic person need a service dog?

Does it talk to people for her?

Crusader: Wendy's Chili: Why does an autistic person need a service dog?

Does it talk to people for her?

FTFA: "Without Levi, Emily could get lost or leave the store with a stranger, she said."

9-year-olds don't need autism to get lost in a mall. Shouldn't, I dunno... HER MOM be keeping an eye on her instead of a dog?

Wendy's Chili: Crusader: Wendy's Chili: Why does an autistic person need a service dog?

Does it talk to people for her?

FTFA: "Without Levi, Emily could get lost or leave the store with a stranger, she said."

9-year-olds don't need autism to get lost in a mall. Shouldn't, I dunno... HER MOM be keeping an eye on her instead of a dog?

I was thinking the same thing. Also, reading through the comments, it appears this dog isn't even a legal companion animal according to provincial law (no, I don't have backup info on that, and since they supposedly paid $15k for it, it must have some kind of special training). However, just because you put a 'companion animal' sign on it doesn't make it one.

Alberta?

*clicks link*

Yup.

I'm calling shenanigans. I've seen her drawings. Tehy suck. She's not autistic at all.

What BS. I can't believe nobody stood up for the kid, whether it was a customer or other employee.

And you would think the manager would follow the giftcard with a memo to the store employees on the memo.

What the hell is that kid wearing??
Are they sure she isnt blind??

The-Brain: Alberta?

*clicks link*

Yup.

^This. Alberta - Texas' retarded little brother.

Wendy's Chili: Crusader: Wendy's Chili: Why does an autistic person need a service dog?

Does it talk to people for her?

FTFA: "Without Levi, Emily could get lost or leave the store with a stranger, she said."

9-year-olds don't need autism to get lost in a mall. Shouldn't, I dunno... HER MOM be keeping an eye on her instead of a dog?

Things dogs do for the autistic

Behavior Response
Self Stimulation Will Signal Handler to Behavior, Handler May Choose to Stop
Self Harming Will Interrupt Behavior
Overstimulation/Meltdown/Shutdown Deep Pressure Tasks: Step on Foot, Paws on Lap, Lay on Handler
Poor balance/motor control Counter-balance, brace for stability
Disorientation Find the car, go home, find other specified places
Auditory Processing Problems Alert to important sounds
Visual Processing Problems Guide Work - steer around obstacles

12349876: Self Stimulation Will Signal Handler to Behavior, Handler May Choose to Stop

say waht?


"LEAMME ALONE. 'BATIN'"!

She...fixed the cable?

DjangoStonereaver: I would move to Canada just so I could not shop at that store.

That, and for Toronto's strip clubs. But mostly not to shop at that store.

I'm already here, I'll not shop there for you.

NewportBarGuy: Oh, I just want to add... We had a regular customer come in who had a service parrot. Yeah, no sh*t. Honest to god. A f*cking parrot. Someone called the cops on her when she left the filthy thing in her car one day. It was high comedy.

Eccentricity isn't a handicap (not to everyone). But, yeah, that had to be awkward.

The service dog humped the store manager's leg?

/That's how the ending happened in my head.
JC

tansa: Like any other well intentioned system, people scam the service animal system for purposes other than necessity (i.e. to allow pets to fly free). So much so, that it is not surprising that it has come to doubting the legitimacy of certain service animals.

Link (new window)

That said, I wonder how badly messed up the autistic kid will be when that dog dies. If the autisim is severe enough to warrant a companion animal, that means that there is a significant amount of emotional instability. When that dog "goes to the farm" I am legitimately concerned for the well being of that kid. A "normal" kid can be crushed when a pet dies.

This is the first thing I thought of as well. That dog is going to die long before the kid will. And why isn't mom keeping her from wandering off with a stranger? A good parent wouldn't let their normal 9 year old wander around a store by themselves.

Someone on Fark has an autistic kid who uses a service dog. I think they'd be great, actually. I wish I could have claimed a service dog when my PTSD was bad a few years ago. It was amazing how comforting that dog was when I was afraid to leave the house. I wanted to take her everywhere.

Shostie: Crusader: If a dog is marked as a service animal, there is no way you should just throw them out.

Is there anything regulating that, or can I just slap a sticker with the word "service" on any old animal?

"Hi. I'm Shostie and this is my service mountain lion, Kevin. ... He is, too. Can't you see the sticker?"

From what I understand, there is nothing to prevent you from doing so and in most places it is illegal to question if an animal is actually a service animal. If you say it is, it is.

NewportBarGuy: Oh, I just want to add... We had a regular customer come in who had a service parrot. Yeah, no sh*t. Honest to god. A f*cking parrot. Someone called the cops on her when she left the filthy thing in her car one day. It was high comedy.

There was a Fark link not too long ago about an autistic who had a service python. I guess it reassures him who's on first and that Kmart sucks.

Ponzholio: [www.cbc.ca image 620x349]

Did the dog pick out her wardrobe too?

For a moment it looked to me like the second-lowest shelf on that bookcase in the background was a yoke tied between the dog's harness and the girl's thighs...was a real 'WTF?' moment until I realized I'm just an idiot...

Beeblebrox: tansa: Like any other well intentioned system, people scam the service animal system for purposes other than necessity (i.e. to allow pets to fly free). So much so, that it is not surprising that it has come to doubting the legitimacy of certain service animals.

Link (new window)

That said, I wonder how badly messed up the autistic kid will be when that dog dies. If the autisim is severe enough to warrant a companion animal, that means that there is a significant amount of emotional instability. When that dog "goes to the farm" I am legitimately concerned for the well being of that kid. A "normal" kid can be crushed when a pet dies.

This is the first thing I thought of as well. That dog is going to die long before the kid will. And why isn't mom keeping her from wandering off with a stranger? A good parent wouldn't let their normal 9 year old wander around a store by themselves.

Mom could. Of course, that would defeat the purpose of being in the store, because mom couldn't take her eyes off of the child long enough to look at an item, pay the salesclerk, etc. You can't scoop up a nine year old and hold her like a toddler. Or stick her in a stroller. Many autistic kids can't handle the contact of holding hands. And you can tell a typical 9 year old, stay here, and they will. Not so the autistic kid.

NewportBarGuy: Oh, I just want to add... We had a regular customer come in who had a service parrot. Yeah, no sh*t. Honest to god. A f*cking parrot. Someone called the cops on her when she left the filthy thing in her car one day. It was high comedy.

Was it this guy?



"*Squawk*. Any port in the storm"
"Mostly we figured that means yes"

I'd say the bigger crime is her mother allowing her to follow in her footsteps as a hipster douche.

Chinchillazilla: cryinoutloud: Someone on Fark has an autistic kid who uses a service dog. I think they'd be great, actually. I wish I could have claimed a service dog when my PTSD was bad a few years ago. It was amazing how comforting that dog was when I was afraid to leave the house. I wanted to take her everywhere.

I had a brief bout of agoraphobia a few years ago. I think I could have handled going out a lot better if I'd been able to take my cat. Sadly, cats aren't really "walkin' around town" pets.

You need this. (new window)

Alberta, 'nuff said.

What, no one is claiming BS because mom is looking for a $50 gift card this time around?

Beeblebrox: This is the first thing I thought of as well. That dog is going to die long before the kid will. And why isn't mom keeping her from wandering off with a stranger? A good parent wouldn't let their normal 9 year old wander around a store by themselves.

I'm guessing you and other people making these remarks have little experience with kids, much less, autistic kids. It only takes 5 seconds for a kid to disappear in a store. Clue: they are short and cannot be seen through display cases. Dogs can give them 100% attention.

Sounds like Alberta needs to expand their laws about service dogs.

elffster: Link (pant grunt moo, Wiki on service animals)


well, according to 'Wiki, a service animal that comforts is not one that is recognized by the ADA, so a store or business would be within their rights to ask you to take it and gtfo.

which of course means my service Yak will just get his feelings hurt...


Correct. there is a diffrernce between "comfort animal" and "service animal"

I knew a woman who wanted to take her pet puppy on vacation and designated it a "comfort animal" (it brings joy to those who are sad) and she was able to keep the dog in the hotel.

/farking dog got a better room than me.

Going back to the store does prove that the diagnoses is correct.

Spent several years in Winnipeg. Everything about the name "Winners" is misleading. The folks who shop there, the trogs who work there; there are no winners in the lot.

Maybe their corporate masters are winners, but I really can't see that being the case, either. Store was a ghost town the once or twice I peered into its depths.

I want to mention that there is no standard, license, certification, or national recognition of service animals. It's not like a handicap sign on your car that you can just flash to show everything's legit. A service animal owner has no recognizable verification of the animal's purpose. All anyone has to go on is your word. I can pick up a Service Animal sweater with cute frilly dangly things on it on Amazon for a fraction of 15k. *shrug* I dunno. I'm just sayin'.

Now, I have an 8 year old son with autism. He says a total of 10 words maybe, and never all in the same week. He ignores all humans except parents and teachers, who he only goes to when he needs somethings. I have a 108lb dog and 3 cats (giving them all away, if your interested. just don't tell my wife), and the most interaction he's had with any of them is to push the dog out of the way when he needs to get around/behind him. He treats all the animals as uninteresting objects. Like you would a pencil laying on the floor. He just ignores them.

So, I mean, I don't know. All kids are different, just as all people with autism are different. I don't see any benefit to MY son from a service animal at this stage in his life. But, you know, I wouldn't spend FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TO NOT HAVE TO WATCH HIM AT THE STORE. I mean, hell, if I wanted some peace and quiet at a premium price, I'd have given custody of him to my exwife and paid child support. That would have been a much better deal.

DjangoStonereaver: I would move to Canada just so I could not shop at that store.

That, and for Toronto's strip clubs. But mostly not to shop at that store.

I'm going to move to the US so I can go to New York strip clubs and not shop at Disney Land.

/That store is a 36+ hour drive from Toronto
//Also, you want the Quebec strip clubs. Trust me.