Service Dogs: A Lifeline for Families with Disabled Children

Service dogs are specially trained to provide assistance to children with disabilities. They can be taught to support kids in a variety of unique ways that help with daily living and even help in an emergency situation. For families with disabled children, service dogs can be a lifeline.

The Various Ways Service Dogs Can Help Disabled Children

Service dogs can be taught to handle tasks that children with disabilities may need extra assistance with, such as:

·      Opening, closing, or even holding doors until the handler passes through them

·      Retrieving dropped items

·      Turning lights on and off

·      Opening and closing cabinets

·      Helping with dressing by tugging on clothes

·      Laying across the chest of a handler in the midst of a seizure to help reduce the duration and keep the handler safe

·      Retrieving medications or glucose kits

·      Unloading groceries

·      Putting laundry into the washer or dryer

·      Alerting caretakers of a handler’s distress (unconsciousness, breathing difficulties, etc.)

If you’re considering adopting a service dog for your child with special needs, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

·      Consider Your Child’s Specific Needs: You’ll want to do your research to ensure that a service dog will be able to help with the unique needs that your child has. In some cases, your family may require a special trainer or program to teach the dog the tasks that your child may require.

·      Get Input from Your Child’s Healthcare Team: Adopting a service dog is a big decision. As such, it’s important to get input from your child’s healthcare team. They will be able to tell you if adopting a service dog is right for your child and offer any guidance or recommendations.

·      Do Your Research: Not all service dog organizations are created equal. When you’re doing your research, look for an organization that is reputable and has experience training service dogs specifically for children with special needs.  

Contact our Portland, Oregon Special Needs* Lawyer

Decisions about service dogs and supportive aids are just one part of creating a special needs plan for a child with disabilities. Our Portland, Oregon special needs* lawyer is here to assist your family with additional aspects of planning, including the creation of Special Needs* Trusts and guardianship nominations to ensure that your child is prepared for the most independent life possible. If you have questions about planning or need help getting started, contact our law firm at (503) 235-5150 to schedule a consultation.

If you want to get started on your estate plan, read about our estate planning services and schedule an appointment.

To your family's health + happiness.

~Candice N. Aiston

*Please note that while the term “special needs” is not the most up-to-date language used in disability communities, it can be confusing to differentiate types of law when we use the term “disability planning.” Disability lawyers most commonly help disabled people to qualify for federal disability benefits, while “special needs” planning lawyers help people to plan for the care of their disabled loved ones using “special needs” or “supplemental” trusts that allow the disabled person to maintain their federal disability benefits while supplementing the meager amounts they may receive in federal disability benefits.