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www.FredParent.NET • 19 With very few exceptions, a service dog can accompany your special needs child almost anywhere. Here are just a few examples of the types of assistance provided to children by service dogs. • PHYSICAL ASSISTANCE DOGS are trained to assist children with limited mobility, hearing, or sight. Dogs may be trained to guide children, alert them to important sounds, open doors, and retrieve the phone, medicines and other items. • MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE DOGS are trained to assist children diagnosed with cognitive or emotional disabilities such as Asperger's, autism, developmental delays, panic attacks and PTSD. Dogs may be trained to prevent impulsive running, facilitate transition between locations and activities, facilitate social interaction, provide calming behavior during stressful events and improve communication. • MEDICAL ALERT ASSISTANCE DOGS are trained to alert children when their blood glucose levels are low, when the onset of a seizure is imminent or when specific allergens are in the environment. Dogs are often trained to retrieve insulin or allergy kits, and to go find an adult. Important Information The ADA does not require registration or certification for service dogs. A quick Internet search finds many commercial listings that sell service dogs, or sell service dog registration, certification, ID cards, vests, etc. Please beware. Unfortunately, there are no state or federal laws governing the service dog industry. Your best source of information is the • ADA website (http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm) • ADI website (http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/) ADI is an international not-for-profit organiza- tion that provides accreditation to service dog organizations that meet their standards for training and placement of assistance dogs, and for training of staff and volunteers. About the Author: Caryn Self-Sullivan owns and oper- ates Ask Dr. Caryn About Animal Behavior and Training (http://askdrcaryn.com), which serves the greater Fredericksburg area. She has a Ph.D. in animal behav- ior and certifications from multiple professional dog training organizations, including CPDT-KA and KPA CTP. She is a volunteer puppy raiser for Service Dogs of Virginia, which is a non-profit organization that pro- vides Service dogs to Virginians at no cost.