MSN is reporting on an article by Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor with The Telegraph about a schoolgirl who has won a “landmark legal case” which her parents believe will allow her to bring her dog into school to help with her anxiety. A family had claimed that the golden retriever should have been able to go with the child into school, to help her mental health in a long-running dispute.
Moray Council had previously blocked the request, claiming other “reasonable adjustments” could have been made to help her cope. However, an education tribunal has told the council to make a “fresh decision” on the case, paving the way for a reversal.
One option under consideration is believed to be a compromise in which the child would be allowed to bring the family pet to school on a part-time basis. Advocates of assistance dogs for those suffering from anxiety claim they can help people to feel calmer in stressful situations.
The parents claim their daughter had been refusing to go to classes and that allowing the dog to go with her would “support her wellbeing”. The child’s father, who did not want to be named, has told the Mail on Sunday: “There were two decisions made. One that she should get a letter of apology. The other is: it has been given back to Moray council to redo their decision. This is a landmark legal decision which will pave the way for others who are neurodiverse, or who have mobility issues, to secure the benefit of an assistance dog at school. It marks the culmination of a nearly three-year struggle to show that our request for an assistance dog for a limited number of hours each week was a reasonable adjustment.”
