Can Rory qualify as an official Service Dog for David for ADHD? Open Question
Definition/Qualifications: A person is disabled under the Act if they can't work due to a severe medical condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least one year or result in death. The person's medical condition(s) must prevent them from doing work that they did in the past, and it must prevent them from adjusting to other work. Hummm... Lost two careers, Sales & Nursing. I'll take it.
The law defines disability as the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
How do you get diagnosed with a disability?
The best way to make an appointment is through your general physician. Explain to your doctor that you are applying for disability benefits and that you would like to be examined by a specialist. Once your doctor has made a referral it is easy and vital to follow up with the specialist.
Do I Need a Doctor’s Note for a Service Dog? – Service Dog Requirements
https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/do-i-need-a-doctors-note-for-a-service-dog-service-dog-requirements/#:~:text=Although%20doctors%20and%20mental%20health,to%20have%20a%20service%20dog.
"Although doctors and mental health professionals can recommend a service dog, you do not need a doctor’s note in order to have a service dog."
Service Dog Proof for Landlords, Airlines, Restaurants, etc.
The American’s With Disabilities Act does protect the privacy rights of individuals with mental or physical disabilities. In fact, there are only two questions a landlord or an airline employee can ask you.
- Is the dog a service dog?
- What task(s) does the dog perform for you?
The Americans with Disabilities Act Official Site
https://www.ada.gov/
Is ADHD a Disability?
Yes. Whether you view attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as neurological — affecting how the brain concentrates or thinks — or consider ADHD as a disability that impacts working, there is no question that the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers individuals with ADHD. (Likewise, students with ADHD are protected by state and national laws guaranteeing them a free and appropriate public education.)
Benefits of service dogs for ADHD
Service dogs are trained to help people with disabilities manage their daily lives. For example, they might alert a blind owner when it’s safe to cross the road, or they may be trained to retrieve medication for a person who has limited mobility.
In some cases, service dogs can help people with ADHD too. That said, there are strict criteria for who is eligible to have a service dog. To qualify for an ADHD service dog, your symptoms must be debilitating. Most people with ADHD are able to live fulfilling and successful lives with other types of treatment, like medication and behavioral strategies.
However, if ADHD symptoms are debilitating, then a service dog may be able to help.
Autistic people and people with severe anxiety disorders often use service dogs. Although ADHD isn’t the same thing as autism or anxiety, these highly-trained animals could help people with severe ADHD in similar ways.
Some of the ways that service dogs can help people with ADHD include:
- keeping the owners’ attention on track
- preventing or stopping meltdowns
- providing an outlet for excess hyperactive energy (dogs need to be walked regularly)
- leading parents to a missing child if a child with ADHD has wandered off
- applying physical pressure to decrease anxiety
- retrieve ADHD medication
Do I qualify for a service dog?
To qualify for a service dog, you must meet specific criteria. According to the Official Service & Support Animal Registration in the United States, these criteria include:
- being older than 12 years old (unless you are using a service dog for autism)
- having a diagnosed physical disability, anxiety disorder, neurological disorder that affects at least one limb, or debilitating chronic illness
- being able to care for a service dog
- being able to independently command a service dog
- living in a stable environment
- having no other dogs in your home
- being able to meet all the dog’s needs
Since ADHD is not a physical disability, does not affect limbs, and is not an anxiety disorder, the only way people with ADHD could qualify for a service animal is by proving that ADHD is a “debilitating chronic illness.”
For most people with ADHD, symptoms are not debilitating. This is especially true if they are receiving ADHD treatment.
If you don’t qualify for a service dog for ADHD, then you may want to consider getting an emotional support animal.
