The Edmonton Public Schools Policy for Service Dogs
December 27,2000
Edmonton Public School Board
RE: Sayde and Her Service Dog Dusty
To whom it may Concern:
My Husband and three daughters and I moved to Edmonton in June of 98. Before school started I went into the school to discuss our middle daughter special
needs. For the last yr our daughter was in the head start program in Vegreville, AB, which was aiding her speech problem. we where trying
to get her seizures under control. I was told by the school that they would not take her with out an aid this delayed her starting school until mid Oct. a few
weeks later we where told that she did not qualify for an aid.
We took the time to explain what type of seizure my daughter has and that she does not have grand mal seizure.
My first parent teacher meeting and every meeting after that we where told that Sayde does not have Epilepsy.
Because she had never had a grand mal and also they had a CAT scan report, which was listed as being Normal. The day this CAT scan was suppose to be done it was
not done. My sister in law spent the day at the U of A with our daughter and she stayed with her for her tests she had an EEG and our first visit with Dr
Sinclair. We repeatedly tried to explain that my daughter did not have Grand Mals yes she had had them. We also let the school know that the Edmonton
Epilepsy Assoc. would come into the school and help them understand the different types of seizures we also took in an info package on more than one
occasion. The yr ended and we are no farther ahead then we where when we started. As the new school yr started my daughter would have the same teacher as
last yr. Again we had to start over with explaining her seizures.
My daughter was not having an easy time of getting her meds under controls.
Again we had a meeting with the school while we where waiting for classes to end
my sister-in-law notice a teacher grab my daughter and push her in the direction of the class, this teacher was totally unaware that my daughter was in the
middle of a seizure. During this meeting we asked if this teacher or the other new teacher had been told my daughter had Epilepsy because this was the second
time a teacher had not know about her epilepsy. Earlier in the week my oldest daughter had told a teacher on yard duty that her sister was having a seizure
this teacher told my daughter that it was not a seizure that her sister had a behavior problem My daughter was very upset because she knew here sister
was having a seizure and she was make to feel like she had lie to this teacher.
During this meeting we where told that none of the new teacher where told that she had Epilepsy, now my daughter had been listed as having behavior problem. At
this time we had also learned the school was setting up a new class and the teacher was at this meeting. This teacher did take the time to find out about
Epilepsy and at this time the Epilepsy assoc. was brought in to do an in service.
We had been using a notebook that had been going back and forth and this book was to be used so we could track our daughter's seizure and other problem.
This book was not a big help. Now with this new teacher the book was doing what had been hoping for we where kept up to date on what was going on before during
and after each seizure. We where having a lot of trouble with my daughter meds and because of this she was not attending school on a regular basic, due to the
fact that her meds made her very tried and we where very lucky to be able to get two hour of awake time.
Now that I have given you an outline of what has lead to the meeting with the Principle, vice Principle, Dr Goulden, Dr
Ask chuck, Miss Darcy my sister in-law
Debbie and myself. This meeting was to discussion what stepped need to be taken to ensure that a repeat of an earlier events. During a seizure on March 24 my
daughter was missing for fifteen minutes and when she was found she could not tell anyone where she was or if anything had happened to.
This matter had been discuss with Dr Goulden at our appointment the day before the school meeting, we had voice I concerns and that we where going to be
looking into having my daughter Seizure Alert Dog attend school so that if this should happen again we would a least know that our daughter would be safe. One
point that had been make during this meeting by Dr Goulden was if the school could not offer better supervision then they should start looking at allowing
the dog to come to school.
The next thing we knew was that the school had checked out other school to send our daughter to. This idea had been discussed in the meeting. We had asked out
right if these schools where not where we felt our daughter should be, what would Abbot school offer her, we where told that they would not be able to have
an aid for her or any other help. After looking into all the school they wanted to send her to. Each one of these schools where also told that if they accepted
our daughter, she would be having her seizure alert dog with her.
We have heard that the dog could not come because of allergies and one school keep telling us that they had a child who had bad allergies when asked what they
would do if before our daughter left for school her dog had sat on her because of a seizure and this child reacted to our daughter because she was cover in fur
would they band our daughter from school they told us they could not answer this question. We asked if a child with an allergy had more rights than a child with
what could be a very harmful medical condition. They could not answer that one. So with all these factor in mind and the Edmonton Public School refusing to
accept our special needs child, and the our daughter safety a very big issue that not one school would address we made the choice to home school our
daughter. Since this time we have been made aware of a the St Albert separate school board letting a Seizure Alert dog to go to school because this dogs is
listed a guide dog which it is not. Due to the fact that my husband and I are separated and I am on social services.
My social worker wants in writing that your school board will not accept our daughter Seizure Alert dog. Abbot School has all paperwork regarding these
meeting if however you can not get them from the school please let us know and we will make sure that you get them.
Should you have any more questions please feel free to contact me at. Should you wish to learn more about our daughter seizure alert dog please check out the
foundation web site at: www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Fair/4311
Thank you for help in this matter. I do need to have a reply to this letter prior to January 31 2001.Sincerely, (Mrs.) Connie
EDMONTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
January 22, 2001
Dear Ms. C:
This is in reply to your letter of December 27, 2000, which was received by e-mail on January 17, 2001.
We have been in contact with principal at Abbott School, who provided the following information:
1.Your daughter was referred to other schools because these schools offered a special educational
program that she needed. The program was not available at Abbott School.
2. The school did not receive any communication from a medical doctor indicating that a seizure alert dog
was required or recommended for your daughter's care.
3. The epilepsy association informed the school that they did not support the seizure alert dog attending
school with your daughter.
Our district does not have policy or regulations regarding the use of seizure alert dogs in schools.
As such, the school principal would be expected to respond to requests to bring one into the school. It is
likely that most principals would not consider such requests unless it was determined that the dog was a
medical necessity.
Yours truly, Emery Dosdall, Superintendent of Schools
ED: bl
CC: Principal, Abbott School
Centre for Education One Kingsway Edmonton Alberta T5H 4G9
Tel: (780) 429-8000 Fax: (780) 429-8318
e-mail: [email protected]
website:www.epsb.edmonton.ab.ca
Mr. Emery Dosdall, Response to the email In response to your letter dated January 22, 2001
I would like to clear a few point hat you where lead to believe as fact.
First:
-The epilepsy association informed the scchool that they did not support the seizure alert dog attending
school with your daughter.
-The person answering the phone was the pperson who was supposedly to speaking for the whole association
was giving out the wrong information. She said that the Lion's Foundation Special Skills dog of Canada
did not support the use of Seizure Alert/Response dog, this could not be farther from the truth since one
of the founders does and has been using a seizure alert dog for the better part of Ten Yrs. Jac Harbor and
Susan Hoffman founded the Lion Foundation.
-She using a standard poodle.
As it should be noted that both the Calgary and Red Deer Epilepsy do both support the use of Seizure Alert
Response Dogs. The Seizure response Dog that presently is in service in St. Albert was trained at the
Lion's Foundation.
Second-Your daughter was referred to other schools because these schools offered a special educational
program that she needed. The program was not available at Abbott School.
- My sister in law and myself checked outt these schools, one of them was to have the functioning level of
that was far below the level my daughter was at, therefore we felt this was not the right place to put
our daughter in.
- the second school my sister in law was not told much about the program, but got the very clear picture
that this program would be the right program for our daughter.
-The third school we checked out the probblem of my daughter safety was brought in to play with the class
room being upstairs and no aid or understanding of the danger of seizure, was not being addressed.
- In our meeting with Dr Goulden, the staaff at Abbott, my sister in law and myself this issue was raised
because of the fact that our daughter was missing for 15 minutes during a seizure. The school did not
offer any protection of this not happening again.
- We where told that a child in my daughtters class room was so allergy to dogs that she could not have
her dog in class but even with my daughter being covered in fur, no one had a problem.
- The only time a change in schools was bbrought into play was after Dr Goulden share his assessment that
if they could not offer better supervision then the should look at allow the dog to come to school.
-In this meeting my sister in-law asked wwhat they would do to insure that our daughter safety, we where
not given an answer. My sister in-law brought up the buddy system and that our daughter was not to be
outside unless she had a buddy with her.
- Dr Goulden told the school about the doog. A medical Doctor cannot make the choice to use a dog because
if that were the case then the Alberta government would have to cover the cost of these dogs. That being
said, I do have a letter written by Dr Goulden.
-As the Superintendent of Schools I find it very hard to believe that you would not have checked out that
the information you where passing on, was up to date. Can you tell me if my daughter were blind would be
treating her the same way.
-The Edmonton Public School board has nott even check into the use of Service Dogs as assertive device
that they are. Service Dog fall under the same heading as wheelchairs, hearing aids, walker, canes just
to name a few. I find it very hard to believe that a school would not take every measure to insure the
safety of the children in there care. My daughter was put into harms way and everyone has lost sight of
the fact that a six yr. old little girl was missing for 15 minutes while in the care of a school full of
teachers, aids, students, and other staff members and not once has any even addressed or very apologized
for this.
As a parent I would never know put any of my children in harm way. I can and do have a letter from a Doctor.
Debbie Lees the founder of Smokey's Assistance Dogs Foundation has offered to come into the school and
educate the student, staff, and the parents and has also offered to attend school for the first week with
my daughter and her Service Dog.
I can supply you with a letter from Dr Goulden for you daughter Service Dog, if that is what is needed.
Should you have any question for my sister in law Debbie she can be reached at ______ or myself at _______?
I would very much like to work this issue out so that my Daughter and her Service Dog can go to school. I
can also supply you with Dusty vet records to prove that she up to date on all her shots and is also
clean and parasite free.
Sincerly, Connie
To Sayde & Dusty Page Two
To Sayde & Dusty Page One
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If you would like to send a comment to the Edmonton Public School Board Please do so at the email address
above or you can contact me at:
Copyright 2000
Smokey's Assistance Dogs Foundation
All Rights Reserved
Revised: June 25, 2005
