[nabs] Guide Dogs in High School?

[NABS Student Advocate Editor]

Hi Everyone,
   There's a lot of helpful information here. I will be glad to pass
along this thread to her. I talked to her more extensively yesterday,
and she feels ready for a dog. I'm a bit leary, as her school is
mandating (for security purposes, of course *snark*) that she be
accompanied everywhere by an aid. She's an Advanced Placement student,
a sophomore in high school, and has had O&M to her building. She's
convinced that after Dog comes along she will be free to roam the
halls unaided. I'm nervous about this and about the school environment
in general. If an independent, intelligent young blind woman with
knowledge of the building and her surroundings is made to walk around
with an aid, how receptive would this school be to a dog joining the
ranks? I hate to think.

   Thank you all for your feedback. Bernadetta, those were some
incredible stories you told. :) Laura, Leena, and Liz, thank you for
your thoughts. I tend to agree with Laura in that I believe I wasn't
at all ready for a guide dog in high school. However, I went to a
school with 1800 other students, and I was concerned about their
behavior towards the dog. (Bernadetta, your story about a kid tripping
Kip horrified and disgusted me, but it was exactly what I hoped to
avoid.) However, I think a dog can work quite well in high school with
the right person and in the circumstances. I'm glad that you all
shared your thoughts....they are interesting to me, and, I'm sure,
invaluable to her when she hears them.

Best,
Caitlin

On 11/23/10, Liz Bottner <liziswhatis at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I had my first dog in high school. Honestly, if at all possible, I would
> wait, not because of the immaturity of the person, but more for the sake of
> the other students the team will be around and the sake of the team in
> general. High school is a high-stress environment. I will even go so far as
> to say that it's more stressful than college. If you can make it work, then
> more power to you, but it really does take the right set of circumstances
> and right team. The first year that you have with the dog is the most
> crucial, and so that is another thing to take into account. I don't know
> that high school would provide you the time and right environment to be able
> to focus on what needs to be done.
>
> JMHO,
>
> Liz
>
> email:
> liziswhatis at hotmail.com
> Visit my LiveJournal:
> http://unsilenceddream.livejournal.com
> Follow me on Twitter:
> http://twitter.com/lizbot
>
>
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