Medical practitioners have long known about the benefits that “assistance” dogs provide to impaired patients.

They work as seeing-eye dogs, hearing dogs or in a capacity that they have been specially trained for to aid their impaired owners.

Homebound instruction shall be provided for students who: The physician’s statement must show the following (a); the student has an illness or injury that will require the student’s absence from school for a minimum of twenty (20) consecutive instructional days.

If the illness occurs less that twenty (20) instructional days prior to the end of the year and the student needs instruction to meet graduation requirements, the physician’s statement must indicate the student will be unable to attend school through the end of the current school year.

A Special Education Support Team member must be in attendance at the case conference.

Homebound Instruction for Students with Disabilities SBCSC shall provide special education instruction to a student identified as eligible for special education services in an alternative setting if it is considered by the case conference committee to be the least restrictive environment in which to provide the student a free and appropriate public education.

Well that is where I step in, at least for those of you who have students with hearing loss on your caseloads.

If the request for Homebound Services is being made for a student with an IEP, a case conference should be convened, which includes all appropriate members.

Physically handicapped children long to be normal and be seen as normal as much as possible. Find out what the child's strengths are and capitalize on them. Sometimes other children need to be taught about physical disabilities to develop respect and acceptance.5. (I had a child with CP who took immense delight when I noticed her new hair barrettes or a new outfit). Make adjustments and accommodations whenever possible to enable this child to participate.7.

Never pity the physically handicapped child, they do not want your pity.8.

To address landlords’ mistaken notions about impaired tenants and their companion dogs, federal mandates address the matter directly. Further, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 require that disabled individuals be given equal rights to housing that is also offered to those without disabilities.

Housing authorities that receive financial support from the federal government, such as public housing projects, are subject to the provisions of Section 504.