Sept 10, 2019, Canadian Press: Ontario school boards must develop policies for students’ service animals https://www.thewhig.com/news/national/ontario-school-boards-must-develop-policies-for-students-service-animals/wcm/d6128b39-b7a9-43ad-b7b6-56988e88448a Ontario school boards must now develop policies to accommodate students with service animals in classrooms. Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced Monday that boards have until Jan. 1 to come up with their rules, saying only about half of school boards currently have policies on service animals. … Lecce was joined for the announcement in Kitchener, Ont., by fellow caucus member Amy Fee, who fought for years for her son to be allowed to bring his service dog to school. Fee’s son Kenner has autism and his family says his dog has a significant calming effect on the boy, who is prone to high anxiety and frequent meltdowns. … “It can be a child with autism who struggles to regulate their emotions and through the use of their autism service dog is able to attend class, be with their peers and confidently participate in their education. For a child who has a seizure disorder or diabetes, having their service animal with them at school allows them to know if a seizure is coming on or if their blood sugar is dropping.”…
