Kaleb Drew has autism, but also has Chewey, a service dog that makes his life just a little easier. Chewey helps to keep Kaleb calm and safe, but the authorities at his school were not going to allow his service dog to spend the day with him. They claimed that the school needed to consider the interests of other children who might be afraid of dogs. Additionally, they claimed that Chewey was not a "real" service dog. Obviously, they were not familiar with laws on disability and discrimination. In what has been billed a landmark case in Illinois, the Judge sided with the Drew family, and Kaleb and Chewey will now be spending their days together in school.
Several similar cases are pending around the country, and I am sure the community of folks benefitting from service animals will be watching the developments closely.
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