(06-11-2012, 10:52 PM)Marci Wrote: I'm having a hard time understanding the link between SPD and walking into traffic. What particular "sense" of the sensory processing issues gives rise that situation?

Sensory discrimination issues could certainly lead to that. I have huge difficulties judging distances and speeds and how long it'll take a car to get to where I'm crossing.

I've not seen that one for SPD in particular, but have for autism.

Quote:Also, as I suspect you already know, there are many forms of alarm clocks that don't rely on sound. Some use light or heat.

Sure, and like I said that's usually enough and not always. It depends on the individual. That's not an issue I have anyways.

(06-11-2012, 06:53 PM)Tuttleturtle Wrote: There are many tasks that service animals can be trained to do, but I'm just not seeing a "task" that the dog could be trained to do for SPD.

Okay, you don't know of any. That's fine with me. I do know there are some beyond alerting (which I'm trying to sort out and having even more difficulty with), but am not able to sort out my thoughts.

People who work with service dogs have explicitly told me I'd qualify. I'm dealing with more than just SPD anyways and even if a dog can't help for SPD I'd qualify. The problem is that I'm not comfortable with feeling like I'm taking the training for an animal away from someone else. If it could help with my SPD I'd be far more comfortable with it than I am.

I have been told that people are aware of people dealing with hypersensitive senses partially via canine help, I just don't know the particular tasks they did.

(06-11-2012, 06:53 PM)Tuttleturtle Wrote: The decision to define a service animal as only dogs had a huge effect in reducing where we could take my son's cat: hotels have to allow service animals, but not emotional support animals. It doesn't do much good to be able to take the cat on a plane if he can't have it with him in a hotel. At home, the cat is by his side night and day, usually at least 18 hours out of 24, and the cat gets a big share of the credit for his progress over the past 12 months.

From what you've said, the cat was and has always been an Emotional Support Animal. The decision to define a service animal as only dogs, did grandfather in past service animals anyways. Service animals require tasks and from what you've said the cat does the same things my ESA cat does for me.

However, if you really want to try to work on this, places are not required to limit to only service animals are allowed, and sometimes places will allow ESAs or therapy animals. (I'm actually benefiting from this currently, and have a therapy dog allowed inside after church for me to reduce my overload.)

If it'd really help, I'd recommend contacting places, at least if you're staying in something like a bed&breakfast (which tend to be slightly more expensive, but more sensory friendly I've found), telling them the situation, and requesting permission for the cat to come. I'd also recommend getting the cat something that labels it as an animal that helps people - bandanas, collars with specific very visible tags, the capes of service animals, and so on are all good for that. With permission and something to show that the cat is more than a pet, its not unreasonable to get permission, its just something that its their decision.