Can ESA cats help students to improve their mental health? - 2022 Guide
YES, people suffering from learning disabilities can have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA). Your ESA must be certified. This certification means that you must have an ESA letter with you. This letter can be obtained from your doctor, therapist, or any certified social worker.
An ESA is not just a pet but a companion. People suffering from mental disorders experience a variety of emotions every day. An ESA provides comfort to their owners to relax and get a grip of their emotions.
A mental disability that qualifies an individual for an ESA includes PTSD, chronic stress, learning disabilities, depression, and anxiety. There can be more mental illnesses for which an ESA can be granted.
Your therapist must diagnose your illness and recommend you an ESA. If your learning disability demands an ESA, or an ESA can be of help for your learning disability, then you can have an ESA.
These professionals will make sure to prove that you need an ESA due to your learning disability. By law, you can have an ESA but only on the recommendation of your doctor. Various animals can be your ESA like, cat, rabbit, and fish, etc. but the most common is an emotional support animal letter. Therefore, the certification can be of any animal provided that your doctor recommends you.
Moreover, ESAs are not trained animals, the sole purpose of their presence is to provide support and comfort to the patient. Because ESAs are not trained animals, they are allowed in planes and places where there is a ‘no pet policy’.
How can an ESA help a person with a learning disability? To answer this question let us see the general benefits of having an ESA.
First, if a person is deaf, blind, or has any other learning disability, the ESA can provide security while crossing roads, avoid collisions, and avoid obstacles. Your ESA can provide an alert when there is a medical or any other emergency. ESA can also provide physical help like pulling a wheelchair and moving goods from one place to another.
Second, ESAs also enhance socialization, but how? Specifically, horses reply whenever they are touched. Similarly, dogs respond when they are given a command. ESAs make their owners responsible and help build their self-esteem, which is low due to their damaged mental health. Mood swings and anxiety can also be managed with the presence of an ESA.
Whatever your needs are, there is a high possibility that an ESA can assist you with your learning disability. But before you jump into getting yourself an ESA, keep in mind that animals are sentient beings that require a stable environment. The owner should be able to understand their needs and limitations.
If your ESA is classified as "medical equipment" or has been prescribed by a physician, the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) states that the animal must be present at all times with you. The one significant exemption is that when the animal is misbehaving and posing a threat to other people.
However, you should consult your state's definition of service and support animals to ensure that your ESA fulfills their requirements. The ADA states:
“The ADA compels state and local governments, corporations, and not-for-profit agencies that offer services or goods to the public to make "reasonable adjustments" to their practices, policies, or processes to accommodate individuals with disabilities. This also makes them liable to make adjustments for people who have an ESA.”
Moreover, if everything goes well and your doctor recommends you an ESA due to your learning disability, there are some important things to remember.
First, you are required to get an ESA letter from your doctor. This letter will make sure that you enjoy all the perks of having an ESA with you otherwise there will be complications for you. A major advantage of having an esa letter for housing is that no landlord will say ‘No’ to you because of your ESA. Landlords are obliged by the law to entertain you if you have an ESA. If they return you because of your ESA, you can file a complaint against the landlord.
Secondly, having a letter is also important for your traveling. The majority of the doctors recommend that you keep your ESA with you at all times. This means that if you are going out shopping or for any other work, you need to take your ESA letter with you. Having an ESA letter will provide you hassle-free entry wherever you go, because it will waive off ‘No pet policy’ for you and you can bring your ESA with you.
Finally, if you are to fly for any reason, you have to provide your ESA letter to the airline authorities so that they can make all the necessary arrangements before your arrival. This will provide you a hassle-free journey and your ESA will not be a burden for you or the other people on that flight.
I hope this article helps you in understanding that people with learning disabilities can have an ESA but only when it is recommended by their doctor. Moreover, having an ESA is beneficial for the health as it provides support and comfort to the owner. Having an ESA letter is beneficial if you are to rent an apartment or a house with your ESA. It is also beneficial when you are flying. To enjoy all the benefits of having an ESA, you are required to get an ESA letter from a certified authority.
Useful Resources:
Who can write a letter for an ESA? - 2022 Guide
Who can authorize an ESA? - 2022 Guide
Can a landlord charge for an ESA? - 2022 Guide
What Are Top The Nutritious Foods For Your Miniature Pig - 2022 Guide
Process Of Getting An ESA Letter From Doctor - 2022 Guide
For More Information:
