According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs are described as "any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability." The disability does not need to be visible, such as being blind or wheelchair-bound. In fact, a service dog may assist in treating many unexpected medical conditions as well as improving a disabled person's independence and outlook on life.
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Vision Impairment
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One of the earliest written mentions of dogs leading the blind and visually impaired is in an epic poem written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning published in 1856 called "Aurora," in which she claims, "The blind man walks wherever the dog pulls / And so I answered." The reference implies a common knowledge of guide dogs since long before Browning's time. People have been training dogs to lead their human companions through busy streets, campuses and workplaces to lead active lives since at least the 19th century, if not before.
Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
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Those with paraplegia and quadriplegia often use service dogs to assist in everyday activities. Getting socks out of a drawer, opening a door and picking up a dropped grocery list are all challenges that someone with these impairments cannot perform on his own. A service dog provides the ability to perform daily tasks without the constant assistance of another human.
Epilepsy
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Epilepsy is a disorder in the brain that causes seizures. Service dogs can be of great assistance, as some dogs can alert their human companions before the onset of a seizure. This ability is rare but can be vital in preventing injury, as the seizures make a person unable to control body movement. Most service dogs for epileptics are assist during and after a seizure by staying with the person during the seizure or fetching medication and/or assistance afterward.
PTSD
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PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a psychological response to dangerous situations, such as war. Many veterans have returned from war to experience nightmares, personality changes, anger issues and even abusive tendencies towards loved ones. PTDS sufferers employ service dogs to assist them in a variety of ways. A service dog will help its person find and remember to take medications, wake him from nightmares, calm him when his anger gets threatening and assist him physically if he has symptoms such as dizziness or confusion.
Autism
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Autism spectrum disorder is a brain disorder that hinders verbal development and social skills. Children with autism often have major meltdowns over the smallest changes in routine, cannot handle social outings or situations and end up living very structured, sheltered lives. Service dogs for autistic children have proven to help engage the child socially while easing her fear of unpredictable occurrences and change. Children have also been known to show emotions and empathy more readily when working with a service dog, which is a reversal from typical autistic behavior.
Other Psychiatric Disorders
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Service dogs also assist people suffering from bipolar and anxiety disorders as well as depression. While the tasks the dog will perform to help its handler will vary widely from person to person---ranging from bringing medication to waking a sedated handler up in the morning---there is promise that such pairings will help the person reintegrate as a functional member of society through the aid a service dog can provide.
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