Why Special Care is Crucial for Special Needs Policies

Some of you may have seen a recent article about a Dog Rescue who has a policy of not letting families adopt if there is a family member who has autism. It caused a media firestorm and there was a lot of bad press. I won’t name the rescue; but you can always look it up if you’re curious.

The backstory is that this particular rescue has had two violent incidents with families with kids on the spectrum. After those, they implemented a policy to not allow families with autism members to adopt from their rescue. Last month, when a family with a son on the spectrum inquired about adopting a dog, they were turned away. The mother went to the press and the story went from there. Media outlets interviewed the family and tried to interview the rescue, but they refused to speak about it and instead provided a statement and a post on Facebook explaining their position.

Regardless of the experience this particular rescue had, their policy is problematic for several reasons, so I thought I would break it down in the best ways I know how – as a communication strategist and as a mother.

My opinion as a Communication Strategist

Blanket policies like this, on nuanced and sensitive issues, are very challenging. A policy like this on such a personal issue is going to be widely unpopular, that’s no surprise, so if you actually want to control the narrative, the messaging has to be well-thought out and carefully delivered. As with any business, a positive client experience is the ultimate goal in order to have good word of mouth and loyal clients.

I’ve spoken about this many times, but customers align with company values. It’s one of the top ways to retain customer loyalty. And while there are some people who will support a policy like this, the vast majority will not. No matter what your intention, it comes off as not welcoming all customers to your business. Right now, there’s a proverbial sign on their front door that says, “We welcome all families wishing to adopt… except those with autism.”

The statement on Facebook explains their position and the bad experiences she has had. My main concern is this part:

We have a lovely teacher who volunteers on weekends that specifically works with Autistic children in regular schools. She told me 99% of her Autistic students have outbursts and can be aggressive and violent. She is a professional in her field and highly respected.

What exactly is the sample size here? Does this person work with 100 kids over her tenure and 99 were violent or does she work with three kids? This kind of general, sweeping statement doesn’t help their case and comes off uninformed. If you’re going to make a statement like this, it has to be well-researched and one friend isn’t going to cut it.

Autism Ontario also took issue with this and said it was open to working with the business. Now, that is the proper response!

So, what should this rescue have done? Give options.

How about referring special needs families to another service or partnering with an organization that offers special training? Could they bring in an expert to learn more about how to work with these families instead of just saying no? What if this rescue had a policy of several home visits to test out the dog in a particular environment? Even still, if it doesn’t work out, they should offer a referral somewhere. I’m not a lawyer, but without that option – at the very least - you’re most definitely looking at a lawsuit.

A business like a dog rescue is personal. For both, the rescue, who loves and cares for the dogs, and the families, who are looking for a new member to add to theirs. It has to be the right fit. But without being able to satisfy the consumer’s needs or give them a viable option, it doesn’t matter how well-intentioned this rescue is, it comes off Bad with a capital B. And when press gets wind of it, like they did this story, you’re forced into damage control.

The fact that the owner had two unfavourable experiences is significant. Significant enough to really take a close look - but isn’t there another way?

My opinion as a Mom

I’ll admit, I’m not really an animal person. Taking care of my child is enough work, I’m not really eager to add to the chaos. That said, I would do ANYTHING for my sweet boy, and if I really thought a pet would be helpful to him, I would be all in.

Dogs are good for kids. They teach responsibility, friendship and unconditional love. For a child on the autism spectrum, who often has a hard time socializing, a pet can be a nice way to ease them into a comfortable relationship. For a child who cannot speak or whose language is still emerging, like Christos, they can also have their own language with said pet.

I am fully on board with careful adoption for families with special needs. Adoption has to be carefully done and that’s ok. As a parent, I also want that for my child. There’s two in this equation.

But sweeping statements and policies like this make me sad because it demonstrates society still has so much growing to do when it comes to understanding families with special needs - and that goes for any disability or exceptionality. Shouldn’t we try extra hard to accommodate people who need a little extra care? Shouldn’t we try and see the mutual benefit it could have? I’m also sad that the rescue’s response wasn’t the least bit sensitive. I’m curious to know if this person has someone in their life who has autism? I’ll bet a million dollars they don’t.

What if that rescue had encountered this problem and tried to learn more to figure out how they could fit into the lives of these families? Kids with autism are on another frequency with their understanding. Painting ASD kids with one brush is blatantly irresponsible.

Helping to educate these families to properly care for dogs would be such an amazing gift, or pointing them to a specialist who could work with families to help prepare them for life with a pet. Offering education and training would go such a long way. As a parent, I would welcome that offer and give them such high praise within the community. Word of mouth praise from a happy parent is priceless!

At the end of the day, it looks like we still have a long way to go when it comes to teaching others how to work with families with special needs. I may not have the answer, but I know the answer is not to just say no.

As we near the end of the Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to make a plea to businesses and families who are not connected to kids with ASD and special needs: remember that it can take going the extra mile to meet their needs, but I guarantee that you and your business will reap the rewards if you do.