Does ADHD Qualify For An Emotional Support Animal?

It has been proven that animals can help people who suffer from certain disabilities. Some animals may be trained to know when seizures or other health conditions are coming. Others, like an emotional support animal (ESA) for ADHD, may not be specially trained, but still offer some comforts.

If you have a dog, or some other type of animal, that helps alleviate the symptoms of for you, it is possible to have them become an emotional support animal. This will allow you to take them with you when traveling or keep them in a home that doesn't necessarily allow pets. However, your persistence will be important.

DoNotPay can help you discover how to take advantage of your right to have an emotional support animal for ADHD.

What Is an Emotional Support Animal for ADHD?

To understand what an ADHD support animal is, and how it can help you, we must first talk about. Some of the most common symptoms are:

Not being able to focus
An excessive need to move, regardless of your setting
Being overly impulsive

Having a pet to focus on has been proven effective at helping ADHD patients because it gives you something to focus on beyond your compulsions. For instance:

Improves Your Schedule	Schedules and routines may be very important for ADHD and living with it. However, schedules may seem tedious. A pet requires care and a certain routine. You must feed them, you have to walk them, bathe them, play with them, etc. Setting your schedule to be based on their needs, can also impact your other day-to-day tasks.
Improve Memory and Focus	Pets are very good at keeping person-centered. If you forget to feed them, they will remind you. If you feel lost in thought, they can give you a nudge to remind you that they are there.
Improve Sleep	If you are someone who suffers from hyperactivity, you may feel unable to rest well at night. After running, walking, playing, and focusing on your pet throughout the day, you may be able to rest more at night.
Relieves Stress	Pets provide unconditional love to their owners. They are unable to yell or do things that may stress you. This can give you a sense of confidence and reduce your risk of depression or anxiety.

Can Your Pet Be an Emotional Support Animal for ADHD?

According to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) before any pet can be considered an emotional support animal, the owner must:

Have been diagnosed with a condition or disability
Show proof that their symptoms are improved by having their pet nearby.

Some of the most common reasons for having a support pet include:

Anxiety
Personality Disorders
PTSD
Depression
ADHD

Legally, your pet must be good for emotional support and trained to know when you are feeling certain ways. Some states may make it easier or harder for you to have your pet listed as an emotional support animal, but in most states, it is possible for most pets.

How to Declare Your Pet as an Emotional Support Animal on Your Own?

One of the first things to do if you are trying to find out how to get a therapy dog for a child with ADHD or yourself will be to get the proper documentation. The simplest way to do this will be to have a current diagnosis of ADHD with your mental health care provider. Since they already know your situation and your triggers, they can write you an ESA letter stating that you need to have your pet with you.

However, you must be able to ask them for a letter. Often the best way to do this is through a letter you write to your healthcare provider. When writing, you should create a formal letter complete with your information at the top of the page.

Then express what you need an ESA letter example will look like this:

"Dear (doctor),

I am writing to request a letter from you regarding my emotional support animal. I am hoping you will send a letter to (entity or company) clearly stating why I need my support animal with me. You can reach them at:

(Name and Address)

Please write it on your professional letterhead and that my write to have my ESA is protected by the Fair Housing Act or similar laws as per your discretion.

Thank you in advance for your assistance on this matter.

Sincerely,

(Your Signature)"

This letter your mental health professional will send to the other party should state clearly:

Your (or Your Child's) Full Name
The Type of Disability That You Have (ADHD)
That Your Animal Be Permitted to Be with You (This will vary based on whether it is for housing or airlines.)
Current Dates

If you do not have a primary doctor that can write a letter for you, then you will need to find a healthcare provider to start the process. As with all other situations, the more information you can provide before you attempt to move your pet into your apartment or travel with your dog on United Airlines, the more successful you will be.

There also isn't any guarantee that you won't have to fight for it with the help of a lawyer. In this situation, DoNotPay will be very happy to assist you.

DoNotPay Can Help You Declare an ADHD Therapy Dog

DoNotPay is the world's first lawyer of its kind. We provide our services online to anyone who needs help. If you are trying to establish your pet as an ADHD therapy dog, we are here for you with our newest service, the Emotional Support Animal Product.

With this service, we can help you contact your landlord regarding your ESA, request airline accommodations for you, and help you find an affordable online ESA letter service if you do not have a primary physician.

Getting started is easy. In just 3 easy steps, DoNotPay can help you establish that you have an emotional support animal.

Search "service animal" on DoNotPay.
Select the type of issue you need help with, including contacting your landlord about your ESA/service animal, asking your airline about ESA options, or requesting ESA/service accommodations at other venues.
Answer a series of questions about your current situation and the details of your ESA/service animal, so we can generate the best results for you.

And that's it! DoNotPay will generate a letter to your landlord, contact airlines, contact your mental health professional, and do anything else we can to help you. We even mail it to you!

Other DoNotPay Services You May Like

Beyond helping you establish an , DoNotPay offers a variety of services for you. Each one of our services is provided quickly, easily, and securely.

Our services are always affordable, and we are always available to help when you need us. To learn more or to see what we can do for you, visit DoNotPay online!