Dog will accompany student in high school Golden retriever trained to signal for help in event of seizure BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer SPOTSWOOD - A borough high school student will soon be accompanied by a service dog in school to help her in the event of an epileptic seizure. The dog will know to signal for help if Katlin Miller, 16, is about to have or is having a seizure.Katlin was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy about two years ago, and has endured numerous seizures, according to her mother, Maggie. There are numerous external stimuli that can trigger an attack, and the triggers are not always avoidable. School officials had several concerns before agreeing to allow the service dog arrangement, and the school board's attorney worked with the Miller family and its attorney to finalize an agreement. It is expected that the dog will accompany the student starting Monday. Maggie Miller said the dog will be with her daughter 24 hours a day, providing her with greater security. Last year, Katlin had a seizure after school while preparing for a sporting event in the girls' locker room. No one else was around. Katlin fell, hitting her head and suffered a concussion. She remained unconscious for 25 minutes before recovering. The seizure had no warning signs, Maggie noted, and nothing could have been done to alert someone that Katlin needed help. The dog is trained to get help should that occur again, Maggie said, and also to respond to Katlin's commands. Katlin often has warnings before a seizure, and can alert the dog that something is about to happen. This is believed to be one of the first cases of a student being permitted to have a dog accompany her in school in New Jersey. The dog, a golden retriever named Greta, was trained and donated by Canine Assistants, a private, nonprofit group in Alpharetta, Ga. Delta Air Lines Inc. and the UCB pharmaceutical group sponsored the donation. Maggie MiIler attended "dog camp" with her daughter recently in Georgia. She said the dog is very docile. The dog will answer only to Katlin, and respond only to commands that are accurately stated, including accents in words. "It's very intense and draining, being in this training," Maggie said, referring to her daughter, herself, and the dog. While she is glad the dog is being allowed at the high school, Miller said she was not pleased that the district insisted that she take out a $1 million liability insurance policy. She said at first the district balked at the idea of allowing the dog, but she followed up with letters and an appearance at a board meeting. She also worked with an attorney. "It's a reasonable accommodation," she said of the dog's presence. The dog will have to go through a probationary period, however, before the district allows her to stay full time, Maggie said. She said the dog has already helped Katlin through two seizures that occurred at the dog camp. "It's not the type of dog that could cause any trouble," she said.