Application Process

The acceptance of the family and the child/adult with Autism  onto our Autism Assistance Dog Programme will depend on various criteria being met from information gathered from the application form and home assessment and interviews. 

The application process is as follows: 

• Application Form

Submit completed application form along with a photocopy of documentation supporting the diagnosis of autism from an official body. If in rented accommodation, we need written consent from your landlord at the time of submitting application form. 

• Child/Adult Assessment: Home Visit

A home visit will be arranged (this visit will not happen immediately and may take anything up to three years before we complete the assessment) to ensure that your home is fully prepared for a dog to be placed there.  There will be a time lapse from receipt of application to the home visit, this is due to the high volume of applications received. 

• Matching Visit

When a suitable dog has been identified for your family a Matching Visit may be arranged to introduce the applicant child/adult to the dog.  You will be invited to attend the ADNI dog training if the match is successful.  When appropriate the parent(s)/guardian(s) will be invited to our ADNI dog training classes, initially. As the training progresses, the child/adult that the Assistance Dog is being allocated to may need to attend the Dog Training classes too.