Support for you and your child
Enabling participation in the community.
Our highly-skilled Assistance Dogs offer freedom, independence and inclusion for children with autism and their entire families.
An Assistance Dog can positively impact families in many ways, providing safety for a child with autism as well as making outings and activities more possible and less stressful for all.
Thanks to personalised training and specialist support from Guide Dogs staff, an Assistance Dog can learn to assist with daily tasks, providing support for children with autism, their parents/caregivers and siblings.
An Assistance Dog promotes social interaction and assists in the development of the skills used to enable participation in community, social and recreational activities.
The program is currently available to families residing in South Australia.
![A young child sitting outside on some grass next to an Autism Assistance Dog. The dog is a black labrador and is wearing an Autism Assistance Dog jacket.](https://cdn.guidedogs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/01/Child-and-Autism-Assistance-Dog-3-712x704-lqip.jpg)
Would my family benefit from an Autism Assistance Dog?
Who we can help.
Our dogs are trained to benefit children who:
- Are aged between 3 and 8 years old
- Have a confirmed diagnosis of autism
- Have a severe deficit in verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Have a severe impairment in functioning
- Have limited to nil social interaction ability
- Have severely repetitive behaviours
- Have severe and frequent absconding tendencies.
Parents and children are required to meet additional criteria, which are available upon application.
![A man and a young child walking along a street. The child and man are holding the leash of a black labrador dog who is wearing an Autism Assistance Dog jacket.](https://cdn.guidedogs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/01/Oisin-1-712x704-lqip.jpg)
What are the next steps?
Make an enquiry.
If you would like to enquire about the assistance Dog program or submit an application, please contact us:
Email
info@guidedogs.org.au
Phone
1800 757 738
![](https://cdn.guidedogs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/Ryan-Mya-Chloe-Royal-scaled-712x704-lqip.jpg)
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