Assistance Dogs Northern Ireland (ADNI) was founded in 2011, with the help of Disability Action and Autism NI . ADNI hopes to fulfil the need for more Assistance Dogs and training options for disabled people within Northern Ireland.


Assistance Dogs Northern Ireland (ADNI) was founded in January 2011, with the help of Disability Action and Autism NI . ADNI hopes to fulfil the need for more Assistance Dogs and training options for disabled people within Northern Ireland.
Mission

Our aim is to train assistance dogs to improve the quality of life for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and for people who have a wheelchair mobility disability and Therapy Dogs.

Disability Assistance Dogs

Disability Assistance Dogs are trained to meet the needs of people with wheelchair mobility disability. They will be trained to carry out a number of specialized tasks tailored to meet each individual’s specific needs.

Our Disability Assistance Dogs help people with mobility disabilities to live independently and with dignity, increasing quality of life and well-being.

Autism Assistance Dogs

Although all Children with Autism will exhibit different behaviours, there are many aspects of their lives that an Autism Assistance Dog can help with as the dog is trained to meet the needs of both the child and the parents.

The new companion can be a steadying influence for the child and become a calming presence which can minimise and often eliminate emotional outbursts. They can be trained to become a physical anchor for children with Autism with a tendency to bolt or wander.
An Autism Assistance Dog can also help with:
Providing deep pressure to reduce behavioural or emotional outbursts.
Reducing stress and anxiety of the child and everyone in the household.
Facilitating and/or encouraging communication and eye contact.
Helping the child transition through activities.
Helping the child sleep through the night.

Therapy Dogs

Our therapy dogs provide therapy for Alzheimer's sufferers etc.