London and SurreyHow animal assisted therapy sessions workOne-to-one, child-led, for autistic and ADHD children
One-to-one, child-led, and completely unhurried. Some children hold a snake in the first ten minutes. Some watch from the doorway for three weeks. Both are fine, and neither is behind.
What parents say
She took time with him, very slowly gaining his trust, and was, apart from immediate family, the first professional in over 7 years that my son dropped his mask to. Anyone who understands PDA will know how absolutely central to progression this is.
ParalegalParent · Surrey
Tiffany first met him when he was in autistic burn-out and out of primary school. She helped him step back into the world, one small step at a time. He is happier, more confident, has emotional insight and is engaging in the world.
Prison GovernorParent · Surrey · four years
The first hour
You arrive. Nothing is compulsory. Your child does not have to come into the room, hold anything, speak, or make eye contact with anyone, including me.
Usually there is an animal already out and settled, and we start by simply being in the same space as it. Some children want to know everything immediately. Some want to sit at the far end and watch. I follow whichever of those it is.
You are welcome to stay in the room or wait next door, whichever suits your child better. Sessions run for fifty minutes and we finish on time even if things are going well, because predictable endings matter more than a good run.
Afterwards I will tell you honestly what I saw. If I do not think this is the right support for your child, I will say so and try to point you somewhere better.
Designed for
Neurodivergent children and young people
Autistic children, children with ADHD or a demand-avoidant (PDA) profile, and children still waiting on an assessment. No diagnosis is required to book.
Children who find sensory input overwhelming
Children for whom an animal that approaches, nuzzles or wants handling is too much. A gecko or a tortoise asks for none of that.
Children who freeze in traditional settings
If talking therapies, group work or table-based interventions have not landed, a room with an animal in it is a very different proposition.
Children experiencing anxiety or overwhelm
Including school-based anxiety and emotionally based school avoidance.
Can this go in an EHCP?
Sometimes, yes. Provision named in Section F of an Education, Health and Care Plan must be delivered and funded by the local authority, and animal assisted provision can be written into it where it is judged to meet the child's needs.
Getting there depends on your local authority, the wording used, and the evidence behind it. It is not automatic and nobody should promise you it is. What I can do is provide session reports and written evidence in a form that caseworkers and SENCOs are used to reading.
If you are at the stage of drafting or appealing a plan, say so when you get in touch and we will talk about what evidence would actually help.
And something for you
The Empowered Mum is six months of one-to-one support for the parent, not the child. Because the two are not separable, and almost nobody funds the second one.
Start with a conversation
Fifteen minutes on the phone about your child, what has been tried, and whether this is likely to help.