At Pawsitive squad we are excited to offer a canine centred approach to the ASDAN Lifeskills Challenges, a truly wonderful program which takes a personalised, child centred approach to recognising achievement in young people with additional needs or disabilities. While all Lifeskills Challenges at Pawsitive Squad are dog centred, some challenges will on core skills such as cookery, sewing, photography, animal care, shopping and budgeting, business skills, team work and other challenges will have a more therapeutic aim such as sensory exploration or emotional regulation centred activities. 

How does it work?

Once you've registered, we will email over your first challenge. Each challenge selected for the child will be tailored for:

• The childs specific needs and difficulty level (from WTE1 which is for young people with severe or profound multiple learning disabilities or under the age over 5 up until Level 3 which is A level difficulty)
• The specific areas they're working towards in the pathways to adulthood.
• The core skills they're working on to increase independence.
• The child's interests and enjoyment!

For each challenge you will be given the list of challenge criteria and what evidence we need. Within this, it is up to the child how they approach the challenge, with as much or little parent/carer guidance as necessary. Don't like a challenge we set? No problem - let us know and we will change it!

While the young person completes the challenge, the parent/carer gathers and uploads evidence (which is either photograph/video, record of questioning or observation check list - we will provide guidance & templates for these) onto their 'evidence for learning' profile. Photographs and videos must not contain the young person's face. 

Once the challenge is completed we will set a new one while we moderate the first challenge. We aim to check completed challenges within 5 working days of submission, though this may be longer at busy times. 

Your Lifeskills challenges lasts 12 months or, for an additional £25 can be increased to 24 months. There's no minimum or maximum amount of challenges you need to complete for the Lifeskills Challenge program.

Once the 12month/24month challenges program is completed you'll receive an ASDAN Lifeskills Challenges certificate which includes all challenges completed. Alongside this, we will send you a 'summery of progress' report which outlines all challenges completed, every 3 months. 

Why do the Lifeskills Challenge Program?

The ASDAN Lifeskills Challenge is great for:

• Confidence building and developing self worth for all young people.
• Developing skills for adulthood in a non demanding, fun and interest focused format. 

• Young people whose amazing achievements aren't being recognised because they don't fit into mainstream qualification pathways.
• Home educating families who would like a little extra structure and education recognition, while still keeping a curriculum built around the childs interests.
• Young people not in school due to medical needs - we can create challenges which are suitable to complete in hospital, hospice and home to help prevent boredom and promote self development.
• Young people receiving education as part of EOTAS, part time schooling or through a personal budget.
• Young people who have completed their childhood education and want something to do as a stepping stone to their next stage.
• Parents looking for a focus during physiotherapy or treatments for their child.
• ANY child or young person with additional needs ('SEND'). 

How much does it cost?

The program costs £75 for the year and £35 for young people registered on our assistance dog program. 

Who can apply?

This program is open to any 3 to 25 year olds with additional needs or disability. Young people under 18 require parent/carer support or supervision to access the Lifeskills Challenges. While dog ownership does increase the selection of challenges the learner can complete, we welcome applications from young animal lovers who do not have a pet.

Please complete the form below to join the Lifeskills Challenge program.

If you're on the Pawsitive Squad assistance dog program please email us to arrange adding the Lifeskills to your current provision.

Important Terms & Conditions:

• Once you have received your first challenge, this program is non- refundable.
• Parents/ carers are the challenge facilitators responsible for offering suitable guidance, collecting and submitting evidence. Pawsitive Squad's role is to allocate challenges and provide verification of completion based on the evidence submitted by parents/carers. 
• Each applicant has 12 months from acceptance to complete as many challenges as they wish. At 12 months we will claim their ASDAN Lifeskills challenge certificate. This certificate can be claimed earlier than 12 months if you decide to stop accessing the program sooner.