DARE Logo
Find out how you can access higher education in Ireland

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome)

Appropriate Professional Consultant Psychiatrist OR
Psychologist OR
Neurologist OR
Paediatrician.
All of whom are a member of his or her professional or regulatory body.
In cases where an applicant is in the care of a Consultant Psychiatrist, Neurologist or Paediatrician, the evidence of a disability can be provided by a Registrar who is a member of their team.
Type of Documentation Required Complete the Evidence of Disability Form 2024 OR
Submit an existing report completed by the appropriate professional that contains the same detail as the Evidence of Disability Form. The report must be signed and submitted on the headed paper.
In all cases, professionals should reference internationally accepted diagnostic criteria and appropriate assessment. Failure to reference the above may result in the applicant not being eligible for DARE.

Please refer to PSI Best Practice Guidelines for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorders for children and adolescents and/or NICE Clinical Guideline 128: Recognition, Referral and Diagnosis of Children and Young people on the Autism Spectrum www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG128.
Required Age of Report While there is no age limit on diagnostic evidence submitted, it is advisable to submit a recent report.
Other Disabilities Submit an Evidence of Disability Form for each disability/ condition to be considered.
Educational Impact Statement (EIS) The Educational Impact Statement allows you and your school to provide detail of how your disability has impacted on your second level experience. The EIS is a requirement for all applicants.
DARE Eligibility The applicant is eligible once the appropriate professional has provided a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome) AND the applicant meets any combination of two educational impact indicators from Indicators 1 to 5 on the EIS.

For more information, contact the Access Office in one of the participating colleges

What is DARE?

 Find out more about DARE and how it might help you.

Still have more questions?

Here you will find the answers to questions we get asked the most about DARE applications.