To ask you to read this and help if you can

[Justlostitwithhim]

I've also posted this in SN but am so angry and concerned I have to ask for help from everywhere. Everyone needs to see this: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046924/Parent-child-ADHD-Have-free-car-1-5bn-taxpayer-funded-scheme.html

I'm so angry I can barely speak. Would anyone be prepared to join me in putting together some sort of pressure group to stop this? I could have cried when it mentioned naughty child syndrome. I think my son has ADHD and he gets overstimulated and is frightened. Why shouldn't such families be entitled to a car? SN, mental or physical massively impact on any family. I'm sure there are better brains than mine who can think of a way to make a stand. Please feel free to include any ideas or thoughts and perhaps we can consolidate them and try to fight this.

Yes, I am sure the ones who did get a diagnosis did have ADHD - although quite a few don't get the diagnosis and often the parents are quite open about the reasons why one was requested. As are the children - if they are old enough. I have listened to a class of mine list what conditions will get you DLA .. they may well be wrong. I know how hard it is to get DLA - but the perception is there.

I was actually making the point that you don't just rock up to your doctor and say that your child is naughty and you get a car, so there was no need for an eye roll.

In fact I was discussing with another parent the other week that I was finding my daughter difficult and the mother told me that she thought my DD had ADHD ( she doesn't she is just naughty). She then told me about what I needed to put on the forms to get a diagnosis and what possible financial benefits I could get. She certainly does not have a car, never mind a new range rover. Having said that there are people who do take advantage of the system but that does not mean that everyone who either has a child with ADHD or receives DLA is doing that. I think it is irresponsible of the Mail to suggest otherwise. However I suspect the readership of the Mail thinks that anyway.

My son has ADHD along with many other conditions which mean that he is incontinent and still wearing nappies at 8 years old, he cannot talk and relies on sign language to communicate, his IQ is so low he is classed as mentally retarted and he can be such a danger to himself and other children that his school have a seperate classroom altogether for him as they cannot risk having him around other children when his behaviour deteriorates.

We do not get a mobility car, we are not entitled to it. The ONLY way to get a mobility car is to prove your child has issue's walking. The article mentions you can get it if your child needs 'supervision' but that's wrong, you only get LOWER mobility for that and that does not entitle you to a car.

It is not as easy as they make out.

Posie - My son was diagnosed with ADHD after a 2 year process in which he was observed in a clinic, at school, at home, at his dad's house ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. His teacher had to give an opinion as did the school SENCO and his doctor.

You cannot make up behaviour and get a diagnosis, it dosn't work like that! They go on what they see themselves and not what you tell them.

Plus Ritalin is EXTREMELY hard to get, the doctor has only just suggested it for my son and he has severe problems as a result of the other conditions he has and we have been dealing with these for over 5 years now.

Should also point out that the MOBILITY section of DLA is SELF-FUNDED!!

They money taken from claimaints DLA pays for the car and keeps the scheme running, NOT TAXPAYER MONEY as listed in the article.

So many facts wrong :(

I'm really sorry people but it did happen, it was about 15 years ago. IT DID HAPPEN.

But the truth wouldnt have the Daily Mail readers chocking on their cornflakes with rage!

I'm not discussing this further as it doesn't help anyone, does it?

For once I cannot be bothered even trying to educate those who are so monumentally thick that they believe what they read in the Mail unquestioningly.and can't even be bothered to read re actual criteria for higher rate.mobility and what the Motability scheme involves, I will just laugh at them being all bitter and jealous about the free BMWs being handed out to those who just walk in and say their kid is a bit naughty

No Posie it didn't.

15 years ago hardly any cases of ADHD were actually diagnosed, these children were seen as naughty and never given any help or support.

There is a BIG difference between people who say their child has ADHD and those that have a DIAGNOSIS.

My neighbour tells everyone her son has ADHD, ASD and torretts, he dosn't have a diagnosis for any of them because he dosn't have them.

To get a diagnosis is bloody hard work and involves many many people, you can't fake it.

Have you ever seen a DLA form?

It took me 8 weeks to complete it as it is so long and detailed. I had to send in around 30 pieces of evidence from different sources. My son was examined by a doctor hired by the DWP all before the claim was granted.

Like I said earlier also we are not entitled to a car because my son can walk. You don't get a car simply by having ADHD you need to have a disability that makes walking impossible / difficult / painful etc.

Perhaps read my whole post and stop being so defensive then you would see that I haven't said any of the things that you are arguing about, ffs.

Hi worraliberty, I posted it in a few different sections because I was so livid. I was browsing through it after a long night and couldn't sleep. I doubt I'm the only one that does that...

Batsupmenightie - I don't want a free car! I have worked hard to pay for my own. My son is receiving medical attention for his issues. I don't think I'm entitled to anything. We deal with it. But other people can't and that's my point.

I didn't want to cause a bun fight. I was hoping to get some support together to stop hate speech being directed at sick children and the exploitation of their families to sell newspapers. That's all. Thanks for all points of view.

I have deleted a friend from FB today after she used the article to back up a rant about how people with entitlement complexes (all people reading that ahd sn children btw) by using such schemes to strip the nation.

Disgusting article.

DS2 may have ADD; school think so but due to a shortage of ed psychs he can't be assessed (school only allowed to refer 2 children PA so have gone for disruptive over failing to fulfil potential, obviously). This is a child who ahs 2 siblings diagnosed with ASD and one oin the system awaiitng such a dx: clearly a child whose genetics are likely to be of the type that some research finds is linked to damage to the corpus callosum visible under high res MRI (too expensive to offer as a diagnostic).

We don't get a car, we don't particularly want one- better for us to run an extra banger and cover from their LR mobility. but given ds1 and ds3 are in specialist ASD palcements, I suspect it is bloody ahrd to get a car for ADHD and it will have to be accompanied by severe behavioural difficulty.

ADHD and ASD are often comorbid; there are reasons for that.

Diagnostic processes 15 years ago have changed and are indeed set to change again with a new dsm criteria imminent

Does anyone have any ideas abouy what we can do? How do we start a petition?

No point, nobody cares.

Peachy, this is what makes it worse still, many parents have found ways to cope, like you and I perhaps having an extra car. But for those families without those resources life must be hell. And now they'll be targeted as spongers as well. As if their lives weren't hard enough.

Don't imagine we have massive resources: DH was made redundant, we have 3 sn kids so we have to have a home based arer (DH is retraining so not at home, has a PT job). I can't afford a second car but we need one as DH's college is a distance away and not accessible by public transport from here, and I can;t get to the boy's schools which are quite distant without one; last time I took ds4 on a hus it took about 8 helpful people to help me coax him on. No, we can;t really afford it but can't cope without and I don't trust the state enough to rely on them any more than we have to (and I don't want to in fairness), and I don't have the resources to appeal the DLA decision on ds3.

The big point is though that whilst I agree that this article is appalling and attacks really needy people a big fat NOBODY cares as long as the cuts miss them.

What can we do though Peachy? :(
It needs a complete change of attitude from the top down - articles like that revolting piece of shite in the Daily Fail obviously do the complete opposite - but who do we petition and what for? Petitions against prejudiced ignorance are a bit tricky to word. :(

I know that unless people are in the same boat as you and many others then it is hard for them to appreciate what you are up against on a daily basis; perhaps you need to get on Panorama or somesuch current affairs show, to give people more of an insight into what it's really like. But that comes back to you having to educate people again - and regardless of the time it takes etc., there are some people who will always be uneducable because they prefer their bigotry to truth.

I agree Peachy, do you remember when we were discussing the changes from DLA to PiP or wtf it's called and it was like trying to get blood out of a stone to get any interest whatsoever. It's dispiriting.

I admire you how you just get on with it with your lovely DS's but it must sometimes seem so cruel that nobody seems to bother :(

Should we approach the BBC? It could be worth trying. FWIW we don't have much in the way of resources either but some people have nothing at all. You're right, it is dispiriting. It is cruel, I agree. I can't bear to think that we don't do anything with all this though.

I've just complained to the press complaints commission about it

Oh goodness yes MHd: I am well aware my own MH has taken a massive abshing in the past year or so, I managed for years fine but in the lst eyar ds4 was flagged up as possible ASD and constant abuse at school from aprents about resources used by the boys before ds1 went to his Base has left me with a degree of agoraphobia.

The only thing anyone can do is challenge mistakes when they see it: I deleted a friend today from FB because of their using this article. that seems to have prompted them to actually read up and find that no, in fact M DLA does not get you a free BMW on request. Just a shame they were happy to blast it all over FB that it did before they bothered to read! I posted research that chidlren with ADHD often have damage to the corpus callosum on that article: it vanished into the ether but it's trying and challenging misinformation that makes a difference. Petitions sadly don't- you just get the assumption that everyone has a vested interest screamed back at you.

Just making sure every crap populist piece of propaganda is matched by informed evidence. But oh my that gets tiring and repetitive!

BBC are actually pretty good; they once changed the wording of how they described DLA for me in a news article for something similar to this. Well worth doing.

I fear for my dd growing up in a society where there is such bitterness, dare I say it a warped "jealousy" over the so-called perks of being disabled.

We have been told, on many many occasions, that we are SO LUCKY to have a blue badge / jump the q at Alton Towers / have a free car on Motability.

Lucky? Really?