Applied for blue badge for 3yo

[Thehonestbadger]

I applied for it over the weekend.

I’ve been holding off and holding off because I feel like people will judge me using it for a child so young with a hidden disability.

DS is very large for his age, people assume he’s 5 or 6, he’s autistic and non verbal, has very little understanding of the world and is a massive danger all around. The words ‘significant’ and ‘severe’ appear multiple times in his diagnosis forms and medical reports.

Because of his size and ability to escape anything less than a 5 point harness we had very limited options for car seats. All massive bulky ones. Impossible to access with a car parked close beside and impossible to safeguard vehicles from damage with DS kicking and thrashing which he always does. I get injured a lot.

He has to be restrained at all times in car parks and traffic which he hates and gets so distressed. He recently escaped his restraints whilst I was packing bags and ran straight across the very busy car park. Lots of emergency stops and horns blaring. He injured himself and could have been killed. This happened because I’d parked in a regular space and someone had pulled close beside me so I couldn’t get DS straight into his seat.

It’s reached a point where we are super restricted in parking. We end up waiting long periods for parent and child spaces and often give up entirely and leave. We never go anywhere with DS on a weekend or school holiday as know we won’t get parked. I get so much anxiety over his hospital apts (he has loads as lots) because parking is hideous and super small spaces.

It hit me last week, when I took my nearly 2yo to the supermarket alone and it was very busy there were no parent child spaces. I just parked in a normal spot and it wasn’t a big deal. A little less convenient but hey, it was fine. With DS that would have been impossible. I’d probably have given up and left.

It feels so unfair that we are so heavily restricted with DS and that we fully rely on p&c spaces just to be able to safely access facilities and amenities because of his disability. It doesn’t feel fair to be competing for parking spaces with literally every other parent when our needs are much more extreme and we don’t have the option of just parking in a regular space.

Your son is exactly who they are for. Safety & / or mobility. Your son qualifies on safety grounds.

@Thehonestbadger You absolutely need it.

I will warn you though, be prepared for nosey b*stards to question you - not because of your child but because you are not a retiree with a walking stick! (At least, until you get your son out of the car of course).

We alllll get it! It's not because of the age of your child it's about them assuming you're just an entitled parent misusing the spaces.
I get it even when I haven't got my child with me but they soon shut up when I get my mobility scooter out of the boot!

Don't feel guilty. You're being the best parent to your boy keeping him safe and I believe this would be circumstances where a blue badge was 100% needed

Oh also, if your son receives high rate of the mobility component of DLA then (in my county at least) you're automatically entitled to a Blue Badge.

You are absolutely entitled to a blue badge. I hope you are successfull. X

Looks like it's national actually

Your DS qualifies, but make sure they consider it under the 'hidden disability' criteria, not mobility. When we applied for DD1, they refused it and said 'But we can see that DD1 may like to apply under the hidden disability rules.' The council used a computer system and if you ticked both mobility (DD1 finds walking difficult but can walk) and hidden disability, it defaults to only selecting mobility. I had to complete the whole form again and only ticking hidden disability took it through successfully.

This. Anything else is just irrelevant.

Honestly, you don't need to justify your needs to us. It sounds like you really need the badge and I hope they approve it for you. Please let us all know how you get on 💕

Again this is half the problem, and leads to ignorant comments. What does disabled look like? I do not want an answer, I am just trying to highlight that there are so many ways in which a person can be disabled.

My son has had one since e nine was nine he's 13 next week ,severe autism and learning disabilities,they don't just hand them out so if you get one you need one

DS doesn’t have a physical mobility disability- he has a hidden disability.

The expectation before the rules changed was that to gain a blue badge a person would most likely be using walking aids/wheelchair. To many he doesn’t look like he would be eligible for a blue badge as he’s mobile.

Do not even question yourself again .Of course you need it X

Don’t give it too much thought, but develop some snappy retorts just in case you get any sarky comments!

Your boy is absolutely entitled to a blue badge. My DD has had one since about 3 months old (she’s 19 now) and I got a few comments, but none for a long time now. People would stop, eye up the badge, eye up me as I got out the car and say things like “well you don’t look disabled”. I’d smile and say “I’m not”.

Then I’d let them rant for a bit before saying “but my daughter is, so if you don’t mind I need to get her out of the car now. Byeeee!”

Fuckwits.

And this is what needs to change. The general public's perception of what disability looks like. I know that there is more understanding now than there used to be, but reading on here about people being shouted at, and questioned whilst getting out of a car, in a blue badge space, based sometimes purely on how they look is not on. I do not know why people feel that they have the right to behave in such a fashion.

Please apply for dla . He should get high rate care and mobility element then automatic eligibility for blue badge . I’ve an almost 12 year old autistic adhd etc son and would struggle so much without the badge . We have to grow a thick skin sadly with what others think . Hidden disabilities are hard x

Don't feel guilty you need it! Also please look at www.crelling.com/ it may be helpful

@starsparkle08

He was awarded middle rate care earlier this year and no mobility (wasn’t 3 yet) but they awarded until he is 12 which is a massive weight off my shoulders not having to go through that process again so I’m reluctant to argue it. Maybe I should, I just don’t feel I have the fight in me.

Got an email today to say we are entitled to a blue badge. Will take 3 days to verify the documents/info I provided then we should be granted it 🎉

Fantastic.

That's great! I hope it makes things even a small bit easier for you. You 100% deserve it.

That's great.

We applied for BB when our son turned 3 for very similar reasons. We were declined, so we started the appeal. They came out, assessed that he could walk (yes, he could bloody well run!) and declined us again. Two days later, his HRM DLA was awarded - I took great pleasure in phoning the council to get that BB application reconsidered.

Ignore what others think - you need and deserve the space!

I really don't scrutinise those I see with blue badges. I'm able bodied and feel lucky that I can walk those extra steps from my parking space, so others in a similar position should too

Good!
I hope it makes your life that bit less hard, and that ignorant busybodies don't bother you.