DLA Medicals and children...

[MotherJack]

Hi,
I'm posting on behalf of a friend who's son has the same condition as my DS. She applied for DLA and was turned down - her son has a massive need for DLA so she asked for it to be reassessed. As a result, they are sending a medical person out to assess him.

She is worried as it is quite likely her son will just make a huge den using all the cushions in the living room and refuse to come out - and woe betide anyone who attempts intervention. Having googled, it appears that the medical person will want to make a physical examination (he has both profound neurological issues and resultant physical difficulties - he is currently being fitted for a wheelchair.)

Does anyone have any advice for my friend please wrt the medical assessment and what might happen if he refuses examination (he will).

Thank you!

tell your friend not to worry my ds hid when doctor came to assess him it just adds to the case and the doctor will see normal behaviour from your friends ds we got our dla due to ds having asd and showing doctor what we have to cope with.

imho if that is how the dc behaves then it adds to the case, as DoH says. Would also suggest they get copies of a few recent reports together, including the assessment for the wheelchair (which can be anything, it doesn't need to be a full scale report) This will all add to his case.

Has your friend seen the CAB? Their service in helping to fill in the child DLA form is amazing :)

It is the child refusing as part of his condition not the adult refusing to have the child assessed. As long as the parent is seen to cooperate as far as possible it should be fine. She should refuse to do anything she feels would be detrimental to his well-being while explaining why to the doctor.

Unfortunately I have report the opposite. My ds would not cooperate, even after I had warned the dr that this would happen. Ds was hysterical, cried the whole time, sat on my knee, refused to answer questions.....you get the idea. The dr wrote in his report that emotional state was too dsitressed to do mental health evluation, but that ds mental health was fine. Didn't do physical exam at all and wrote report that ended up with us being refused for and dla, despite having ds' classteacher at the exam explaining all the ways ds was physically affected.

I really hope your friend gets a good dr, who understands, if she feels less than satisfied with what is happening she needs to say there and then"I don';t feel you are getting the full picture of ds' needs as you can examine him, let me explain them again".

That's really useful input - both the good and the bad. I will report back to her.

I very much appreciate everyone's responses