DLA - ASD and Mental Health

[SallyBear]

About to contest the MR Care award. DS3 is 5 and is moving from MS school to a Special School after Easter. In my report, should I write about ASD as a mental health condition. I think that it is, as he doesn't speak, no awareness of dangers other people etc, in nappies needs constant supervision in any situation. Life is hard with him. Do I labour these points in my report? What do you all think?

hi sally, i would definetely labour these points. At end of day the
award is for care and afaik its based on what would be age appropriate ie not many 5 year olds other than those with additional/special needs are still in nappies or cannot speak etc. My ds is 11 DLA due for renewal feb 2013 but at present he gets HRC and HRM. He has severe autism, low muscle tone, ADHD, pica. Still in nappies, no communication, no sense of danger etc.

hi Sally,

Just to say higher rate care is only for those who have additional needs during the night as well as the day so in fact the main thing you have to emphasize - presuming it is applicable - is that the care needs your child has during the night.

Hi pink. DS3 is a nightmare at night. Gets out of bed a lot, climbs on furniture and the windowsill and then falls asleep. Undoes his clothes, pulls off his nappy through clothes and wets the bed. Strips his bed! Wakes up at night and will be awake for several hours in the middle of the night, and disrupts everyone by shouting, screeching and laughing!! You name it he probably does it!

sally, you are describing my ds to a T i put all that on form some nights my ds only sleeps an hour and bangs, laughs, cries, bounces about and wrecks room even taking mattress off bed :(, its extremely exhausting.... i hope they reconsider your application x

Did you stress the night time issues in the form? From what you are saying he has significant care need through the night too, so should have been awarded HRC, so I would definately push for it.

Good luck

My son does not have a ASD diagnosis yet but I detailed the difficulties we had during the night, crying, distress because of not wanting to go to school, abdominal migraines, aching legs, feet, ankles etc. We have just been awarded higher rate care, so I definitely think you should contest.

Thanks ladies. I was pissed off that we didn't get the HRC as I had written all this, but they thought that it was only a MRC issue. Try managing on broken sleep almost daily for the last 5 years you delughtful DLA drone....

My ds is the same and we were turned down today for any DLA. Just thinking about giving up trying to claim.

Oh no! I am really sorry. That makes me feel that my gripes about MRC vs HRC seem ridiculous. Appeal and get some legal advice maybe? I heard that the NAS have a legal advice team, don't know if that's true but worth a phone call.

Will try that. Good luck with yours x