Making a DLA claim - where to bloody start?

[TalkieToaster]

DS has ASD, recently diagnosed (so recent that we don't have written evidence yet, despite the paediatrician saying she'd sent it) and everyone involved with us in our CAF are strongly urging us to apply for DLA.

I haven't got a clue. Well, I have, but it's all so daunting. I'm a member of the benefits and work forum and have a PDF of their guide to claiming for children, which is excellent.

I suppose what I'm struggling with is actually knowing what my DS's needs are compared to a child his age. I don't know any other three year olds to compare him too, beside the obvious communication difficulties he has.

I think I just want reassurance that if I start this, it will be worth it.

the cerebra guide is a must.

I did not fill in the boxes on the form but wrote on an
extra piece of paper. much more space to go into detail and easier to edit. I aimed at one question per day.

Completing the form is awful as you have to focus on all the difficulties your DC has so get some vino ready as well.

Hi TalkieToaster. I second the Cerebra Guide. It really is essential.

Claiming for a three year old needs a bit more thought than claiming for an older child. This is because to get DLA the child needs to have 'care needs that are significantly higher than that of typically developing children.' 3 year olds are typically quite tricky, so you have to be able to show that your 3 year old needs care and attention well above that level (which, if at 3 they have received an ASD dx, you can guarantee that they do, to be honest).

So, for everything you write, imagine that the person reading the form has no idea about children at all, let alone ones with ASD.

For example, speech and language:

-Write down what difficulties your child has
-Write down what you have to do to help your child
-Write down (in detail) what happens if you don't
-Make sure you spell out how extreme a reaction may be
-Write down how this differs in most 3 year olds.

It is worth doing. DD1 was first awarded DLA when she was just 3 years old and she didn't even have a proper diagnosis at that point. We just knew she was very hard work and she'd fallen over for no reason and we discovered she had epilepsy.

Oh yes - I typed DD1's form. I used Word and made text boxes the same width as the answer boxes, typed till I was finished for each question, regardless of length, then cut out the answers and glued them into the box, folding the paper up if necessary - I wasn't prepared to be constrained.

I've done 3 DLA forms for DD1 now and I did each one that way. Very fast turn around each time - I presume in part because it was easy to read.

Another vote for the Cerebra Guide. It has so many things in it that I hadn't even considered before.

When I made my first ever claim for ds1 (who was 3yrs old at the time), I looked at some of the threads on MN and even started one or two of my own asking about what a typical 3yr-old would be able to do.

You'll also get lots of help on the SN board. Lots of us have children without SN as well as with SN, so could probably help with some of the differences between SN and NT.

You are all fantastic, you know that? I'm going to print that DLA guide off and have a proper look at it.

I've already got the paper forms and I think I've missed the deadline on them already, so I know it won't be backdated, but I'm not really bothered too much about that, I just need to get going with it.

DP is rubbish at paperwork, so it's all falling to me to complete.

Definitely Cerebra guide.
Definitely type it. You can go back and edit and re-edit till you're absolutely satisfied that you've described your child's difficulties accurately, and you'll have it available on your computer to refer to at review time.
Take your time, do a little bit every day.
Frequent reference to the level of need not being age-appropriate for peers.
A great tip I read on here once is to have a blank piece of paper alongside as you work, where you write all the wonderful things about your child that make you proud. You don't send this with the application, it's just for you to remind yourself that despite all the difficulties, s/he is still wonderful and lovely and YOUR CHILD. DLA forms can be soul-destroying because you have to focus on the worst bits, and how challenging life is for them. You may need this positive to keep your emotions in balance.

And chocolate. And wine if you're so inclined

For the bits about times and duration, say 'around the clock' if you need to be on call most of the day. People are often tripped up on this part. For duration, 'as long as it takes - could be hours' or similar.

Send reports (copies) but I always keep something in reserve just in case the application has to go to reconsideration. DWP won't reconsider unless there is new evidence so hold something back to present if it's needed.

Photocopy the whole lot and send the original recorded delivery.

Good luck

Thank you. I was going to get his SENCO from nursery to be the supporting person, but I might ask his key worker to write something too and hold that back. The SENCO knows him better, so I'd rather send that.

I wish I had something in fecking writing. Sick of waiting for the written confirmation of his diagnosis. I do have reports from the speech therapist, but they're all positive, so maybe not the best things to include? He is way behind on his speech for his age (3.5) but the SALT is only saying nice things about his progress rather than emphasising his difficulties. I might ask her at our next CAF if she can write something about where he's at now and contrast that to where a typical child of his age should be.

I think that would be helpful, yes. You don't need reports if you don't have them - my ds's first application was long before he had diagnosis so we didn't have much paperwork then either - but just the fact that he's in the system will indicate that he has needs outside of the norm.

You could say on the DLA form that you don't have written confirmation of the dx yet but you will forward the written report as soon as you receive it. Then they'll know that he has formal recognition and you can fill in the blanks later.

I got ds's karate sensei to write a short report about how challenging he found ds's behaviour in training, and at my request he emphasised that he wasn't like other children in his limited ability to focus and accept instructions (obviously it was true - he wouldn't have written it otherwise). Reports don't have to be from medical, education or child-care professionals. Does he have swimming lessons, or go to any social/leisure activities? Anything you can provide that highlights his differences when interacting with other children will help.

No, we don't really go anywhere that involves other people. That sounds so wrong and it's not exactly what I mean, but there's no-one we could ask besides nursery. No lessons or formal activities. That's what I mean, hah.

I knew someone who had a letter from the man who ran the corner shop, saying she was often in the store using a walking stick and sometimes had to ask for a chair to sit down (she has ME/CFS). DWP accepted it. Sometimes it's worth thinking outside the box.

The 'Someone who knows you' section can be photocopied and filled in by as many people you want to.

I had my sister-in-law and a family friend the first time. The second time it was a family friend and my Homestart Volunteer. The third time it was two support workers and the Homestart Volunteer.

They can focus on anything. One of the support workers said 'DD1 is a lovely, intelligent girl who....' and I laughed on the inside, because of course she has MLD and goes to special school, so although she is 'intelligent' it's not quite the traditional sense.

Anything you do that is constant, you can either write (as above) "constant" or you can write 25-30 times per day, 30 minutes at a time (that totals 12 hours which is considered the 'day time'hours).

Remember it's care supervision and attention. So it's not just physical acts, but even the extra supervision while eating, or when you're at the park, making sure he doesn't do anything dangerous, etc.

Your local Carer's might be able to help and might have lots of experience filling these forms in.