I sent ds1's DLA form off just before Christmas and got the letter about their decision today. He used to get medium rate care but from April he will get higher rate care and lower rate mobility. This will continue until his 11th birthday.
It's good news that he is entitled to extra money, especially when so many other people are having to go through the appeals process, but it just makes me feel that the differences between ds1 and other children of his age are now increasing. He's fairly high-functioning but it's only when I started filling in those wretched forms that I realised just how much extra help he does need. Everything from changing his clothes so often because of all the toileting accidents to giving him a running commentary while walking down the street so that he doesn't walk into people or lamp-posts etc. I hate these reminders that our lives will always be different to everyone else's.