Dla application autism

[starhope]

Hi I'm hoping someone can help me please with dla this is my first ever time posting.

My son is 3 and a half years old, non verbal and needs constant supervision he is on the sen register at school and has been assessed at a 9-12 months milestones. He is actively doing speech therapy.
I am finding things really difficult at the moment, he's been put back on to half days at nursey as he can't cope with full days as he wakes a lot throughout the night so he is tired at school and also won't eat dinner there. He also self harms bangs his head and throws himself if he's not getting what he wants- this is incredibly difficult to know as he cannot talk. He's still in nappy's. I cook so many meals for him everyday as he throws it or just dosent want it and I worry he's hungry and he can't tell me so I've always got food on the go and alot goes in the bin sadly. I can't walk with him anywhere as he runs away with absolutely no sense of danger with roads or anything. I don't drive so I've purchased a buggy board for my pram ( I have 2 other children 1&7) that he jumps off all the time. It's just becoming so hard and isolating for us as a family I am a single mum trying my best. I can't leave him for any time as he does hurt my baby (pulls hair, pushes, tries to pick up, so he cannot be left alone, I even take him to the toilet with me. He will not stay out so I have all 3 of my children all the time. I have been thinking of applying for dla to improve our life's as a family. All the extra food and clothes, Maybe help with a car, to stop the isolation it's just not safe to walk with him and he will not get on a bus, this is really effecting my other children as we are unable to go anywhere, disabled buggy for him as he won't fit in a standard one. His sensory toys are so expensive that he brakes all the time, all the baths I give him, he's in the biggest size nappy and they are getting tight so I don't know what to do next there but I can see it being expensive. Can anyone tell me if I would have a chance please as I don't really understand it, any help would be appreciated, thankyou in advance xxxx

You should definitely apply for DLA, use the Cerebra DLA guide to help you.

Do you have any professional reports that outline his difficulties? Does he have a formal diagnosis of autism?

Definitely apply. I second using the Cerebra guide.

Thanks for commenting, no he doesn't have a formal diagnosis but where working towards it. He is on the sen register and working towards a EHCP ( is that correct?). I have been told by nursey to take him to the doctors aswell that I will do next week, as they struggle with him. Would you think it's best to wait until he's got a diagnoses? Thanks again

Thankyou I'm just unsure to do it now because I feel I desperately need it but I'm worried it will be turned down without a formal diagnosis, thankyou

You don’t need a diagnosis but it’s helpful to have documentation to support the claim. Do you have any nursery reports or copies of assess, plan, do, review cycles, that sort of thing?

There is a section of the application that nursery can fill in to support what you are saying.

Diagnosis could take a couple of years so I wouldn’t wait.

Don’t wait. DLA is based on needs, not diagnosis.

Has an EHCNA actually been requested from the LA? If not, you should make the request yourself using the model letter on IPSEA’s website. In the meantime, has the nursery applied for early years inclusion funding?

Have you looked at charities who fund SN buggies or partially fund them if wheelchair services won’t? Same for sensory toys, have a look at charities.

For water bills, look at whether you are eligible for the Water Sure scheme.

Has DS been referred to the continence service? The service may try to tell you DS is too young but Cerebra has a model letter on their website you can use to challenge this.

It is worth seeing whether Home Start can support you, too.

No I don't have any reports but he has been having assessments at school so could I just ask for them? Thankyou for your help

To get evidence, you can make subject access requests (SAR) to the school and SALT. Presumably you have previously spoken to the HV and GP so you could do SARs to those too.

he is on the sen register at school and has been assessed at a 9-12 months milestones. He is actively doing speech therapy.

Ask nursery for confirmation of being on the SEN register and a copy of the assessment you mention. Ask the speech therapist for a report.

Did the HV do a 2 year review, or whenever they are done now? You could ask the HV to do the ages and stages social emotional questionnaire, you can find this online too.

Keep a diary and use this to help fill in the form. In the meantime, make sure nursery are applying for inclusion funding and an EHCP as PP mentioned. He will be due to start school next year so all this is really important to make sure support is in place.

They haven't requested it yet because they said they want to make sure they have enough evidence so it dosent get turned away. I don't really understand it tbh. I didnt know there was charity's for buggy's or sensory toys do you know of any pleases? Nothing has been referred for the continance I didn't know he could be referred to anything like that with him still being young, I really appreciate all this advice as I know about none of this, thankyou x

I haven't spoken to the gp as of yet they only advised me to do this on Friday, I've always thought everything went through school. Thankyou

Yes HV has also confirmed he is working at a 1 years at his latest check up, thankyou x

Yes I am starting a diary Monday and I will do it for 2 weeks, should I send the full diary in with the Dla form? Nursery has agreed to keep him until he is 5 because of his struggles. Hopefully that will give me enough time to get him in a special needs school but I can't put his name down until I have a EHCP or something in place to say he needs to go there, thankyou xx

You should make the EHCNA request yourself now.

In some areas you can self refer to the continence service. If you can’t, the HV, school or GP will be able to. You may be told DS is too young, but they can’t have blanket policies like that and Cerebra has a model letter you can use to challenge it.

Some examples of charities that can sometimes support with SN buggies are: Boparan Trust, Whizz Kidz, Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust, NewLife, Caudwell Children, AFK, and Hospital Saturday fund. Some examples that can sometimes support with sensory toys/equipment are Family Fund, Boparan Trust, Children Today, NewLife, Caudwell Children, Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust, and Variety. There are others too and some that are local charities depending on where you live.

Some areas have specialist early years assessment places for DC needing to go through the EHCP process. It is worth looking at whether your LA does.

Has DS been referred for an ASD assessment? If not, a referral needs to be made. Again, in some areas, you can do this yourself.

You can send the diary if you want or you want just use it the complete the form.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to give me the information, I will be using it. I honestly thought it all had to go through school but they are taking their time this is why I've come here for help, thankyou again your a diamond x

Yes definitely apply for DLA and the sooner you do the better as they will only start your claim from the date they first received the claim so try not to delay.. my daughter turned 2 in September she has No diagnosis yet but clear to all that she is Autistic, its a long process to get a diagnosis so please dont wait for this to do your claim. She experiences the same symptoms as your son. She also has PICA which is a eating disorder-eats non food items insects, hair, paper, wood, her own poop! My HV suggested i put in a claim for DLA bcus of her additional care needs, however it is a very long and stressful process whilst you are waiting for a decision. Wish you all the best, Good luck :)

Hi, thankyou so much for taking your time to give me some advice. I really appreciate it. My son's nursery is applying for the diagnosis for him to be tested, I am going to apply in January for the dla. I'm really worried about doing it with no diagnosis because I don't know what else evidence I can give them. I really understand the struggles you have, it really is so hard and ALOT of extra care. I need mine for a car because the issues my son has is isolating us as a family as I cannot even pop to the corner shop he just runs away he's too big for a pram so I have him a buggy board on my younger baby's pram for him but he just runs and gets violent/self harms. It's so dangerous. He's violent with my older child and also my baby. I have to keep my son glued to me or else all hell brake loose. I desperately need him to get diagnosed so I also can apply for a special needs school for him as he's not coping at school 85% of the time every day school ring me after he's been there a hour to pick him up because they can't cope with him. I just want him to get the specialist help and care he needs especially with school.

they will only start your claim from the date they first received the claim

If you call for a form and return it by the date given, if awarded, DLA will be backdated to the date you called, not the date DWP received the form.

Hi thankyou hun, Yes I looked that up I'm just worried they will refuse him because he dosent have the diagnosis yet and I'm unsure on what evidence I need or what I could get without the diagnosis? If he gets refused could I apply again when he's got the diagnosis? I'm so confused I've never done anything like this before. Any help is so so appreciated

You don't need a diagnosis. Write down all the extra tasks you have to do to look after him - follow cerebra guide. Try to get nursery to write something for you.

DLA is based on needs, not diagnosis. If you apply for DLA and are declined you can reapply at a later date - that is the same whether you have a diagnosis or not. What evidence you can use depends on what you have. For example, you can use evidence from nursery, SALT, HV, GP.

I went to citizens advice for help filling out my form it was 1-1 and really really helpful, my daughter does not have a diagnosis yet but citizens advice and HV are certain she will be awarded it. As your son is still quite young it isn't always possible to have evidence from professionals which is understandable, so your evidence mainly will focus on your explanations of the questions that they ask. Go into as much detail as possible xx