DLA - should I apply?

[ALMummy]

DS diagnosed with HFA. Made up my mind not to apply for DLA as I didn't think he was really entitled to it.

However today I noticed that ds never looks before he crosses the road, always has to be reminded. Would never occur to him to brush his own teeth or wash himself in the bath and it is extremely rare for him to ask for something to eat or express that he is hungry or thirsty. I started thinking more and something I had taken for granted was that I would never in a million years be able to put DS into a holiday play club, or child care/child minder or anything like that, he just would not have it. So I will only ever be able to do a job during term time and even then I am sometimes called in to help them deal with him. Obviously this is very restrictive and while I accept that this is just DS and how it will be it makes me think that perhaps he and we should be applying for DLA.

I suppose I have just absorbed DS and how he is and is just part of how our family is and I wouldnt have it any other way but there are restrictions on me re working etc that probably others might not have. Would you apply under these circumstances?

Hi ALmummy

Yes, I would apply.

I applied when DS2 was in pre-school, he has since had a dx of asd and have just re-submitted our claim. It's horrible filling in all the bits and pieces, Citizans Advice Bureau have always helped me. I always have a cry about it but do it anyway. It's for his benefit after all.

The forms can be quite complicated so get help filling them in - and any evidence to back up what your saying - eg ,school/nursery reports, etc.

I'm sure a few others will also reply to your thread with advice.

Good luck!

Yes.

Yes, even if the help he needs is just mainly verbal prompting if it's more than child of his age without HFA would require.

The only way of being entitled to it is if their disability means that they need more care than most children their age.

J (age 7) has autism, probably high-functioning, and get high rate care and currently appealing to get low rate mobility moved to higher, which J's consultant is supporting.

So unless your son is one of the very lucky children whose autism doesn't affect him in a way that means he needs more care than most kids his age, he is entitled to DLA.

You could just stick it in his savings for his future (likely to have expensive hobbies?.) Or maybe split it between siblings as they are all affected after all.
My DS is very high functionning but we went with the idea that if he's entitled to it, he shall have it. It has also led to increased child tax credits and carer's allowance.
The formfilling is horrible but it will make you realise just how different your family is. You will also have to face the fact that he is not the only one with a label, you are a special needs family.
Send copies of every report you've ever had on him.

Thanks all. I think he is entitled to it. These posts have been very helpful. I am used to him but when I see how everyone at his school deals with him, I can see he is much harder work than the average 5 year old, bless him.

It is some time since I had to renew my ds's dla but one piece of advice I would like to pass on is this. Do not forget that if your dc can't do something without help or being prompted where the form says how many days a week put 7. I made the mistake of actually putting how many times we actually did something. So, for example, where it said how many days a week does he need help washing his hair I put 3 because that was how often I washed his hair. I shold have put 7 because by putting 3 they would assume on the other 4 days he could do it unaided and not that he just didn't have is hair washed iyswim.