if anyone does it is here please help me i hate these things!!
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: ...
I am writing to request that you look at my sons claim for the mobility element of disability living allowance again. Benjamin?s condition has not changed since i completed the form but i feel that maybe some of the points in the form I did not explain very well. I also wish to ask you to reconsider using the information on the form filled in by a paediatrician, the person who filled this form in has never met my son and many of the points on the form were inaccurate. I am currently making a formal complaint through the hospital my little boy is seen at about the way this has been dealt with and the information that was put on this form. The reason we have been unable to get a paediatrician to write to you who has met Benjamin is that the position in this area is currently vacant and we do not have a permanent paediatrician so we are seen by different locum paediatricians each time and these are often only temporary for a couple of weeks so are not available by the time a form is sent out by yourselves. We do have many other permanent professionals involved and i have enclosed some reports and supporting letters from these who can give you a more accurate description of my son as they have seen him over a greater period of time and assessed him more thoroughly.
The issues with Benjamins mobility which I feel I may need to explain further are his severe behavioural problems, his social and understanding difficulties, and his physical difficulties in walking. Benjamin has a diagnosis of Autism and this affects him in a variety of ways. I am therefore i believe applying for the mobility element of disability living allowance under the criteria of severe mental impairment although he does also have a few more physical problems which i shall also explain in further detail.
Benjamin has severe language delay/impairment and his understanding is also low due to this so when he is out of the house he needs his pecs (picture exchange communication system) to communicate and does not respond to verbal instructions, so telling him to stop requires a symbol to be shown to him rather than just shouting stop. Due to Benjamin?s sensory problems he does not cope well wearing reins and therefore to keep him safe from the dangers of roads we usually take him out in a special needs buggy as recommended by a previous paediatrician. Benjamin is unable to walk safely as he has no awareness of dangers and cannot respond and react to verbal instructions which are needed to keep him safe.
Benjamin has severe sensory processing difficulties and gets very upset by unexpected noises, bright lights in places such as supermarkets, pressure and touch on his body, and busy places. This is linked to his autism and Ben has meltdowns and panic attacks when he is over stimulated by these sensory things. As a result of the sensory issues Benjamin has with touch we do not use reins with him and cannot get him to hold our hands. This is not that he just doesnt want to but due to his sensory difficulties he finds these very uncomfortable and difficult. When somewhere or something overstimulates Benjamin and distresses him he goes into a full meltdown which can last for anywhere between 5 minutes and an hour, usually around 20 minutes. These meltdowns are not like a normal childs tantrum as he cannot control them and he has them due to his autism and once he is in a meltdwon he cannot control what he does. A meltdown for Benjamin involves him dropping to the floor and thrashing his body around and headbutting the floor repetitively as this is a sensory thing that Benjamin does in order to try and regulate himself (as described in the attached report from occupational therapy). Benjamin is also very violent during a meltdown and hits out and kicks anyone who is near to him usually including strangers so for his and their safety we use the special needs buggy. When Benjamin is like this it takes two adults to restrain him and therefore we dont often go out without the special needs buggy as then when we are in unfamiliar places and Benjamin has a meltdown it is easier to control him. Due to these sensory difficulties we find he is often unable to walk through no choice of his own because one of these things inhibits him. For example Benjamins difficulty with noise means that if we are about to leave the house and he hears a lawnmower he finds he is unable to move through this sensory overload and goes into a meltdown which he is unable to control. When in the car Benjamin has a specialist car harness to keep him safe as he does not understand the importance of a seatbelt and cannot keep it on however for safety we have the specialist harness which he cannot undo so keeps him safe though he does headbang continuously whilst in the car due to this specialist harness restricting his movement.
Benjamin?s understanding of dangers is limited and on occassions we take him out without the special needs buggy he runs off when he gets overstimulated or has a panic attack due to an everyday sensory occurance such as a dog barking, a crying baby, a busy shop, or bright lights in a shop. When these things over stimulate Ben he gets very distressed and cannot cope in the situation and runs away or goes into a meltdown. Due to his size we cannot just carry him to prevent this. Benjamin is not aware of the dangers of roads so when he is in a meltdown or runs off to avoid something which stresses him he often runs straight into roads.
When in a meltdown Benjamin headbangs repetitively on the hardest surface he has available both in the home and out of the home so this usually results in him doing this repetitively on the concrete, walls etc. This is obviously very unsafe as Benjamin has a lump on his forhead which has been there for the last 12 months due to headbanging and this is made worse by doing this on hard surfaces which is hard to stop. Therefore for his own safety we have been recommended to only take him out in a special needs buggy with extra padding around the frame to try and prevent him from harming himself.
Benjamin walks on tiptoes (also described in the attached occupational therapy report) the majority of the time and as a result of this trips and falls often. This is not too much of a problem indoors but can cause him injuries outdoors. The paediatrician we saw on 30-03-2009 (Dr Cresswell, another locum who has also left now) has referred Benjamin to a physiotherapist regarding this as he believes there may be an underlying problem with Benjamins joints which is causing these mobility problems which would also explain why Benjamin cannot always walk very far before getting tired and uncomfortable.
I ask you please to look at my son Benjamins Hall?s claim for the mobility aspect of disability living allowance using the attached reports and letters to give you a better insight into Benjamin?s difficulties. I have some more information to follow but due to the easter holidays soem of the people that see my son have been on annual leave and been unable to complete this in time. I telephoned the dla helpline on 21st April 2009 and spoke to a lady called claire who said she had made a note of this onto my sons case and that i could send some information now and the remainder when i have it in the next few weeks. I trust that will be acceptable and I will let you know when i have sent all the information which I intend to in so you can begin then to look at Benjamins claim again.
If we were to be awarded the mobility element of the disability living allowance it would enable us to take Benjamin out of the house more often and make it easier to attend appointments for him because it is difficult on public transport due to benjamins behavioural issues and violence towards people and due to my partners work commitments we do nto get to use the car very often so take Benjamin out of the house and there is a limit to the number of places we can go without using public transport and just using his special needs buggy.
If you require any further information from myself please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours Faithfully