Is my sons needs above a 3 year old? (DLA claim) Is he eligible?

[loriemmily]

Likely to be turned down DLA?

 

Hi I applied for my 3y 1m old son. He attends the early bird autism programme, speech therapy, a learning through play lady and visited by the portage team and his pre school is in discussion with him being placed there as SEN. He hasn't been diagnosed with asd yet. The dla have asked for a report from his consultant. But my worry is that they said they ask the consultant the cause of his problems. I know the paed will be unsupportive on my claim and only back up that he has speech problems. I have also detailed his behaviour, rituals and schedules etc in my own words. But it seems that my own view is what the decision maker will only look at and view it as not enough to be eligible. My son will benefit greatly from dla by way if extra hours at preschool and towards the cost of a secure buggy and nappies! We most definitely need it for him. Anyone ever got dla on what I feel us actually very little reasons I guess?

 

Supervision.

Liam requires a substantial amount of supervision, as he is prone to whacking his own head, going on a spitting frenzy and obsessions with switches, he is unaware of hot temperatures ie hot taps, and will tolerate his own hand under running hot water. He will eat pens, crayons, paper, and candles. Outside, he has to wear reins and hold my hand. Although 90% he cannot handle walking (infact he never walks he runs, and on tip toes) and can take upto 4 hours to walk a 30 min distance, due to behaviour and refuse to walk. He has to be reinforced into a buggy, and will frequently become solid and hit out at his younger brother in the back. It takes up to three people and 20 mins to get him into a buggy, he will also lean right over and would not move or care if his head would to be hit into a lamp post etc, he will put his feet in the wheels.

 

skills.

Liam can only write/draw with a fist. He cannot use a knife, and has difficulty using a spoon or a fork. He cannot drink from an open cup, he does not have the skill. He drinks only from bottles or basic baby sip cups. He cannot eat sandwhiches, he views food as separate items, and cannot cope with multiple things on a plate. In a sample dinner of chicken nuggets and chips, he will have to eat the chicken as a separate dish first, and then chips afterwards after the original cutlery has been taken away. He has a carb diet as solid food. Any other food groups must be unregonisible/mashed. He will only eat foods that are named as potatoe or chicken or toast. (fish fingers have to be named as chicken, croissant as toast etc) mashed veg or roast dinners have to be mashed thoroughly and called potatoes. In order for him to receive good nutrition and a balanced diet I have to buy baby jar foods if family shared food like pizza or bologonese cannot be mashed or made into what he sees and feels is good enough for him to eat. He regresses in skills, he now no longer can get himself undressed, when he once had a problem of never being able to keep his clothes on, he can no longer take or understand the instruction to take his trousers or tee shirt off. He cannot use buttons, or zips or velcro. He still has to use a high chair to be able to force his attention into one activity, otherwise he would never sit down, eat or partake in any of his 'work' (which is home activities given to us to progress and develop his speech, language and skills). He will not care and would not notify me if his nappy has become leaking or severly wet whilst he is in his bed.

 

Behaviour.

Liam screams all throughtout the day, the beggining of his night and early morning.5am. It is short sharp screams, no tears, no tantrums, his way to communicate. It happens almost every 10 minutes if the day, he needs prompting to tell me what he needs. He follows schedules and instructions. To be able to cope with his behaviour and needs he needs a bad instruction followed by a good one. For example, 'eating chicken, then playing.' (I have to talk to him in two word phrases for simplification) and I have to repeat that around 8 times, every 3 minutes to get a task done and to avoid meltdown and confusion for him. He needs a lot of persuasion and encouragement to do any task like tidying up one toy into a box (It can take 40-60 mins to get him to tidy up a box of 10 toys, even then I have demonstrate in order for him to independantly do it) He is also very unpredictable, and impulsive, he could be happily playing with a car but then turn to the opposite direction and grab an ornament of mobile phone and throw it. It was be entirely unpredictable and shocking for us adults. He does not talk to or play with other children, he will not let any child play with any toy in any room. He has a routine to leave the childrens centre we visit weekly, myself and a leader there along with a nursery staff have to restrain him in and coax him with drinks and books leant to the centre, that can take upto 20 minutes, and a routine visit to see the fish tank by reception as a routine promise. This is still often with refusal of adequate outerwear, he can then spit. When I am alone to do this task it can take 40 mins. He cannot cope with routine changes and can hurt himself, for example at somepoints, I cannot accept emergency doctors appointments for either myself or either children, as appointments can often be given in 20 minutes notice, and I need an hour to cope with Liams behavious and irratability to change his schedule. Liam has a disturbed sleep pattern, and takes up to 3 hours to settle to sleep, after numerous bottles, and routines and comforters, then he two to four times a night and is hard to settle down again, screaming commences, and then wakes between 5 and 6.30.

 

Speech and language.

His speech is severly delayed, to the point that 70% of his speech is incoherrant and/or is completely just echoic/mimic. The remaining 30% is one word phrases, with very very little use of two word phrases. He can refer to himself as 'memam' (which is Liam to him) but also can call others Liam, so he doesnt believe his own name. He knows his brother is called Ozzy, but at times he can call him Liam too.

 

Groups and programmes he attends.

He is in discussion for being placed as a special needs at his Pre-school, which is to attend in Easter term. He attends the Earlybird intervention autistic society programme weekly, he sees his learning through play worker Sheila who has provided a statement in my original application weekly, Ann a lady from Portage who does similar monthly and we have regular contact with Angela Tyreman from Rowner Health centre as his health visitor. He also has speech therapy.

 

Ultimately he is very hard work, and different at every milestone of other children his age, and through what his own younger brother has acheived. As a result of life with Liam, I am isolated, he is isolated, parents with regular three year olds are shocked at liams behaviour and some find the way I have to repeat and chase and treat Liam as strange, but other parents at Liam autism group go through the same as me. Liam cannot go to friends houses (even though he doent have a regular play mate, and I cannot go to my own friends houses for our children to play because to me thgeir homes are not adapted enough for Liam, or he would not eat there, or it is short notice, or they wouldnt understand why I would have to call a bread roll toast, and have nothing in it like ham or jam!)

 

I have become nervous of my own parenting and extremlely protective of Liam, I also have to endure a lot of bad looks from the public when Liam gets distressed to leave places, or his screaming and spitting obsessions.

 

Any rate of allowance is muchly appreciated, it would help with extra hours at his pre-school with special attention and leaders who adapt to his care and needs. It would help with repairing my home, with spit covered walls, pulled down curtain racks, and more waterproof bedding for him.

 

Is this above the needs of a 3y 1m old child?

 

 

Is my sons needs above a 3 year old? (DLA claim) Is he eligible?

[Nystagmite]

You need to focus on the help he needs (ie, does someone need to "speak" / translate for him?) and not just what he can't do. To get DLA, Liam would need help from another person.

[BethM]

He is eligible for you to claim DLA for him as the condition has already lasted more than 6 months and is expected to last for more than that. That is the basic criteria on which to apply and he clearly satisfies that.

 

However; the level of DLA he will be awarded is determined by how the application is completed and the supporting evidence supplied. In the form they ask for contact information for specialists etc, and you should fill them in BUT if you already have in your possession letters, statements etc between these people and you then you should include them in the application. When you are filling out sections about the help he needs out of doors do not just tick the yes or no boxes, but add as much information as you can. About how much extra attention you need to give him to keep him safe and calm etc. If you have letters or statements form play schemes that could indicate the level of supervision required then number them and state which number document relates to this answer (hopefully I am explaining this clearly enough).

 

The basic rule of thumb here is - if YOU send the information as part of the application, then THEY have to read it and consider it. In my many years of benefits advice I have had several cases where claims have been delayed or rejected because Doctor's or other Agencies have not responded to the request for information.

 

As much ground work as you can put in before sending the form the better.

[Nystagmite]

He is eligible for you to claim DLA for him as the condition has already lasted more than 6 months and is expected to last for more than that. That is the basic criteria on which to apply and he clearly satisfies that.

 

It only has to have lasted 3 months and 6 months after. It's the needs that need to last that long - not the condition.

 

You must spell it out to them. They're not going to assume that he can't do certain things.

[Heidi Rees]

My welfare rights officer suggested we apply for my middle child with no diagnosis (we think it's ADHD) but we got a flat refusal even though his needs were more signifigant than my eldest who has autism and has higher rate of care and low mobility! We didn't apply for my eldest until diagnosis came back and it sailed through no questions asked - I could have appealed the youngest but I have no idea when or if he will get a diagnosis so decided against until we have more backing! If they have said he will get a diagnosis I would defo appeal as they will then have to repay from original date. Try to get as much support as possible from health visitors, teachers etc. And you will know if you have put enough info in the form by how traumatised you feel after - remember its the worst day - all the bad behaviour and stress needs to be put into words on that form. Good luck!

[Nystagmite]

The worst day is fraud and it's obvious that you've done that.

 

but we got a flat refusal even though his needs were more signifigant than my eldest who has autism

 

eh? A 4 year old has more needs than a 7 year old.

[Heidi Rees]

The form I filled was for when he was diagnosed at 4 - and btw it was my welfare rights officer who advised worst day so if that is not the case I apologise - it makes no impact on my 7 year old anyway as he is a nightmare everyday! I resent your comment about me being a fraudster if you feel my son is undeserving of his DLA I would love for you to come and meet him as all the medical professionals have given their support when claiming for him!

[Nystagmite]

Um, hold on! I said that filling the form on the worst day is fraud. You have a declaration to sign at the end of the form which states that the information given is correct. By doing the forms on the worst days, the information isn't correct. There's nothing to stop you saying "this happens on bad days...", "this happens on better days..." (don't use good days - that implies you have no problems at all) & "on average days..."