DLA for Deaf Child?

Spendless

I'd apply. Here is a little bit about qualifying for DLA for a child

http://www.benefitsnow.co.uk/special/children.asp

I'd get some help filing in the forms too. Somewhere like DIAL (Disability information and advice line) can help if you have one in your area.

meluvnext

I would say it is worth applying for DLA, he is 8, at 8 years old alot of children are playing out with friends etc, your child may need to be accompanied by someone as his hearing impairment can mean he could be at risk of accidents on roads etc. Does he have speech problems, he may have problems understanding others due to his hearing impairment, or others may have trouble understanding him if he has speech problems so may need you to be there to help in the communication side of things.

mumps

One of my sons had problems with his eyes, I had eight years of hospital appointments, sometimes weekly but eventually every month, he had surgery twice, he was always having accidents and falling over or through things. It never occurred to me that he might be entitled to DLA. I am not being judgemental about people making claims, if you are entitled so be it, but I always just thought it was part of being a parent.

meluvnext

To an extent it is part of being a parent, if my child was not entitled to Dla I would still do everything I do now because it is still my job as a parent.

BUT

I would not be able to adequatley keep her in full health and she could end up worse if it wasnt for the little bit extra money coming in from DLA each month and also the carers allowance.

My daughter is physically fit but she has sever reflux she is on ALOT of medication, the school do not give it I have to give ot or when I work pay a childminder to administer it through the day. She can often require changing 1-2 times per night as she will vomit, I need to wash clothing and bedding on a daily basis so the washer (and dryer in bad weather is on the go daily).

DLA helps towards these expenses that if she didnt have these problems would not be required.

mumps

meluvnext wrote: »

To an extent it is part of being a parent, if my child was not entitled to Dla I would still do everything I do now because it is still my job as a parent.

BUT

I would not be able to adequatley keep her in full health and she could end up worse if it wasnt for the little bit extra money coming in from DLA each month and also the carers allowance.

My daughter is physically fit but she has sever reflux she is on ALOT of medication, the school do not give it I have to give ot or when I work pay a childminder to administer it through the day. She can often require changing 1-2 times per night as she will vomit, I need to wash clothing and bedding on a daily basis so the washer (and dryer in bad weather is on the go daily).

DLA helps towards these expenses that if she didnt have these problems would not be required.

I can see you have got expenses with her condition. I was lucky with my employer, I think alot of people would have had problems working fulltime and doing all the hospital appointment, particularly as I couldn't afford a car so it took longer with buses. Being able to reclaim bus fares would have been a help for me.

My main worry was A & E got concerned about his injuries at one point, well he had been plastered and stitched quite regularly,I had visions of him being taken into care. Fortunately his Specialist was able to confirm he had no depth of vision so could see things but had no idea if they were close or the other side of the room so he just fell over them constantly. Being a very active boy who wanted to do lots of physical stuff didn't help. The joys of family life but they put it all right in the end so all worked out in the end. Will your daughter's condition improve? I hope so as it doesn't sound much fun for either of you. Good luck.

meluvnext

mumps wrote: »

I can see you have got expenses with her condition. I was lucky with my employer, I think alot of people would have had problems working fulltime and doing all the hospital appointment, particularly as I couldn't afford a car so it took longer with buses. Being able to reclaim bus fares would have been a help for me.

My main worry was A & E got concerned about his injuries at one point, well he had been plastered and stitched quite regularly,I had visions of him being taken into care. Fortunately his Specialist was able to confirm he had no depth of vision so could see things but had no idea if they were close or the other side of the room so he just fell over them constantly. Being a very active boy who wanted to do lots of physical stuff didn't help. The joys of family life but they put it all right in the end so all worked out in the end. Will your daughter's condition improve? I hope so as it doesn't sound much fun for either of you. Good luck.

Well she is 8 now, I was always told she would outgrow it but so far not. There is an ption of surgery but that in itself could bring more problems.

mumps

meluvnext wrote: »

Well she is 8 now, I was always told she would outgrow it but so far not. There is an ption of surgery but that in itself could bring more problems.

She's still young so still hope. Surgery isn't nice, as I said my son had surgery twice, my daughter has had surgery three times, two fairly small ops and one quite major. I hate seeing them go under, I always left the pre op room in tears, with one of her ops the surgeon came after me to reassure me that he would look after her. It was a fairly straightforward op but to remove a tumour so it was the biopsy result that was the big worry. Both of them are fine now so don't give up hope and don't count the grey hairs, it will only depress you.

normandleigh

my daughter is now 9 and is completley deaf in one ear and 35% deaf in the other after contacting meningitis when she was 5, we cant claim any benefits but i would recommend you contact social services and see if u can get assigned a deaf social worker who will make sure your child gets all the help they need at school etc, ours has been brilliant

sunnyone

Has an auditory nurse been out to his school yet to make sure hes sitting where is best for his hearing?

Thats the kind of thing that you should be doing and not wasting youe time trying to claim DLA, its your time to waste but it will affect your son since the claim is about him and you will be introducing all the negativity garnered from this thread et al when being deaf in one ear isnt really a disability for an eight year old, in the same way as having sight in just one eys isnt, there are things that you can do to help him but they arnt care or mobility things.

My nephew was diagnosed last year (age 7) with no hearing at all in one ear, digital hearing aids are great and it should give almost perfect hearing in the other ear more so than in other types of hearing loss that cause the most difficulties beacuse aids cant compensate for these types of hearing loss.

When you are born with/aquire very young age a minor disability you automatically compensate for it, you seem to be looking for problems now that he has a diagnosis just to claim DLA and that wrong because you are disabeling your child by doing that, not the being deaf in one ear.

I was 13 before my bilateral hearing loss was identified and until I started work it wasnt really a problems and I quickly learnt to adapt to work, now its much more of a problem because Im severe/profundly deaf and cant use phones etc. but now that you know your son has hearing in one ear only you can have regular monitering to make sure his other ear is fine, we all take our kids for regualr monitering check ups through their life, that parenthood and not a benefit claim.

meluvnext

Not all hearing loss can be rectified with hearing aids!

I think that is a terrible view to take to the OP, I believe if you are entitled to something then claim it, you can try they can only say yes or no.