ADHD and DLA

kaththomas

Hi, i am expecting my 12 year old son to be diagnosed with ADHD in the next week.
Does anyone know what my chances are of getting DLA for him.

Life with him is a constant challenge :-

he is unable to dress himself with out constant reminders to bring him back to the task in hand.
He constantly flies of the handle when he can't do what he wants.

he need constant reminders about personal hygiene (he still wets the bed at night)

he has very few friends and finds it difficult to socialise.

Those friends he does make don't hang around for long because of his behaviour.

He has a very short attention span.

getting him to do homework is a complete nightmare.

He frequently has a go at his younger sister often hurting her.

He takes up a lot of mine and my husbands time, we have to supervise him with tasks that his 10 year old sister has been doing since ehe was about 7.

He constanly lies and has been caught stealing money from myself and his older sisters.

he often misses the bus to school because he is not ready on time.

I feel that he and his ADHD is ruling our life.

If we were able to claim DlA then i would be able to reduce my working hours to spends more time with him and my other children.

Can any one help a stressed and overworked mam please?


Kath thomas

exarmydreamer

Hi, Firstly, I have three boys all with ADHD and two of them have Aspergers. I claim DLA, and you should too. Ask for a claim form and complete it with as much detail as you can (remember, it's about him and what he can and can't do for himself) . Find a support group, ADDIS or Autism society, as they are both link learning disabilities. Do you go a child clinic for his medication, if so get them to give you a form confirming his condition and what medication he takes. Send in as much information as possible, does he have a social worker. He really should have, they could help with a letter, showing his behaviour problem.

Speak to the school and get a report on his behaviour at school. There are different levels of DLA, i.e, every school also has a school psychologist and he may have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), get a copy of this as well. Basically, I get higher rate care, because I have to get up or be awake with them through the night. All three fight continually and i have to watch the safety of my 5 yr old daughter with them. I also get lower rate mobility, because I can't let them out on their own, (anywhere). Like you, I have one who thieves money and sets the house on fire!. I have one who tears strips of plaster off the walls and tugs at carpets and destroys furniture and one who constantly torments the others and his sister.

Sounds like I'm a bad parent but it is their condition and I defy anyone who thinks it's bad parenting to meet mine.

I am ex-army and so is my husband and my house runs like a well oiled machine, clothes are set out in the morning and cereals, bowl etc, laid out night before. Tablets are administered with help and persistance. We have been taking part in studies with the local university and this study has more or less confirmed the genetic link.

Don't feel alone, there will be local support groups in your area, try speaking to the council about out of school support groups for special needs children. Also when you get your DLA decision, if you don't agree with it, you must contact the decision maker, and appeal if your think this is wrong. DLA, changes come in 1213 - 14, but \i can't see it affecting children. Also, if you end up receiving the higher care rate, because of needing to help him dress, encourage showering etc and watching him for his own safety, then you must inform the Child Tax Credit. You may get extra money off them, to help with looking after a disabled child. (disabled tax child element).

DLA is non-means tested and is to help take care of the child and his surrounding. It is very expensive raising children with a distructive disability - best of luck.

Please excuse my typing and spelling, I'm watching the children - half term hell.

exarmydreamer

Hi again, I re-read your thread again. If he is still wetting the bed, he may have a condition which needs diagnosing. Due to you having to tend his toileting needs at night, this is a requisite for higher rate care. Mine do the same, I am either up at night because they have wet the bed, hall floor or got confused and could not find the loo. I can't image that you would not get higher rate care in this case but as I have already said make sure you put everything down - and most importantly, you do not necessary have to wait for a diagnosis to put the claim in. Good Luck.

Boots888

So where's my post gone??

Didn't if fit in??

[Deleted User]

just to add the change from dla to pip in 2014 onwards wont affect children under 16