Assitance with funding for a child with additional educational needs

kezlou

thanks everyone, well i bit the bullet and phoned up for the DLA form.

I had a quick chat today with the SENco and they were told i couldn't apply for a lot of things purely because i hadn't applied for the DLA.

Apparently even if your not entitled to DLA, its counted as a positive if you've tried to previously apply.

so annoying.

thanks stiltwalker i'm having a look at the site now.

kezlou

thanks Julie, i hope its like that for me, to be honest i read your post and thought right just do it.:)

kingfisherblue

julie03 wrote: »

my son gets dla and has autism and was not assessed at all, i havent heard that they assess the children,

yes the forms are hard but my form was filled by CAB and she just asked the questions and i answered and she told me to tell her the absolute worse. it was very draining and a negative experience but only 2 hours of my life.

but getting dla has enabled access to money so i can send my son to clubs to help his social skills and get tuition for him and also the family fund.

unfortunately some advisors do suggest this, but if you do fill in a form on this basis (or sign a form that someone has filled in on your behalf), it can be classed as benefit fraud. the forms clearly state that you should use an average day when filling them in. By using the worst times only, you are saying that your child needs that level of care all the time, which is blatantly untrue if you have only used worst case details.

Instead, you should put something along the lines of 'X needs this help most days. However, on worse days he needs additional help in this way, and on the worst days, he needs extra help in this way. Worse days occur around two times a week, and the worst days once a week' - or whatever the timescale is.

DLA can contact doctors and other professionals for further information - imagine if they give a totally different story because you have put down the worst times only. Also, the decision makers do have guides to use when making their decisions, so they can often see if a claim has been exagerrated. (I can't spell that word :mad:)

If you have only put worst days down on the form, you can be found to have supplied fraudulent details and could be prosecuted. It wouldn't be the person filling in the forms that would face this, it is the person who has signed the forms to state that the information given is correct.

With variable needs, a diary kept for a month beforehand is a good idea to send in as evidence.

Bitsy_Beans

Claiming for DLA is slow, long winded and laborious. However you son has a disability and if you've providing care above and beyond a child of the same age then you should apply.
My son is on the spectrum, he wasn't assessed.

Download this excellent guide. I used this to help complete my claim form, it's worth looking at.

http://www.cerebra.org.uk/English/getinformation/publications/Pages/DLAGuide.aspx

When you chose to submit an application form ring the DWP, don't do it online. Your claim form will be date stamped any any awards will then be back dated.

kezlou

Well me and partner had a lengthy discussion regarding DLA and he really doesn't want to apply and was really angry when i mentioned about applying again.

We think if we claim for dla that we have to involve outside agencies such as social services and follow him through life especially when he goes to secondary school.


Thanks again for the advice and i entirely agree with you Kingfisherblue, i wouldn't over exaggerate on the form either as i don't think its in mine or my sons best interests. I know some people who do it and quite frankly it disgusts me.
It also makes it harder for people to ask for any extra help.

I doubt we are going to claim now as i don't wish to go against my partner wishes.

stiltwalker

The only outside agencies are the one's currently involved with your child, so for DD that was paediatrician, Physio, SALT and OT I specifically mentioned on the form that DD's GP had only ever seen her about 2/3 times as her general health is good, just the paed etc for specific disability stuff. When I need to renew nursery/school will go down as will geneticist/neurologist she has acquired since last form plus any others we have yet to collect. (We call it practitioner monopoly!) In the end with a good supporting statement from the physio and a very recent medical report they didn't actually contact anyone.

My OH was fine about applying but didn't 'get' how hard it was to do and was taken aback by the tears over it (I do forms btw as he is very dyslexic or I'd have made the beggar do it himself!)

kezlou

my OH is the same yours, he can't stand filling in forms so its left to me.

This is our list of outside help.

Paeditrition - for his general health
Childrens Paediatrition for his allergic rhinitis / suspect asthma
Physio / OT - hyper mobility
Continence Nurse - wetting during day
Educational Psychologist
SenCo
Learning support (external but in school)
CAMHS - under assessment for ASC

Don't normally see the GP as i just get told to wait till i see the paeditrition.

Social group once a fortnight for children on the spectrum


Whoa that's quite a list already

JC9297

kezlou wrote: »

Well me and partner had a lengthy discussion regarding DLA and he really doesn't want to apply and was really angry when i mentioned about applying again.

We think if we claim for dla that we have to involve outside agencies such as social services and follow him through life especially when he goes to secondary school.


Thanks again for the advice and i entirely agree with you Kingfisherblue, i wouldn't over exaggerate on the form either as i don't think its in mine or my sons best interests. I know some people who do it and quite frankly it disgusts me.
It also makes it harder for people to ask for any extra help.

I doubt we are going to claim now as i don't wish to go against my partner wishes.

My son received DLA from the age of 3 and we had no involvement with Social Services until we initiated it when he was 16, because we needed their help for preparing for his adult life and also respite.

I may be wrong but it sounds like your partner is hoping your son's difficulties may be something he will grow out of and that by the time he goes to secondary school he won't need the support. Hence his worries about agencies following him through life if you claim DLA, as if it will mark him out in some way. Is he happy for your son to be statemented?


Regarding your initial question, it is having the statement that triggers the funding. There won't be any grants to pay for extra help he needs in school as that should be met by the local authority. If you get as far as a statement make sure it specifies exactly how his educational needs should be met, that is who by, in what way and how often/how many hours.

kezlou

Thanks for the reply JC

Yes he is hoping he will grow out of it, in a way we both are. Its just that i'm at the point now where i've accepted my son for who he is.

Well it took a lot of persuasion for both of us to agree to apply for a statement. Took 4 years of the old SENco saying he needs to be labled. To the new one, who is amazing y the way, to say i'm sorry but i feel really asking you this. Its a last resort but i think we may have to go for a statement to get additional funding.

Based on the conversation we had today my partner had kind of accepted that he may have to go to a non-mainstream school when he leaves Primary or if Primary feel that the best place for his education is elsewhere. Then he's prepared to kind of accept.

thanks JC i will do that when i go in to sign the statement forms when i meet the SENco.

daska

He won't be able to go to a non-mainstream school unless you pay for it or he gets a statement that says he needs it. I would recommend reading Special Educational Needs - getting Started With Statements by Tania Tirraoro and making an application for the statement personally - in addition to the school application.

Try looking at it a different way. You wouldn't suggest that you didn't go to a doctor if you had diabetes or a heart problem, ASDs are the same, they're not something you've done 'to' him, they're just how he is. He needs support and he needs extra help, in exactly the same way that someone with diabetes does. Social Services won't be interested unless you or he are having problems, their case load is too high to want to be fussing where things are under control.

P.S. Dads in particular seem to have a problems accepting that their children have problems.