Claiming DLA for child with ADHD

hellandback_2

mummytofour wrote: »

They are like extremely large toddlers

How very true. ADHD rips families apart, its a very powerful condition which is a nightmare for parents to handle. There is by far not enough support for carers and far too many ppl in the Uk believe that it is just an excuse for naughty children, for anybody that thinks this please feel free to walk in my shoes for a day or two.

DLA is the to help improve the quality of life for suffers. Thankfully it just about on a good week covers the replacement cost of what is broken in my house on a weekly basies.

As for being the new dyslexia.. Im dyslexic so Im not going to comment.

Your not wrong about it ripping families apart,we have a 14 yr old with ADHD and ODD as well as been dyslexic and it has been 14 years of hell.
Many of these years were spent with little or no support at all.
My wife does the bulk of the caring due to me working full time and in my eyes she is is a true legend and has held the family together over the years.
We constantly suffer the ignorance of others,yes we claimed DLA as we could not aford to provide activites to help in the dealing of the condition.
Yes we also got slated by people for doing this and were branded as scroungers,sorry but I am 43 and have worked all my life and continue to do so,is it too much to ask to ask for a little help in a country that funds true scroungers such as people that are too bone idle to find work,yes these are the very people that I fund.

skipsmum

My eldest has ADHD, autism, brittle asthma and frequent fits.
I can deal with the asthma and fits fine, but its the ADHD thats hardest to cope with. He is 15 and still needs help crossing the road.
He needs far more supervision than my 9 year old.
He does get DLA based on his range of conditions, the high care rate was awarded mostly because of his fits but the LRM was awarded because of the extra needs ADHD causes when we are out.

Btw DH pays his taxes. I don't pay taxes as I am a full time carer. DS has a place at a special school but only 2 days a week. This is because there is very little funding for school places for ADHD and autistic spectrum children.

lolly1981

i find some of this post extremly saddening...so many people have so little understanding of ADHD and the effects it can have on a child and their family.

ADHD is rarely overdiagnosed...it is usually parents who use it as an excuse for their childrens behaviour.
there is a very long, drawn out, heart breaking process that is involved with diagnosing ADHD. a parent with a child who suffers ADHD goes to the doctor as a last resort..there is always a lot of self doubt and guilt felt by the parent.
it takes a lot for a parent to go into the doctors surgury and say my child is so hard to deal with..i must be doing something wrong. so i find that alot of ADHD sufferers are their parents opinion..usually because their friends kid has it or i read it on the internet.

I know how difficult it is because i am going through that process...my son is 5 yrs old and is displaying very clear signs that he does have ADHD...we have beeen under the peadiatric care for 18 months and she is only just at the point of saying that yes that is he likely diagnosis.
we have had visits at the school by the nurse, school have had to write reports and i have had to tell them from my view.
up until the school wrote a letter saying they had concerns did she even entertain the fact.
i was lucky ina way my ds father suffers ADHD so the chances of ds having it were high so i guess i had prepared myself for that.
he is the most loving sweet kind caring hyperactive talkative impulsive little boy. he finds it difficult to focus and sit still for any length of time. he is by his teachers admission a very intelligent little boy, he is in the top groups for work in his class and that is with the inability to fully concentrate...it is steadily getting worse so even his schiool feels taht he is going to staret suffering in his education
as a mother going through this even tho i was expeting this outcome seeing the words "in my opinion he is likely to fulfil the criteria for a diagnosis of attention deficeit hyperactivity disorder " written by his pediatrition was like a kick to the stomach. knowing that it isnt behaviour he will grow out of, and that he will face predjiduce (sp) in many aspects of his life and my biggest fear is that he will turn out like his father ...using ADHD as an excuse for being a lazy no good so and so who thinks nothing is his fault and that its the ADHD that makes him do it

i am too in 2 minds about claiming DLA ...his father did and was very much like thats my money and he said his mum was a thief as she spent that money on his care growing up...i know that money would come in useful for him to be able to do activities that he wouldnt get the oppertunity to do i.e scouts which is something that is very good for discipline and routine...which for ADHD children is a big issue. they need to know whats happening and to deviate from that routine can be quite upsetting for them

sorry for such a long post...this of course is only my opinion and others probably wont agree...but i do feel for teh other mothers and fathers out there bringing up ADHD children because it is something that will nevert really be understood... abit like ME (yuppie flu as it was) and something that will always effect their lives

kingfisherblue

Lolly1981, you might be able to get extra help at Beavers for your son when he is old enough to start (Beavers are 6-8 years, Cubs 8-11 and scouts 11+). Do you have a local branch of Barnardo's? In my area they provide a service where they will send a support worker with the child so that they can participate in guiding or scouting each week.

You could also ask your local Children with Disabilities team if they offer any support.

Finally, guiding and scouting are not supposed to discriminate against children who have a medical condition or disability. I know that in the real world, some people are less comfortable than others with special needs. Also, guiders and scouters are volunteers and there may not be enough adults in the unit to offer support to a child who needs a high level of support. This shouldn't stop you asking though. It could just mean finding the right unit for your child. If an adult isn't available, ask if a young leader would be willing to help (YLs are usually aged 14-18).

If you do find that you are met with opposition, try to find the commissioner's details. They should be willing to meet with you and discuss your son's needs.

As a guider, I would welcome more children with special needs in my unit. As a mum to a son with complex needs (including learning difficulties and physical disabilities), I have nothing but praise for my son's scouters. They are absolutely brilliant!

WillowMuse

I too Have a son with ADHD and despraxia, and my heart goes out to all of you. It took 6yrs to get help for my son and that was thanks to his teacher and health visitor.
He was labeled a "naughty Child" spent most of his nursery days on the "Naughty bench" because he could not get on with other children or was disruptive, physically hitting out at me for almost anything, when his sister was born he tried to cause her harm! We as parents were at the end of our tether as to what we were doing wrong!!!!
Having a child with ADHD is hard enough without others who do not understand slating us as bad parents ect....
I myself have never claimed DLA because I never knew I could for one thing, but ADHD is a chemical inbalance in the brain so why is it not treated as a disability also??

Indie_Kid

Ladyshellda wrote: »

I myself have never claimed DLA because I never knew I could for one thing, but ADHD is a chemical inbalance in the brain so why is it not treated as a disability also??

Surely it is? Well, it does come under the definition of disability - "a physical or mental impairment that affect one's ability to do day to day activities".

wornoutmumoftwo

Mental health is classed as a disability. My son has autism, my younger global development delay and I have received DLA for both of them for the last two years. In the process of reapplying now.

The forms are daunting but there ae people who can help, our council has a department, social worker and CAB.

arlybarly

Why has the OP opened a thread which is over TWO YEARS OLD ??????????????????????????????????????????????

sarahlouise210

arlybarly wrote: »

Why has the OP opened a thread which is over TWO YEARS OLD ??????????????????????????????????????????????

I dont think the OP re-opened it...hellenback made a comment on it and that is what opened it up again

gemma1979

Hi

I think you should appeal as my son has just been diagnosed with ADHD (he is 4 nearly 5) and I take exception to various comments above such as ADHD is the new dyslexia and they are just naughty etc etc - maybe these ignorant people should try living with a child with ADHD and then see what they say okay I accept that technically ADHD is not a life threatening illness in and of itself However my sons issues make him a danger to himself at times so I suppose it could lead to serious injury or worse in this way. The comments about athsma and depression - I have suffered severe clinical depression for 15 years due to childhood sexual physical and emotional abuse and I can say it is a debilitating condition and its effects should not be understated I have never tried to claim dla for this however and I also have athsma for which I use an inhaler and this can also have affects on my lifestyle (again I have never claimed or attempted to claim DLA for this) - and I can categorically tell you that ADHD is a very real condition (i accept that maybe there are some children who are misdiagnosed and are just 'naughty' thats down to the professionals) and is as real as my depression and my athsma and I personally have found my sons condition harder to deal with than my depression and athsma put together so maybe people who havent lived with it shouldnt be so quick to pass judgment