My son may have autism. Can I apply for DLA + how do I speed up the assessment process?

Muchaneta1

My son has been waiting for an assessment with the pathway for nearly 2 years now.
He ia still not talking he doesn't respond to his name uses my finger to say what he wants. Suspecting it's autism he repeats what people say and lines up toys,fuss about textures and walking.
He has a SEN at nursery his over 3 years old. He has had a psychological evaluation at nursery & they stated he needs 1 to 1 support & the nursery has applied fir funding.
Can I apply DSA with no diagnosisjust a report from nursery?
How can I speed up his assessment iam worried because he is not ready for school fir next year January don't know if he can go the a normal 

kj1892

Hi I’ve been through similar with my eldest and my third eldest where you know but drs not doing nothing only advice as bad as it sounds keep going GP EVERYDAY if that what it takes and also go GP with you telling them that it’s affecting your mental and emotional well being ( which is not lying) until they listen hope this helps 

Cher_Alumni

Hello @Muchaneta1 and a warm welcome to our online community, how are you doing?

I'm sorry to hear there's such a long waiting list for your son to be assessed, unfortunately this really reflects what others are facing and the demands on the NHS more broadly, however I know that doesn't make it any easier. I've moved your thread to our Autism and neurodiversity category if you want to read and reply to others stories and get their advice around speeding the process up.

Whilst, I'd also discuss your concerns with the SENco at nursery to find out what could be done to make his transition to primary school easier going and consider contacting IPSEA who specialise in this area.

I think you are referring to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) which you can apply for without a formal diagnosis. Here's more information from Scope's DLA advice page about how it is awarded:

DLA has care and mobility components. Your child may be eligible for one or both. Each component has different rates of payment. The DWP decides the amount you receive based on your child’s needs. DLA does not have a points system.
Your child will either get:

• an indefinite award, where their DLA payment is ongoing

• a fixed award, where they get DLA for a fixed time and you will then need to reapply 

They are more likely to get a fixed award if they have a condition that is temporary or may change over time.
Care component
If your child needs:

• 1 hour’s extra care during the day or night, they will get the lowest payment.

• frequent help of 20 minutes or more during the day and night or extra supervision during the day and at night, they will get the middle payment.

• regular help day and night or if they are terminally ill, they will get the highest payment.

Mobility component
If your child:

• is aged 5 or above and can walk but needs help outdoors or when somewhere new, they will get the lowest payment.

• is aged 3 or above and cannot walk, can only walk a short distance, could become very ill trying to walk or has a severe sight impairment, they will get the highest payment.

Children under 3 are not eligible for the mobility component.

Any more questions, please give us a shout. I hope your boy gets the support he needs asap.

Rich65

I think you should definitely be able to claim DLA ,I dont know the ins and outs because my wife sorted our sons out and he was only 2 without a diagnosis at that point (hes now nearly 5 with ASD and GDD ) I think its just like everything else if you push for it enough you will get it ,but like always probably more stressful than it should be .

les747

Why are 9% of children classed as disabled?

L_Volunteer

Good question @les784. Apparently, this is based on UK statistics 

L_Volunteer

Hey @Muchaneta1. Thank you for reaching out to us. I always appreciate the courage it takes to reach out, especially when you are new and finding things difficult. 

In terms of being ready for school, this is a key element that your son's nursery will be focusing on in the lead-up to school. 'School readiness' is a priority for all nursery children.

With that being said, your son's nursery is likely to be implementing strategies within the psychological evaluation to help support your son with school readiness if they are also concerned about this.

Have you been able to speak to your son's nursery and share your concerns yet? Maybe, they will be able to listen to you and support you through this (particularly your son's keyworker and SEND team).

Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any other questions, would like to talk to us further about this or if there's anything else we can do to support you