Kaspieman

[/size]I know a guy named Fred.. he was 66 on the 12th February. He is originally classified as been a General Learning Disability case, but I wonder if he could be Autistic. He can talk and read, but can't write apart from the odd words. He often talks about things that are relevant to him, and staff at his care home, as if I know them, saying things like "Gary says, and his conversations are like someone in his own world. He often says "I was in so-and-so the other day, do you know it?". He often says things which you can't work out the relevance of. He also mumbles. I haven't seen him for about a year, but until then, he used to say "They'll get 'em". I once asked "They'll get who Fred". He replied, "Those men who broke into my house and stole my two radios". I asked, "When was this Fred?". He said "Easter Saturday 1973". In July 2004 the Police threatened to charge him for... wasting Police time when he went to the station asking them if they had caught the burglars. He had a job in a brolly factory and they sent him for a long stand once, and he stood there for ages. That was his long stand. He takes in an interest in planes and cars, though he can't drive. He likes to read about crime in papers, and took an obsessive interest in the Jill Dando murder case. He always goes on about districts where I live and asks people if they know them...... He also kept going in a charity shop, asking if they had any vacancies. He would take application forms but never applied.

This question is directed to those in the UK... if you have Asperger's Syndrome and aren't registered with any mental health or general learning disability groups, if you have a concessionary, disabled bus pass, how do you manage to get it renewed?

Hello all. My name is Kevin and I have Asperger's Syndrome. I am seriously considering reapplying for my DLA care rate next spring. I still live at home with my parents at 29 years of age. I wonder if anyone on this board could give me some advice about what kind of things I need to put in my DLA form to claim it at an higher rate or middle rate. To me often Benefit Agency ignorance is why many deserving people with AS and Autism either get DLA at a low rate or don't get it at all, combined with the kind of support you receive, where you live and who fills the forms in for you and how you manipulate the forms. I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in May 2000. I have found it impossible to hold an unsupported job down. I have been fired six or seven times from various jobs, for reasons such as "Inability to follow orders", for being "Aloof", all of which were due to overload and social interactional difficulties, "Inability to process information quickly enough". Due to this factor I am rather demoralised and don't fancy my chances of being able to hold down a job again. My mind often wanders and I only am interested in what interests me. I have poor fine motor skills, find it difficult to multi-task, have interactional problems, obsessions and routines, am hypersensitive to sound, touch and smell and have numerous other problems which the condition I have and that other NT's have caused me, which are written about in detail on my website. I was seeing a psychiatrist from April 2000 to April 2003 who was quite sympathetic to me. He made referrals for the IB and DLA forms but unfortunately he retired. He was replaced by one who hasn't been very sympathetic to me and in truth I get the impression would rather be rid of me altogether. He first of all suggested to see me every six months, but I said four. I think I could have ADD as well as AS and I sent him a list of features to suggest that but he said I didn't. Then he said I had AS in the "Opinion of the person who diagnosed me". That was an outrageous statement to make. Anyway he moved practice and I was due to see him in April 2005 but I can't go to places that are unfamiliar and didn't go. They didn't chase me up and in September I asked to see someone from the Hospital but not him. I was given a letter saying I had to wait until late February next year which is ridiculous and it was to see him. I am fighting to get that changed until earlier at the moment. I am not confident at asking him to do the DLA/IB forms in future. He also said I am able despite what I have told him. In April 2000 I applied for DLA and did the form myself. I was awarded DLA at the middle rate care of the care component and the lower rate care of the mobility component. This ran until 4th April 2001. I was told of this decision on 20th June 2000, three weeks after I was diagnosed. I reapplied for it in November 2000 and was told on 8th December 2000 that I had been awarded it until 4th April 2002 at the lower rate care part and the lower rate mobility part. Angry with this anomaly, as my condition hadn't suddenly cured during those six months or gone away, and the fact that I had put mostly the same information as I had in April 2000, I demanded an appeal. This happened on Thursday 5th April 2001. The welfare rights person with me referred to my condition as an illness at the hearing and said frankly in February 2001 that he had never heard of it. He swotted up on it though and did his best but I faced on the panel, a woman with Spina Bifida who was the nicest to me out of the three, a GP and a Solicitor. The latter was a pompous, arrogant person. Everytime I tried to talk and tell him how it affected me, he interrupted me and said "Yes but how is that relevant". Finally I snapped and said "If you will listen I will tell you". They often would ask me a question, and half-way through my answer another person asked me the question". Anyway I got the DLA still at the lower rate but got it for two years for the one. I reapplied for it in December 2002 and was awarded it from January 3rd 2003 to a black line at the lower rate. I also have an Incapacity Benefit reapplication in December 2006. I was awarded that from 27th December 2002 to 27th December 2006, which is crazy as my AS won't go away. If I fail that I will have to look for a job. Again I don't have anyone to support me with that application. As I look back on my old DLA forms there were tons of stuff I missed out. I mentioned I was on anti-depressants at the time. Perhaps they may be more sympathetic to me now. I am not reapplying for the mobility part of DLA. I don't think I would get higher rate care anyway. Last time I put that I feel anxious if alone outdoors and get agitated in a crowded area and feel upset if kept waiting but didn't provide examples. Mentioned that I get agitated in new areas and have a poor memory for landmarks and directions. Problems with following sequences routines and obsessions.. but didn't mention hypersensitivities much or interaction problems. The system seems very wrong. Heroin addicts often get top rate DLA and say someone messes about at school.. never goes.. disrupts lessons and plays truant.. they are bound to have learning difficulties when they get older... then they get DLA, bungalows provided, MENCAP support, social and support workers, mentors, carers, psychologists and then refuse to learn to read and write because they know they are on a good thing. It is either me that is insane or the world or the benefits system in the UK. I would be very grateful if you could give me advice on whether to reapply or not? Who to get help from and what sort of things to put in? Thanks very much Kevin