DLA- mobility for under 5s

[hatter]

I have a pile of forms to get through and at the top is my reapplication for DLA mobility for my 3 1/2 year old. I had been finding it increasingly difficult out and about with him, when my social worker said I should apply, and that she would help me. Unfortunately she is off sick indefinately so is unable to help (she was helping me with a lot of other things as well). I don't want to ask for another social worker as mine really seems to understand our needs.

 

I think I should reapply, focussing on behavioural issues (though he does have other physical problems) which I skimmed over in my application last summer, but I don't know if I'm wasting my time and energy.

 

All this has got me thinking that maybe rather than applying for benefits, maybe I should be focussing on the behaviours which are causing the problem and trying to work on them. One example- if we are waking along the street he will hold my hand UNTIL we try to cross a road and then he pulls away- I end up carrying him (kicking and screaming usually) or putting him back in the pushchair. He has no concept of danger so how would I teach him not to do this?

 

Obviously there is a balance between accepting him for who he is (which I do), and changing behaviours (only the downright dangerous things- there is so much I wouldn't change at all) which will make life easier in the long run.

 

I'm confused to say the least I seem to lurch from one point of the day to the next without thinking how I could improve things. so any advice/ input would be appreciated.

[gruff]

Hi hatter

 

I am a firm believer in positive reinforcement regarding behaviour - ie charts etc.

On crossing the road could you ask him to decide where to cross - letting him know that you are soon going to have to cross and if he holds your hand as your crossing gets a reward.

Sorry cant be much help with claiming as I havent got round to doing that yet myself.

Hope this helps a little.

[Jericho]

I think it can be very difficult to get the mobility component for under-5's unless there is an actual physical problem - usually that they can't walk at all. We applied for DLA for my eldest when he was 3.5yrs. He was a nightmare near roads and would just throw himself to the ground for no apparent reason, even if we were halfway across the road at the time. He also regularly ran off and was generally a complete nightmare to deal with. We didn't get the mobility component but will be able to make a claim for this when he turns 5 this year.

 

You may find that the DLA money wilwilwill actually help you with interventions etc. We used some of ours to help pay for materials to help with his speech therapy and visual timetables etc. It also enabled us to buy a laminator and laminating pouches which we used a great deal of for picture cards, labels, exercises etc.

[lisa]

Jericho

 

Where did you get the laminator? I could really do with one.

 

Lisa

[Joe's gran]

Hello Lisa,

They were selling personal laminators in Sainsbury's (here in Northern England) last week. (Yep we were surprised too) Only about �20.

Worth giving them a ring perhaps.

Love Joe's gran.

[Jericho]

We got our laminator from Argos. I think it was about �20 or so. It's a straightforward A4 size one with a hot and a cold setting. It takes about 5mins to warm up and away you go.

[lisa]

I always thought laminators would be really expensive. One'd be brilliant for their timetables. Thanks Jericho and Joe's Gran.

 

Lisa

[baileyj]

We get high rate care DLA for Max, but were refused mobility and told to re-apply when he was 5.

 

I have a similar problem with my 4 year old Max, he will only go anywhere in his buggy. If we try and get him to walk he just screams or stands their with hands in the air to be picked up. He is getting far too heavy for picking up and far too big for his buggy. I think he feels safe in his buggy, particularly in shops.

 

Ive even been considering buying a McClaren Major Stroller, but would this be giving in, should I try and get him to walk? Any ideas, has anyone got one or used one?

 

They are �200 new and what if he then decides not to go in it?

 

Any advise?

 

Jo

[hatter]

Jo, I use one of those hip seats which you wear like a belt (it's called hippychick), it's good for carrying him fairly short distances-it gives him a sense of security too. I hardly carry Ivan without one these days because I've hurt my back so many times. It really takes the strain off my arm and my wrist too. He's getting too big for his pushchair so I'm thinking about getting a major buggy- mainly from the safety point of view. I've been told by Ivan's OT that we may be able have one on loan as they're very pricey- I'll have to chase it up.

Edited February 7, 2005 by hatter

[MichelleW]

I have major difficulties getting my 5 year old to walk to school (refusal to walk, hugging lamp-posts, jumping on every metal plate in the path etc. etc.), and it's even worse now as I have to take my 6 month old baby in the pushair. I bought a buggy board (as my son is quite light I thought it might work) and it did help. But then a bit fell off and I couldn't find it, and now that I can't use the buggy board the situation is much worse. It's hard work pushing a pushchair with a five year old on it as well - but better than trying to get him to walk. But what I did realise though, was that it wasn't so much the walking that Jordan didn't like, but the fact that he was going to school. I'm going to try taking him in the car to get him as close as possible - I don't think it will cure the screaming - just make it a bit shorter in duration.

 

The thing that I am most worried about when using a buggyboard or a special puschair, is that the other children will notice and he might get teased or bullied as he gets older.

 

Also shopping is difficult, the special disabled child trolleys are great - but I've no-where to put the baby! Being a single parent is even harder with an AS child and a baby!

[candy]

I'm coming to this thread late but we get higher rate DLA for our son but did get full mobility for him at age 3.

Scroll down to the mobility advice on this NAS link

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=300&a=3330

My son does have Piedro Boots to correct toe walking but I think we emphasised that our son is severely mentally impaired and has severe behavioural problems as the NAS states more than the toe walking on the form.

[katysmum]

hi all

has anyone had any joy in applying for the mobility part of dla?

katy will be 5 in 2 weeks, and we were told to apply then for it, now i have read this and we could have applied sooner.

katy already gets the high rate of the care componenet- which beleive it or not, we got within weeks of applying, first time, no appeals!!! we were shocked to say the least!

dreading the form filling-any tips would be fab

thanks all

sharon

[sharron]

hi, we get the high rate dla for care and mobility from when k was 3 he is now 8,we just told them that he had severe behavior problem's and that he would only walk short distance's without becoming distressed and throwing tantrum's he still can't handle walking in crowded space's or unfamiliar surrounding so we have a wheelchair for him it is his way of coping with different place's we had the wheelchair through occupational therapist's, prior to that he had a maclaren pushchair which l got through my health visitor hope this help's.

sharron

[MichelleW]

I'm only getting the medium rate of care componant and the lowest rate of mobility from next week, when Jordan turns 5. I was hoping for the higher rate of mobility, but as I didn't expect anything, I was grateful for what I did get. I think that because Jordan can walk quite well when there aren't too many people around, he can actually walk further before getting too distressed - which probably influenced the decision to put him on the lowest rate of mobility.

[baddad]

Hi Hatter et al -

 

The mobility component is definitely harder to get for under 5's but changes a couple of years ago do mean they recognise bahavioural issues that impact on mobilty as well as physical impediments... As always, it's a matter of interpreting the criteria in the 'right' way and describing how your childs problems are different from those of an NT child.

It should be ###### obvious to assessors as soon as they read the rest of your form: (IE) Compromised awareness of common dangers, Irrational (?) fears leading to unpredictable behaviour, compromised 'hearing' & 'sight' (not because of physical impairment but because of mental 'focus'/oversensitivity...), inability to walk more than two feet without stopping to look at something (i.e. a particularly interesting pile of dogs poo/dead slug/live slug/dogs poo with a slug in it )for half an hour and potential behavioural issues if thwarted in that etc etc etc...

Sadly, leaps of logic like that seem impossible for your average assessor, so we have to spell it out: an unnecessarily 'negative' and emotional task all round...

 

This wasn't an issue for Ben, 'cos under fives weren't included then (well they were for last year but I couldn't be a***d!), but unless a review is due soon I think it is important that the mobility issues are made a point of record at the very least, as the next thing will be that when he is 5 they'll say "Well does that mean a deterioration in skills, 'cos this wasn't mentioned last time"

 

Best with it

BD

[MichelleW]

I did say, on the forms, that Jordan stops at every metal plate in the path, hugs lamposts, tried to go into every garden that doesn't have a gate, and that's when there aren't any people around. If we're walking in a crowded area, such as by the school, his stimming increases, and he has spat at a passing child (for no apparent reason). he screams on the way to school, and will just stop dead - almost causing a people pile up! But he still only gets the lowest rate of mobility. I don't see how much worse he can get!

[hatter]

I just wanted to say that Ivan now qualifies for high rate mobility We were turned down a few months ago and I asked them to review their decision, I also wrote a very long and detailed letter explaining why Ivan needs more help than a 'typical' child. A couple of weeks ago I rang them because we still hadn't had a decision after 11 weeks, and they said they were waiting for a response from his consultant. Anyway it came through today- it's going to make getting around so much easier- I've got to try and get a passport type photo of him (not going to be easy!) for the blue badge application now.

 

Oh, and Ivan used the toilet for a wee AND poo today for the first time!!!! (he's never even used his potty before, and never sat on it without a nappy before!)

[nellie]

Well done hatter

 

And a round of applause for Ivan!!

 

Nellie xx