If you are the parent of a child with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, you don't need me to tell you how difficult a 'normal' lifestyle can be.
Not only will your child have some level of social and communication difficulties, they may well also need speech and language therapy or regular occupational therapy that unless you pay for privately, you face a long NHS wait (in the UK) or it may not be available at all. Going for days out maybe out of the question because of long queues or simply the stress of facing the world and other people maybe too much.
You may even need to get hold of specialist equipment such as writing slopes, special types of pen or even a laptop that would make your child's life so much easier but it all costs money.
If your child has a disability that affects their life so that they need more help than an average child of their age, you may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance. It is made up of two components, The Care component and the Mobility component. You can call the DWP for a form, or you can now apply for it online. It's a tricky form to fill out, because it's not really set out for children with ASD, but there is advice on the NAS website on how to go about it.
If you are refused, you can call up and ask for a reconsideration of the case if you think what you have said has been misinterpreted, or, failing that, you can appeal. We get the middle rate of care and the lower mobility rate for both our Asperger's sons, and it's worth more than £250 a month each. This helps towards the costs of specialist education, which includes OT and SLT that we would otherwise find difficult to afford.
If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs they may be able to get a laptop or other IT equipment from the LEA. Ask your school to arrange an IT assessment. My younger son has an LEA laptop that he makes really good use of.
If your child qualifies for DLA and you are their main carer, and you don't earn over £90 a week, you can claim Carer's Allowance, which is worth around £53 a week. Not a lot, but if their condition prevents you from earning money through working, (eg, you can't leave them with childminders after school or in holidays because of their condition) then you also can't claim job-seeker's allowance, so every little helps.
If your child gets DLA, you are also eligible for a cinema card. This means that one person/carer accompanying your child to the cinema can get in free. It costs £5.50 and is valid for a year. You get a photocard with the child's details so it doesn't have to be the same person taking them each time.
Many children with ASD love going to theme parks, but cannot stand to queue which means that they rarely get to go. However, many theme parks have special passes or stamps which mean you can use the exit as an entrance, thus avoiding the queue altogether. We did this and got around Legoland's rides so quickly, we were able to leave by 2pm having been on everything and with barely any stress. Other attractions also have reduced rates for the disabled or free entry for carers. Check their websites or call them up before you go.
The above are in addition to the usual child and work related tax credits which are availabe to anyone who qualifies. More information on what you may be able to claim can be found at the Disability Alliance website
Tania is an experienced broadcast and print journalist & author. She also runs a PR, web & social media consultancy, SocialOro Media.
Tania is a rare disease & chronic pain patient advocate with Ehlers Danlos syndrome.
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