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Aspergers and PIP how to explain it?

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8 years 7 months ago #167990 by calavandriel
Aspergers and PIP how to explain it? was created by calavandriel
My son who is 25 and very much his own man, has just been invited to apply for PIP when he has had DLA as a lifetime award since he was 16 and diagnosed with high functioning autism, Asperger's as it was then called (these "labels" change so often I no longer know what the world is calling it, I just know that labels are helpful. After all you'd not want the Dr treating you for measles rather than leprosy because you didn't have the right "label"). He has some other issues that I cant even get a diagnosis for and he simply does not have any understanding of his own condition nor how his thinking and behaviour is different from the norm and as such will probably be an obstacle to his own claim.

Even though both myself and the rest of the family are capable of explaining to anyone how we see him struggling on a day to day basis he will deny anything we say because he wants to appear in control of his life, even though he still lives at home with me. So I am trying to deal with the form and now have only days left due to my own ill health. He frequently tells me my view of him is a lie and he wont lie on the form or at the medical even if the family agree with me.

He does not go to the doctor often because he believes they don't listen to him and he will frequently look up his symptoms on the internet to prove he doesn't need a physician. He has depression and is on medication for it which he manages but when the chemist failed to deliver a prescription it left him without his tablets for 4 days. When he got them he doubled his dose till he caught up!

With the exception of his original diagnosis report at 16 I have no other supporting evidence from medical professionals. Even the local mental health team seem to have left him drifting even though he recently had a very bad time that involved a court appearance and he threatened to kill himself! The doctor notes only mention his Asperger's and anxiety once because in the last 9 years he must have seen them maybe 7 times in total. I cannot get the mental health team to release anything because the law is "different" about mental health records.

I love my son and to his credit he appears to function within the bounds of society but that is not strictly true as I know he wears a mask to get through the day. He works in a hobby/gaming shop and they have known him since he was a youngster as he went there with his twin to play trading cards. Without their employment I know he would not have a job. So he is lucky but they cant speak for him. He only communicates and socialises with the shop customers, lads who have known him for years, many of whom went to school with him. But he is still often bullied but doesn't realise why he's the butt of the joke so he laughs along with them, that's all part of the mask that stops him from being the "alien" but he gets very stressed by it. He once explained how tiring it was for him to play act the role all the time. Hence he is seen as a nice guy, a good egg, a bit of a clown.

He wont use public transport or coats or telephones but texting is fine and walking miles is acceptable. Getting soaked wont result in possible pneumonia. His memory is very poor unless it about magic the gathering or board games and then he comes into his own. But he recently had to appear in court and was put on probation because he does not always see right from wrong. In his logic things don't always make the same sense or connections to him as they do to us. I cant say more than that on the issue. but I can hardly put the probation service as a supporting body can I?

So how on earth do I fill in this form that's all about eating and dressing and walking and nothing about how being your own worst enemy is actually a part of your disability.

Please if anyone can help I would be so very grateful. If required I would be happy to explain further over PM.

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8 years 7 months ago #168029 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic Aspergers and PIP how to explain it?
calavandriel

Would his GP or other medical support be prepared to write a letter explaining how he lacks insight into his conditions?

As to your filling in the form, I'm afraid he will only receive an award by your showing that he has difficulties in completing the PIP activities and why, unlike DLA which in some ways took a wider view of the claimants care needs, PIP looks at very specific requirements.

One thing to consider is whether he can "reliably" do the activities and whether he can do them "on the majority of days", both of these are explained in the PIP Claim guide.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: calavandriel

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8 years 7 months ago #168059 by calavandriel
Replied by calavandriel on topic Aspergers and PIP how to explain it?
sadly all I can get from the GP will be a copy of his records at a cost of 50 pounds and there are less than 10 pages in total, and they cant even get them printed in time to send with the form, His mental health records are not even available if we ask for them, They do not hand them out apparently. So I cannot show his depression or suicidal tendencies.
Can family provide evidence?

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8 years 7 months ago #168072 by nonsmoker2008
Replied by nonsmoker2008 on topic Aspergers and PIP how to explain it?
My son like yours was a child with Aspergers who became and adult with Aspergers. He also has dyspraxia and is in quite vehmenent... however you spell it... denial that he has any problems. At all. Obviously we all know different. Where my son scores now is on needing supervision and prompting in most activities to keep him either safe, fed, clean or aware. I should imagine, if you think about it, that as parents that is what we do for our children more than others of their age. My son is now 29

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8 years 7 months ago #168075 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic Aspergers and PIP how to explain it?

calavandriel wrote: sadly all I can get from the GP will be a copy of his records at a cost of 50 pounds and there are less than 10 pages in total, and they cant even get them printed in time to send with the form, His mental health records are not even available if we ask for them, They do not hand them out apparently. So I cannot show his depression or suicidal tendencies.
Can family provide evidence?


You might want to query the charge!

Charging for medical records

Family can provide evidence, but I'll be honest and say that it will carry limited weight in comparison to medical evidence, they would need to explain their relationship to the claimant and how often they seem them and of course their observation on the claimants problems. Finally they need to attest or similar that the information is correct and sign the letter.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

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8 years 7 months ago #168098 by calavandriel
Replied by calavandriel on topic Aspergers and PIP how to explain it?
Ive had a bash at it tonight with him but he got quite angry, at one point screaming that hes not out to screw the system and he wont lie to tweek the score, Apparently we are all treating it like a game. It was very exhausting.

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