Aspergers and PIP how to explain it?

calavandriel wrote: 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.

I have high functioning AS and I know exactly how your son feels. Socially, life is tremendously difficult.

I accept that I have AS but have only recently realised that I should read more about the condition so I can understand myself better.

I imagine you have tried but nevertheless, I'll suggest it anyway, to explain to him that this is a benefit which will help him in life financially and make life a little easier and less stressful for him, because AS makes it difficult for him to reach his full potential in some respects?

I hope you guys get through it and manage to get what he rightfully deserves.

I'm interested to hear how you get on- I filled in my pip form with a 'probable ' aspergers diagnosis ( was still going through assessment at the time I filled in my pip), and now between my original application and currently waiting for a tribunal hearing , I have received my official ASD diagnosis.