What are the criteria with AS to get DLA?

@Openheart: I feel your frustration and pain.  I'm in a similar position right now, but I don't have the angry element much because I am just too mentally exhausted.  I used to be able to function reasonably, if with a lot of anxiety.  But I am losing my independence skills and I cannot even make a phone call these last few days.

I think more acknowledgement needs to be made that when you have any mental health condition filling a form in, or even speaking to someone else to help you do it is virtually impossible.

I just cannot understand when people have official diagnoses why you need to qualify your health and don't just get the benefits automatically.

I think the NAS needs to fight our corner on this.

It is utterly soul-destroying when you have filled in a seemingly never-ending form, anxiously worrying whether you understood the questions properly, whether you answered literally or explained enough, that you get refused.

One could argue, that if autism is caused by something environmental (whether it be vaccinations, pollution or whatever) that the government holds a responsibility to us and ought to treat benefits like DLA as compensation for what they have done.

@Openheart: I feel your frustration and pain.  I'm in a similar position right now, but I don't have the angry element much because I am just too mentally exhausted.  I used to be able to function reasonably, if with a lot of anxiety.  But I am losing my independence skills and I cannot even make a phone call these last few days.

I think more acknowledgement needs to be made that when you have any mental health condition filling a form in, or even speaking to someone else to help you do it is virtually impossible.

I just cannot understand when people have official diagnoses why you need to qualify your health and don't just get the benefits automatically.

I think the NAS needs to fight our corner on this.

It is utterly soul-destroying when you have filled in a seemingly never-ending form, anxiously worrying whether you understood the questions properly, whether you answered literally or explained enough, that you get refused.

One could argue, that if autism is caused by something environmental (whether it be vaccinations, pollution or whatever) that the government holds a responsibility to us and ought to treat benefits like DLA as compensation for what they have done.