Bus Passes

This is a very interesting discussion.

A representative of Healthwatch classed me as having a learning disability and I have Asperger's.  she could of course have misunderstood what AS is, and I did find it slightly offensive personally, especially as my emails were clearly not written by someone with a learning disability.

But I think that I misunderstood what a learning disability is.  A learning disability can refer to any ordinary skill, so we do have learning disability in some areas, such as socially.  I doubt they'd be able to discriminate because of the specifics of the learning disability.

It says this on this website:

http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/related-conditions/learning-disabilities.aspx

What are learning disabilities?

"People with autism can have different 'degrees' of learning disability, which can affect all aspects of their life, from studying in school to learning how to wash themselves or make a meal. Some people will be able to live fairly independently - although they may need a degree of support to achieve this - while others may require lifelong, specialist support.

People with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome do not usually have accompanying learning disabilities, but may still have specific learning difficulties - such as dyslexia - or other related conditions such as ADHD or epilepsy.

If someone has a learning difficulty (as opposed to a learning disability), this means that they have difficulties in a specific area, for example someone with dyslexia will have difficulties recognising words, reading or writing."

I have a lot of trouble with maths, have always found it incredibly difficult and scored very low in all tests.  I would definitely class that deficit as a learning disability.

You may also find  this website interesting:

http://www.outsider-insight.org.uk/content/aspergers-learning-disability

On this NHS website they do include Asperger's as a learning disability:

http://www.tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/learningdisabilitiesaspergersautism

"The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

Leaders in mental health care and Education

A diagnosis of a complex learning disability, including autism or Asperger’s, can have a profound impact upon the whole family. Although families have often already seen a number of professionals, some can remain confused about the situation and for many the diagnosis itself can be traumatic."

I have a driving licence, but I cannot drive outside of areas I know, and am on hyper-alert a lot of the time when I am driving.  I also have to be very careful as if I drive after going out/having to be somewhere social I struggle not to zone out when I am driving home.

What about people who haven't specifically been banned from obtaining a driving licence from a condition, but have Asperger's and feel too anxious to take lessons or have severe traits that mean they cannot cope with the driving instructions?  Also, even once you have your licence your condition can fluctuate.

The DVLA list Asperger's as one of those things you shouldn't drive if your GP tells you you shouldn't. 

My opinion is that AS would (or should) count, so make your application giving very full information on the limitations of you driving/starting driving again.

This is a very interesting discussion.

A representative of Healthwatch classed me as having a learning disability and I have Asperger's.  she could of course have misunderstood what AS is, and I did find it slightly offensive personally, especially as my emails were clearly not written by someone with a learning disability.

But I think that I misunderstood what a learning disability is.  A learning disability can refer to any ordinary skill, so we do have learning disability in some areas, such as socially.  I doubt they'd be able to discriminate because of the specifics of the learning disability.

It says this on this website:

http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/related-conditions/learning-disabilities.aspx

What are learning disabilities?

"People with autism can have different 'degrees' of learning disability, which can affect all aspects of their life, from studying in school to learning how to wash themselves or make a meal. Some people will be able to live fairly independently - although they may need a degree of support to achieve this - while others may require lifelong, specialist support.

People with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome do not usually have accompanying learning disabilities, but may still have specific learning difficulties - such as dyslexia - or other related conditions such as ADHD or epilepsy.

If someone has a learning difficulty (as opposed to a learning disability), this means that they have difficulties in a specific area, for example someone with dyslexia will have difficulties recognising words, reading or writing."

I have a lot of trouble with maths, have always found it incredibly difficult and scored very low in all tests.  I would definitely class that deficit as a learning disability.

You may also find  this website interesting:

http://www.outsider-insight.org.uk/content/aspergers-learning-disability

On this NHS website they do include Asperger's as a learning disability:

http://www.tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/learningdisabilitiesaspergersautism

"The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

Leaders in mental health care and Education

A diagnosis of a complex learning disability, including autism or Asperger’s, can have a profound impact upon the whole family. Although families have often already seen a number of professionals, some can remain confused about the situation and for many the diagnosis itself can be traumatic."

I have a driving licence, but I cannot drive outside of areas I know, and am on hyper-alert a lot of the time when I am driving.  I also have to be very careful as if I drive after going out/having to be somewhere social I struggle not to zone out when I am driving home.

What about people who haven't specifically been banned from obtaining a driving licence from a condition, but have Asperger's and feel too anxious to take lessons or have severe traits that mean they cannot cope with the driving instructions?  Also, even once you have your licence your condition can fluctuate.

The DVLA list Asperger's as one of those things you shouldn't drive if your GP tells you you shouldn't. 

My opinion is that AS would (or should) count, so make your application giving very full information on the limitations of you driving/starting driving again.