Physical disabilities are a clear and obvious sign that something isn’t right with a person. It needn’t take a doctor to give a diagnosis to make that clear. Even assessors for Atos would see that a DLA claimant with a clear physical disability isn’t fit for work
But what about autism? It doesn’t always manifest itself in physical form, but its there. It’s a lifelong condition, so there’s no cure. It will be with the “victim” always. It can make life hard and a challenge, but it’s not the end of life as we know it. We first noticed things weren’t quite right with Matthew when he was about 18 months old. He would sit in his high chair and flap his arms uncontrollably, and was “miles away”. After a few weeks, I said to Matthew’s mum that I’d never seen any other children do that. We decided to take him to our GP, setting us on a path that would change his – and our – lives for good. The diagnosis process was long and stressful.Click here for more
