Hi,
I have a client with recently diagnosed asbergers (21) she has difficulty monitoring her intake of food at mealtimes which in the past has resulted in obesity and V.high blood sugars. She also needs encouragement to go to bed and to get up in the morning and reminding to take her medication once a day. Her communication skills are only slightly limited- she can make herself understood and she does communicate with eye contact and fascial expressions - she can get overly agitated with written correspondence if it is not clear. Bearing in mind that she has been to university and communicates well would anyone take her to appeal for the mid rate of care if she was only awarded the low rate?

You may want to have a look at Deputy Commissioner Mark's decision in CDLA/2889/2004 which relates to how a tribunal should proceed when considering a DLA appeal by a claimant suffering from Asperger's Syndrome.

There is a summary of CDLA/2889/2004 in the briefcase area of rightsnet together with a link to the full decision itself on the osscsc.gov.uk website.

One thing to check here is 'communication'. In my experience some people with Asperger's will give the impression that they understand instructions, etc., but then go on not to cope. For example, could she prioritise the things she needs to do during the day, something that we might take for granted, may take her an unreasonably long time to decide, requiring intevention from a third party. Always reminds me of the Mallinson case (seeing as a bodily function), so is 'thinking' a bodily function too? Answers on a postcard...or maybe just in Rightsnet.

Certainly many people with Asperger's can achieve lots in structured environments such as education, etc. but they may also lead tortured private lives with relationship/employment problems. Without support, mediation and understanding, they seem to run the risk of becoming depressed and entering the mental health system, where unless the underlying Asperger's is recognised and appropriate support put in place (if resourced!), the medication will fail too.

The National Autistic Society has useful stuff on their website about AS: http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=305&a=3351