The 4 Golden Rules of DLA
1. The Worst Day Rule
Do not describe a "good day". The DWP assesses based on your child's highest level of need. If they have a meltdown 4 days out of 7, answer the question as if that happens every day.
2. The "Compared To" Rule
Always compare your child to a neurotypical child of the exact same age. If your 9-year-old needs help wiping themselves, point out that a typical 9-year-old does not.
3. The "So What?" Rule
If your child "can" do something, but it takes them 45 minutes and causes severe anxiety, they cannot do it reliably. Explain what happens if you don't step in.
4. Frequency is Key
The DWP loves numbers. Never say "sometimes." Say "3 times a day for 20 minutes." They use these exact numbers to calculate if needs are "frequent" or "prolonged."
Translating the Questions
Click on the notoriously tricky sections of the DLA form below to see how to translate your parental instincts into DWP-compliant answers.
The Trap: Parents often say "Yes, they can dress themselves" because the child physically knows how to put a shirt on. But DLA looks at executive function and sensory barriers.
❌ What parents write:
"He can dress himself, but he takes a long time and I have to keep reminding him to put his socks on."
✅ What the DWP needs:
"He lacks the executive function to initiate dressing. He requires continuous verbal prompting for 30 minutes every morning. He has severe sensory processing issues; if a sock seam touches his toe, he has a violent meltdown and must be physically restrained to prevent self-harm. A typical 8-year-old dresses independently in 5 minutes."
The Trap: Assuming this only applies if the child is incontinent. It also applies to hygiene, wiping, and recognizing bodily signals.
❌ What parents write:
"She is toilet trained but sometimes has accidents if she is playing."
✅ What the DWP needs:
"She has poor interoception (cannot feel bodily signals) due to autism. She hyper-focuses on tasks and will soil herself 3 times a week. She requires physical assistance to wipe correctly to prevent infections. I must prompt her to use the toilet every 2 hours during the day. A neurotypical 10-year-old manages their hygiene entirely independently."
The Trap: Thinking "mobility" only applies to physical disabilities or wheelchairs. For neurodivergent children, "Severe Mental Impairment" causing behavioral refusal or danger unawareness counts heavily.
❌ What parents write:
"His legs work fine, but he doesn't look when he crosses the road and he hates walking to the supermarket."
✅ What the DWP needs:
"Due to severe ADHD impulsivity, he has zero danger awareness. He will unpredictably bolt into moving traffic if he sees something interesting. He requires a firm grip on his wrist at all times outdoors. Due to sensory overload, he experiences 'Sensory Refusal' and will collapse on the pavement screaming, requiring me to physically carry him (weighing 30kg) to safety."
The Trap: The DWP defines "night" as the time when the adults go to bed. To get the highest care component, you must prove the child needs "prolonged" (20+ minutes) or "repeated" (2+ times) care throughout the night.
❌ What parents write:
"She is a terrible sleeper. It takes ages to get her to sleep and she always wakes up crying."
✅ What the DWP needs:
"Due to high anxiety and low melatonin production associated with autism, she requires active, physical settling (Deep Pressure Therapy) for 90 minutes every evening. She wakes on average 3 times a night in a state of distress. Each waking requires me to be awake for 30-45 minutes to administer prescribed medication and physically calm her. This happens 6 nights out of 7."
- "Requires continuous verbal prompting to initiate tasks" (Executive Dysfunction)
- "Requires physical intervention to maintain safety" (Impulsivity / Meltdowns)
- "Experiences severe sensory overload resulting in..." (Sensory Processing)
- "Cannot complete this reliably, safely, or in a reasonable timeframe."