Does Your Autistic Child Qualify For Social Security?
After having a child, one thing parents get used to saying goodbye to is extra money. Parents, however, happily make this financial sacrifices in order to make the life of their children as joyful as possible. For a parent with an autistic child, however, the sacrifices can be so great that life becomes stressful. This is because your financial needs increase as you strive to improve the quality of life for your child through doctors' visits, medications, and therapy.
Fortunately, the Social Security Administration recognizes the financial needs of a child with special needs and does offer disability benefits to ensure that an autistic child is not thought of as a financial burden. If you are the parent of a child with autism, it is in your best interest to learn everything there is to know about social security and autism.
Social Security Benefit Programs Available
The Social Security Administration of the United States currently offers two disability programs in order to help individuals and families in need. These two programs include Social Security disability insurance and supplement security income.
Social Security Disability Income (SSDI): SSDI covers disabled individuals who were able to work for a certain amount of time. In order to qualify for this type of coverage, you need to prove where you worked and for how long. This will prove that you worked long enough to receive these benefits. This particular benefits program is more suited for adults than children.
Supplement Security Income (SSI): SSI is intended for elderly individuals and disabled individuals who have low income and are unable to work. This is the better option for children, as you do not need to have or have had a job to qualify. If you are applying on behalf of your child, you will just need to submit your financial information and your monthly expenses.
How Do You Know If Your Child Qualifies?
In order for an autistic child to qualify for SSI, his/her autism must meet a certain level of severity. Namely, these qualifications must be met:
- Child struggles with social interaction
- Child struggles with communication
- Child has a limited number of activities or interests
Your child must also struggle with at least two of the following:
- Communication
- Personal Functioning
- Social Functioning
- Concentration
If you feel as though your autistic child has trouble interacting socially and struggles with communication, he/she may qualify for SSI if your family's income meets the income qualifications for the state you live in.
For more information, contact Horn & Kelley, PC Attorneys at Law or a similar firm.