I have a child with disabilities. How does social security decide on a claim?

If you have a child who has a disability, you will want to investigate the benefits that the Social Security Administration may offer for child disabilities. The major program the SSA offers for disabled children is Supplement Security Income payments to the child, which will help you make the child’s life as normal as possible, as well as helping to make sure that you have enough money to cover the cost of their medical treatments and other essential care items. The Social Security Administration will decide whether your child is eligible for SSI as a result of his disability based on a number of factors.  

• Certain disabilities are considered to be automatically eligible by the SSA’s standards.  These include HIV infection, cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, muscular dystrophy, severe mental retardation, and total blindness or total deafness.  
• Other disabilities that cause a severe functional limitation on the child’s abilities or life, or that are likely to end in death, will be considered based on doctor’s evaluations, as well as the testimony of other professionals who work with your child, including teachers and therapists.  
• The family income is also a factor

After determining that the child is disabled and eligible for SSI, payments will begin and will be re-evaluated every three years after the start of payments. You may wish to contact a lawyer to help you through this process so you can maximize your chances of getting benefits for your child.