Getting Disability Insurance Benefits for Oppositional Defiant Disorder

It is possible to get disability benefits in the Supplemental Security Insurance program for a child suffering from Oppositional Defiant Disorder.  Oppositional defiant disorder is described as an “ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior” and children with it may “appear very stubborn, and commonly have “temper tantrums and engage in stealing, bullying and acts of vandalism.”  Some ODD children appear as negative, defiant, unable to take "no" for an answer, intentionally annoying others, easily annoyed themselves, and blaming others for everything that goes wrong.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) may be a qualifying condition for children under the age of 18 but the child must first meet the definition of disability for children and have an income falling within the eligibility limits.

Eligibility Requirements

A child must meet all of the following requirements to be considered disabled and eligible for SSI:

1. The child must not be working and earning more than $1,000 a month in 2010.
2. The child must have a physical or mental condition, or a combination of conditions, which results in “marked and severe functional limitations.”
3. The child’s condition(s) must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months; or must be expected to result in death.

 When evaluating Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) cases, the SSI determines whether the impairment results in "marked and severe functional limitations." The applicant child’s activities are reviewed to evaluate how appropriately, effectively, and independently he can function compared to children of the same age without the impairment.  

Six Areas of Disability Function Evaluation

The SSI evaluates the effects of a child's impairment(s) by rating the degree to which the impairment(s) limits his functioning in the following six domains.

1. Acquiring and using information
2. Attending and completing tasks
3. Interacting with and relating to others
4. Moving and manipulating objects
5. Ability to Caring for himself  
6. General health and well-being

Getting Legal Help

If your child is disabled by Oppositional Defiant Disorder and needs to access Supplemental Security Insurance or Social Security Benefits it may be helpful to discuss the child’s impairment and related needs with a disability attorney in order to best protect his rights and interests.  It can be difficult to get through the requirements of Social Security and Supplemental Security Insurance without legal assistance.