One of the toughest cases to handle are children who are applying for disability benefits. One of the reasons why it’s difficult is because the Social Security Administration typically has a difficult time determining that a child is disabled. It’s not that they don’t want to do so but children are resilient and most of their conditions will get better over time. As such, the burden for disability determination for a child is much higher.
However, the real tough part comes from the parents. In my experience, the parents tend to fall into a variety of categories: 1) the parents do too much, 2) the parents do not enough, 3) the ‘all my other kids get SSI and the one who doesn’t have it is worse than them’ parents or 4) The ‘my child is in special classes’ parents
1) The parents who do TOO MUCH
PROBLEM
Sadly, there are some parents who are CONVINCED that their child has a problem and should be on disability. No one is saying that a parent should not be over protective. However, some parents are so ‘OFF THE CHAIN’ that they are super sensitive about every little thing. They misinterpret what the doctor is saying. They challenge everything. They push for treatment when it may not be necessary. They believe what they believe and not what the professionals tell them. Now, don’t get me wrong. Parents know their children better than anyone else but every now and then, you get a parent who may be actually be making their child’s case WORSE than what it really is.
SUGGESTION
In these cases, sometimes its best to stop for a minute and let an outside person (Whether it’s a doctor or lawyer) to re-evaluate the situation and provide some definitive assessment as to the strengths and weakness of the case. For this parent, it’s important for them to LISTEN to an objective assessment and not already decide that the person is WRONG!!
2) The parents who don’t do enough
PROBLEM
These parents are just as tough. The doctors tell them that their child needs treatment. The school tells them that their child needs special care. EVERY BODY is telling them that their child needs help. However, they have a ‘million and one’ excuses about why they can’t get them the care that they need. These cases are tough because when these parents apply for disability for these children, you may not have enough evidence to show how severe the child REALLY is because the parent will give you a thousand excuses.
SUGGESTION
These cases are the ones that tug at my heart because I spend a lot of time explaining to the parent that the child is really at the mercy of the parent. If the parent doesn’t find a way to get the child into some type of treatment, the likelihood for success is REALLY low! The best scenario is to recommend any treatment that may be available to the family so the child can get the care they need.
3) the ‘all my other kids get SSI and the one who doesn’t have it is worse than them’ parents
PROBLEM
I am always amazed at the number of parents who find themselves with more than one child receiving Supplemental Security Income and feeling the need to compare these children to the ones who don’t have SSI. What’s even tougher for the child is that the parents have a convinced them by using one child as a bench mark against the other. This problem gets worse if it the child who is receiving SSI got their check fast while the other (supposedly worse child) takes a while.
SUGGESTION
Recognize that Social Security is on a ‘case by case’ basis and in the GRANDER scheme of things, you really don’t know WHAT Social Security relied on when it approved benefits for one of your children so why fool yourself. Treat every child separately and appreciate that just because one got it, doesn’t mean they all will.
4) The ‘my child is in special classes’ parents
PROBLEM
My heart goes out to these parents because if their child is in Slow Learning Disabled or Emotional Handicapped or Extra Special Educational students, almost automatically, a parent thinks the child should be on disability. What is tough is when parents don’t understand that even if they are in these classes, they still may not qualify.
SUGGESTION
Ask for copies of your child’s psychological testing. Ask for assessments by teachers or the school counselor. Pay close attention to your children’s test scores. Keep an eye on the number of times that you have been called to the school. Watch the number of disciplinary reports. All of these things are crucial with helping you assess the severity of your child’s case.
Moms and dads, recognize this simple fact. Your child can only get the treatment he or she needs if YOU take the initiative to make sure she gets it. If you are applying for disability benefits for your child, these records are a CRUCIAL part of the disability process. If you don’t take the opportunity to make sure they have the consistent care that they need. But remember, all of these things are on a ‘case by case’ basis. There is no perfect fit so don’t think you can get the ‘magic button’ over night. Be patient and more important, be alert.
