CHILDREN'S SSI DISABILITY CASES

As Social Security Disability lawyers, we help families who apply for SSI children's benefits in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts present their disability claims as strongly as possible to the Social Security Administration. We have helped hundreds of people obtain Social Security Disability benefits and hundreds of families obtain SSI child benefits.

To qualify for benefits from Social Security, your child must be found disabled and your family must have income and financial resources that are below certain amounts. Children that qualify for disability payments receive benefits called Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The maximum monthly benefit in Connecticut and Massachusetts is around $750.

We Only Charge a Fee If We Win Your Child’s SSI Disability Case

Children Can Qualify for SSI in Two Ways

Your child can be approved for SSI disability benefits in two ways:

Qualifying for Children's SSI Disability Through Marked Impairments

Your child has a marked impairment in a domain if the impairment seriously hinders your child's functioning in that domain. For areas of functioning that can be measured with psychological or educational testing, an impairment is marked if the scores are between 2 and 3 standard deviations below average. If your child is younger than 3, he or she has a marked impairment if he or she functions at a level more than one-half but less than two-thirds of his or her age.

In regard to the domain of health and physical well being, your child has an extreme impairment if he or she is frequently ill or has frequent exacerbations with significant symptoms or signs. "Frequent" means that the illnesses or exacerbations (1) happen an average of 3 times a year and last at least 2 weeks, or (2) happen more than 3 times a year but do not last for 2 weeks, or (3) happen less than 3 times a year but last longer than 2 weeks.

Qualifying for Children's SSI Disability Through Extreme Impairments

Your child has extreme impairment in a domain if the impairment very seriously hinders your child's functioning in that domain. For areas of functioning that can be measured with psychological or educational testing, an impairment is extreme if the scores are at least 3 standard deviations below average. If your child is younger than 3, he or she has an extreme impairment if he or she functions at a level less than one-half of his or her age.

In regard to the domain of health and physical well being, your child has an extreme impairment if he or she is frequently ill or has frequent exacerbations that are substantially greater than the requirements for a marked limitation.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

If your child's condition improves with appropriate medication (such as Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta) and psychiatric treatment, he or she generally will not qualify for disability.

If your child's ADHD is not severe enough to meet these requirements but still causes marked impairments, your child may qualify for disability if he or she has marked impairments in one or more additional domains of functioning.

Learning Disabilities / Special Education

If your child has a learning disability, the easiest way for your child to qualify for SSI disability is if his or her IQ test scores meet one of the following requirements:

If your child's learning disability is not severe enough to meet these requirements but still causes marked impairments, your child may qualify for disability if he or she has marked impairments in one or more additional domains of functioning.

Along with IQ scores, report cards and PPT meeting reports can help to show the severity of your child's learning disability. Because learning disabled children are often in special education, it is important to provide information about the additional help provided to children in the special ed classroom.

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