In order to receive Social Security disability benefits for a child suffering from autism, your child must suffer from a number of cognitive impairments and impairments in social and personal functioning.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will look for signs that a child suffers from multiple types of impairments when evaluating eligibility for benefits on the basis of his autism. For instance, the child must have deficits in social interaction, communication and imagination, and must be limited by his or her activities and interests. These limitations must impact the child’s cognitive, personal, social and social functioning.
Proving these types of impairments is frequently done through the results of standardized tests. For instance, you can establish the extent of cognitive and communicative impairment by using standardized tests as well as special tests for language development. In the case of social functioning impairment, your claim may depend on evaluations by a doctor and observations of the child’s capacity to form relationships, interact with others, including parents, adults, and peers. Personal functioning refers to the child’s ability to look after himself, perform self-grooming tasks and dressing, eating, and visiting the toilet on his own.
A child who suffers from Autism may qualify for Social Security disability benefits, but the symptoms must meet a certain standard in order to be eligible for benefits. The Social Security Administration will require extensive documentation, including your child’s clinical history, standardized test scoring, medical records, lab results, and other documentation. Also, you will want to provide a report from your doctor containing a summary about your child’s treatment. In almost all cases dealing with autism, a skilled lawyer can help increase the chances of success in a claim for disability benefits