There are several ways to prove disability for adults, but really only one for minor children. There is the additional requirement of financial need for children’s disability claims as well.
For a child to collect disability, the household income must be under $1,640 per month.
To prove disability for children, regardless of the cause, SSA is looking for what they term, “marked” limitations in two of the following areas or an, “extreme” limitation in one.
A. Acquiring and Using New Information:
a. How are they performing in school?
B. Attending and completing tasks:
a. Can the child complete simple tasks without constant direction?
C. Interacting and relating with others:
a. Can the child form friendships? Can they hold conversations with peers and adults?
D. Moving about and manipulating objects:
a. Does the child have physical limitations that affect his or her ability to dress/write/use objects/feed themselves?
E. Caring for Self:
a. Can the child feed/bathe/dress themselves at or near the level expected for a child of that age?
F. Health and well being:
a. Is the child generally healthy or chronically ill? If chronically ill, does that interfere with their ability to be on grade level in a school setting?
There are rules for children up to the age of 3 for the different types of impairments recognized by SSA, as well as for children aged 3-18.
For additional information, please visit www.socialsecurityjustice.com or call our office at (800) 208-3104 and speak to a member of our Social Security Disability team.