Are U.S. children with ADHD eligible for SSI benefits?
Possibly. Prior to Welfare Reform, officially known as Professional Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), conditions such as ADHD were contained in a section of the Social Security regulations known as the “Listing of Impairments.” SSI benefits were automatically granted, as long as the parent provided sufficient medical or psychological documentation proving the child had the claimed disability. Now, maladaptive behavior categories, which for the most part contained emotional or educational disabilities along with ADHD, have been eliminated. Consequently, children with ADD or ADHD as their only disability would not automatically qualify for Social Security benefits. Under the new law, a child must have “marked and severe functional limitations.” While cases of severe ADHD may still qualify under the new definition, less severe cases which do not meet the new definition would not.
