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Mental disability affecting more children

It’s one of the biggest fears of every parent: a child who is physically or mentally disabled. AAP News, a newsmagazine by The American Academy of Pediatrics, said while there are fewer children who are physically disabled, a higher rate are now diagnosed with mental illness.

The report, originally published in Pediatrics, found that the number of children under the age of 18 with a disability rose from 6.9 to 7.9 percent, or 4.99 million to 5.91 million, from 2001 to 2011. While the rate of children affected by physical ailments shrunk over that decade, the number of children with a mental disorder grew more than 20 percent.

Mental disability was found to know no bounds or social status, as even homes well above the poverty line experienced a vast increase in children affected.

Parents may have a hard time figuring out what to do when they find out their son or daughter has been diagnosed with autism, anxiety, depression or another mental disorder. However, not all hope is lost. While disability benefits from the Social Security Administration may not solve every problem, the additional money can help pay doctors bills and ensure your child is getting the best possible treatment for their disability.

While mental illness is on the rise among children, the proof necessary to convince the SSA that a child meets the their definition of disability is critical to obtaining benefits. Attaining physicians notes and reports, IEP reports, schools records and psychological testing are necessary to convince SSA judges of the merits of a child’s disability claim.

The Law Offices of Harold W. Conick and Associates are expert advocates in these cases and have successfully represented numerous children suffering from mental illness before SSA judges.