Definition of Disability for Children

Once the non-medical determination has been made, then a child is considered disabled for SSI purposes by following these steps:

STEP 1: Is the Child Working?

This is obviously not generally a main factor in a child SSI case, but there some cases where a teenager is working.  Thus, the general definition of disability is unable to work; however, there are many different situations as to what is defined as work.  How many hours worked, the type of activity or work being done and the dollar amount are all factors in determining whether someone is “working”.  Under social security rules, this is referred to as substantial gainful activity. 

STEP 2: Does the Child have a Severe Impairment found on the Listings of Impairments or equal one of the Listings of Impairments?

For each of the major body systems, Social Security maintains a list of medical conditions that it considers so severe that it would find a child disabled. This Listing of Impairments is broken down into “Adults” and “Children” lists and is then further categorized by the type of impairment.  The conditions are currently divided into 15 categories:

• Low Birth Weight and Failure to Thrive
• Musculoskeletal System Impairments
• Special Senses and Speech Disorders
• Respiratory System Impairments
• Cardiovascular System Impairments- such as chronic heart failure
• Digestive System Impairments
• Genitourinary Disorders
• Hematological Disorders (such as sickle cell disease, chronic thrombocytopenia, and chronic anemia)
• Endocrine Disorders
• Neurological Disorders
• Skin Disorders
• Mental Disorders
• Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases)
• Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
• Immune System Disorders

If the child’s impairment(s) do not meet or equal one of these listings, the child may still be found disabled by continuing on in the child disability process.

STEP 3: Does the Child have a have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment (or combination of impairments); and does the impairment(s) result in marked and severe functional limitations; and the impairment(s) has lasted (or is expected to last) for at least one year or to result in death?

Social Security evaluates physical and mental impairments in children in terms of several domains of activity that together represent all aspects of a child’s functioning. In order to be found disabled, the child must be found to have an extreme limitation in one of these domains or a marked limitation in at least two of them.  These domains are as follows:

• Acquiring and Using Information
• Attending and Completing Tasks
• Interacting and Relating with Others
• Moving About and Manipulating Objects
• Caring For Yourself
• Health and Physical Well-being