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DOWNS SYNDROME AND DISABILITY BENEFITS

 

Downs Syndrome may qualify for automatic SSI disability in children. A child with Translocation Syndrome or Trisomy 21 will usually be classified as disabled from birth. This type of syndrome affects about 98 percent of the Downs Syndrome population. Social Security will want a diagnosis from a medically acceptable source and they will want certain tests.Once the documentation is presented, an SSI disability award may be automatic. Keep in mind that SSI is a needs -program for families with limited resources and income. SSI counts the parents' income and resources when the claimant is under age 18. With adult claimants (age 18 or over), the parents' income/resources no longer count and it may be much easier to qualify for SSI with Downs Syndrome.

Those with Mosaic Down syndrome may qualify, but your child would need more than a diagnosis to be approved. Because [according to SSA] people with Mosaic Down syndrome may not have as many intellectual or physical disabilities as those with other forms of Down syndrome, you’ll need to meet another listing in the Blue Book to qualify. Social Security will consider the complications of Downs Syndrome in making a decision.

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The Forsythe Firm, Social Security Disability Representation, Huntsville, AL (256) 799-0297.

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