The Social Security Administration's Functional
Equivalence Domains: General Health and Well-Being
There are two pathways to obtaining the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits needed to help care for your disabled child. The most direct pathway is to get the SSA to determine that based on the medical evidence, your child's impairment (or combination of impairments) meets or medically equals one of the listings for children. Unfortunately, many children are not able to meet or equal a listing solely on the basis of medical evidence.
The second pathway to obtaining SSI benefits for your child is getting the SSA to agree that your child's impairment (or combination of impairments) functionally equals a listing.
Measuring General Health and Physical Well-Being
Unlike the other five domains of functional equivalence, which assess your child's abilities in relation to children of the same age who do not have any impairments, the "general health and physical well-being" domain looks at the way a recurrent illness, or the side effects of medication or the need for ongoing treatment, actually affect a child's body and their sense of physical well-being.
The SSA's example limitations include:
- Has generalized symptoms caused by an impairment(s) (for example, tiredness due to depression)
- Has somatic complaints related to an impairment(s) (for example, epilepsy)
- Has chronic medication side effects (for example, dizziness)
- Needs frequent treatment or therapy (for example, multiple surgeries, breathing treatments, or chemotherapy)
- Experiences periodic exacerbations (for example, pain crises in sickle cell anemia)
- Needs intensive medical care as a result of being medically fragile
NOTE: Before a child can qualify for SSI benefits, the SSA must find that, when compared to children without impairments in the same age group, your child has either an "extreme deviation" (three steps below the norm) in one domain or "marked deviations" (two steps below the norm) in at least two domains.
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Shifrin Newman Smith Inc. has been exclusively dedicated to handling claims for government disability benefits since 1985. We are driven by a passion for helping people who need it and will not turn you away, even if you do not have a great case. We have a well-earned reputation for being able to accomplish the impossible and have helped thousands of people throughout the state of Ohio, including many disabled children and their families.
If you have other questions about the SSA's process for determining whether your child is legally disabled or SSI benefits for children — call 877-230-5500 or contact our lawyers online to make arrangements for a free consultation.
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