According to the DisabilityScoop, more children are being born with disabilities today than a decade ago. The website reports that the increase is due to an “increased diagnosis of neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions.”
According to the website, researchers reviewed data from the National Health Interview Survey, a poll of more than 100,000 parents of children up to age 17 conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), comparing responses from 2009-2010 to those collected in 2001-2002. The data showed that “six million children had a disability in 2009-2010, an increase of one million over the previous sampling.” Researchers found that the “rate of neurodevelopmental disabilities nearly doubled for children under age 6.”
“The survey did not break out autism, but we suspect that some of the increase in neurodevelopmental disabilities is due to the rising incidence or recognition of autism spectrum disorders,” Amy Houtrow of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine told DisabilityScoop.
These numbers are alarming and should be a focal point for conversations about benefits and services for the disabled, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Last month, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin announced that more than 60,000 Oklahoma residents have developmental disabilities, while a wait list of more than 7,000 people are seeking disability services from the Department of Human Services.
If you have questions about applying for disability benefits or are unsure if you even qualify, contact a Tulsa Social Security disability attorney. We offer free evaluations of your case, and you may reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404. Contact us today to learn more about your rights.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security disability attorneys
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