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While I am sure there are lots of people who do scam the SS system with bogus disorders, Asperger's is one disorder that really can't be scammed (IF one knows what to look for in a person with Asperger's).
My son has Asperger's and was just diagnosed this year. However, he has had the disorder since birth.
He is currently trying to get SSI because he is unable to hold a job for long. (He lacks the ability to read people's body and facial language.) If he can't even handle a volunteer job without getting "fired" then it's a sure bet he can't handle a real job.
I won't be around forever. I am going to make sure that my son will be able to live financially without me - and that means taking whatever assistance is available.
I don't think a diagnosis of ADHD should allow one SS. This is one disorder that is way overblown. I've known too many children diagnosed with ADHD that were normal rambunctious children. Medication turned them into zombies.
And finally - SSI is NOT easy to get even with a diagnosis of Asperger's. I was told that SS does not care what the disorder is called....they just want to know what stops one from working.
We are into the hearing stage and I am going the lawyer route. I read that this is basically a scam by the lawyers and SS. They deny just about everyone the first two times just so people will hire these lawyers (who do nothing by SS cases). They can only take 25% of back benefits.
Over 90% of the world's supply of Ritalin is used in America. Ritalin is to kids what Viagra is to older men.
My son had ADHD in grade school. His anxiety issues were causing him grief. Had he not been prescribed Ritalin, he'd likely have dropped out of high school. He took his prescribed dose and made it through school and college.
He recognized in himself when to discontinue the medication.
To be fair it's the over prescribing and user abuse that is the real issue, IMHO.
My son had ADHD in grade school. His anxiety issues were causing him grief. Had he not been prescribed Ritalin, he'd likely have dropped out of high school. He took his prescribed dose and made it through school and college.
He recognized in himself when to discontinue the medication.
To be fair it's the over prescribing and user abuse that is the real issue, IMHO.
wrench409, for sure there are kids that need the Ritalin.
But, like any other program that gets abused, the ones that really need it become minorities in those very programs and have to dodge the disparaging comments and anger that is brought about by the scammers of the system who use it to get their free rides.
Well, while I agree with you in principle, the diagnoses of these disorders are because they are fads (remember the ADHD fad in the 80s and 90s? Well, it's back again) and because we are now able to diagnose people better and more accurately. I will give you credit, though, because more people are realizing they can get disability for these types of disorders, so yes, that is indeed a problem.
I do not think either of these disorders should be subsidized. I have a psychology degree and from what I know about mental disorders, most of them, unless severe, do not warrant a disability claim.
quote: "We are into the hearing stage and I am going the lawyer route. I read that this is basically a scam by the lawyers and SS. They deny just about everyone the first two times just so people will hire these lawyers (who do nothing by SS cases). They can only take 25% of back benefits."
Thanks for this news! This is the icing on the original scam- if you get where I'm going with the bad metaphor.....
quote: "We are into the hearing stage and I am going the lawyer route. I read that this is basically a scam by the lawyers and SS. They deny just about everyone the first two times just so people will hire these lawyers (who do nothing by SS cases). They can only take 25% of back benefits."
Thanks for this news! This is the icing on the original scam- if you get where I'm going with the bad metaphor.....
The way I see it, it's the lawyers who are scamming not the child with the illness or the parents. Binder and Binder are making money hand over fist off the sick and the fakers. Either way lawyers win and the truly sick suffer the wrath from people who have no clue.
My son is severely autistic. There is no question about his disability. I think that way too many kids are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD and its often just bogus. I think as a society we are forgetting what a real handicap is and making excuses for people when we shouldn't.
I agree there are many over medicated kids. Many parents listen to their public school teachers as though they are experts on the topic of behavior disorders. They then go to a doctor and regurgitate what the teachers claim to have observed. Many doctors are only to happy to medicate.
I have met quite a few kids diagnosed adhd, aspergers etc. As often as not I also met parents that did not discipline their children, provided no structure and invested minimal time. These folks for what ever reason either took an easy route that included making excuses for their child's bad habits and behaviors or simply gave up.
Most kids who are diagnosed I have to believe are kids who suffer a disability. How great is what is in question..
My daughter is diagnosed as severe autism. She has a job and earns some money on her own. She does receive some SSI. There is no big bucks involved. She gets a total of 671.00 in aid. She does get medication that my insurance pays for. The co-pay handled by medicare is 15.00.
Now I have met parents, too many, who encourage their kids to behave badly or act dumb. This to ensure a diagnosis. No thought at all for the child's future.
Shrinks. In dealing with my daughters problems I have met a good many shrinks. Very few of which would I trust. They were either slave to the insurance companies or had a love affair with the pharmaceutical companies. Pediatric Neurologists proved in our case to be the most reliable. Unfortunately the gov requires a shrinks word to approve a diagnosis. Drugs some shrinks recommended.
Thorazine, haladol,respidal, abilify, prozac, ritilan, valium,zoloff, and a few others. All heavy doses.
In the end we tried the abilify and at low dose. This was all it took to take her from being recommended for institutional care to becoming semi functional. If we had used drugs like haladol, thorizine or valium she would have resemmbled a house plant.
Long story short. The parent is the first and last line of defence for their child. Trust no one to care as much as you do. We are all just a number to world.
Sorry for the long post. Those of you with Autistic or special needs kids.
Bill Davis- Autism a Fathers story. By far the best book that I have yet to read on how to be a good parent to a special needs child.
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