You are considering adopting a child who has special needs. The decision is the toughest one you have ever made. Although adopting a special needs child presents more challenges than adopting a healthy child. The challenges can deliver rewards that go beyond your greatest expectations.
Answering the following questions should get you moving forward in your quest to adopt a child who has special needs.
- What are the challenges you are willing to face?
- Do you have the finances to take care of a special needs child?
- Will your school district be able to make special accommodations?
- What are the resources that you need to become parents of a special needs child?
- Can your doctor provide the right level of medical support?
Know What Medical Support You Need
Raising a special needs child requires a considerable amount of medical support. The answer to the medical questions that you have should come from a physician who has worked with kids that have similar mental, physical, and/or emotional issues. Before you bring a special needs child to your physician for the first appointment, make sure to obtain medical information that goes well beyond what the adoption agency provided for you.
- Family medical history
- Length of gestation
- Birth weight and height
- Present health statistics
- Developmental status
- History of vaccinations
Answering the Financial Support Question
From budgeting for daily expenses to planning guardianship, understanding the amount of financial resources you need to have to raise a special needs child is perhaps the most important tip of all. One financial resource that can help mitigate your financial burden is your health insurance policy. Does your current policy cover every one of your child’s mental, physical, and/or emotional issues? For financial support during the adoption process, you can seek out special tax benefits and financial support options.
You can gain access to the financial assistance provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA). A special needs child can become eligible for disability benefits for a wide variety of disabilities if the child meets the requirements listed by the SSA.
Here are a few qualifying conditions listed by the SSA:
- Cognitive impairments
- Vision and/or hearing loss
- Neurological disorder
- Genetic complications such as Down syndrome
- Cancer
- Autism
To determine eligibility for Social Security insurance benefits, the SSA takes a close look at a child’s medical records, academic information, and details of the child’s daily routine. Applying for financial assistance involves participating in an interview with a representative from the SSA. If you adopt a special needs child that qualifies you for financial assistance, you receive benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program that is managed by the SSA. To begin the application process, you can submit an application online, over the phone or in person at a nearby SSA field office.
Get to Know a Special Needs Child
One of the best ways to prepare for raising a special needs child is to spend time with the child. You should discover how to handle a wide range of potentially troublesome situations, as well as get an understanding of what makes a special needs child react in certain ways. Another way to familiarize yourself with the obligations assumed by a special needs parent is to spend time with a parent who is raising a child who has similar needs.
Ask for Help
Raising a special needs child should involve the support of friends and family members. You can expect to feel overwhelmed at times but knowing that you are providing for a child in need is the ultimate reward when you accept the responsibility of adopting a special needs child.
Resources:
- https://www.specialneedsalliance.org/blog/adopting-a-child-with-special-needs/
- https://www.ssa.gov/
- https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/adoptive/expenses/
- https://www.disabilitybenefitscenter.org/supplemental-security-income
- https://www.disabilitybenefitscenter.org/state-social-security-disability
This article was published as a guest post from the Disability Benefits Center.
