What to expect in SSA interview for Child-in-Care benefits after child turns 16 with disabilities?

I went through this exact process with my daughter last year. The interview is primarily focused on establishing the evidence of disability that meets SSA's definition. They asked detailed questions about: 1. Medical diagnoses and when they began 2. How the disabilities affect daily activities and self-care 3. Educational accommodations or special programs 4. Treatment history and current treatments 5. Names/contact info for all doctors and specialists They didn't ask about expenses or rent during this interview - that's more for SSI applications which is different. This interview is focused on determining if your son meets the adult disability criteria for Social Security purposes. Bring any recent medical reports or IEP documents if you have them. The interview took about 45 minutes for us.

i had this meeting last month for my kid. they basicaly want to know if ur kid can work or not. thats the big question. its all about if they can hold a job without help. my daughter has downs and they approved her right away but my friend with autistic son had harder time proving it.

The deeming process for Child-in-Care benefits when a child turns 16 follows adult disability determination standards, so they're primarily concerned with whether your child can perform substantial gainful activity (SGA). For 2025, that means earning more than $1,550/month. The technical term for what you're applying for is "Childhood Disability Benefits" (CDB), sometimes called "Disabled Adult Child" benefits. Since your son has severe autism with intellectual disability, the key factors they'll assess are: - Ability to communicate effectively - Ability to interact with others appropriately - Ability to follow instructions and complete tasks - Level of support needed for daily activities Bring documentation of his limitations from multiple sources: medical records, school evaluations, psychologist reports, etc. Also helpful to have a letter from any vocational counselors who've evaluated him. This is just the initial interview - after this, they'll likely schedule a consultative exam with an SSA doctor as part of the determination process.

Just went through this. Make sure u bring ID for both of u. They'll ask lots of medical questions. It took like a hour total. My daughter has epilepsy and they pretty much said she qualifies on the spot but still took FOREVER to get final approval. Good luck!!!

I remember how stressful this process was when we went through it with my son. The interview itself wasn't as bad as the WAITING afterwards!!! THREE MONTHS of anxiety wondering if they'd approve him. And trying to get updates was IMPOSSIBLE! Called the 800 number constantly and either couldn't get through or got different answers every time. Make sure you write down EVERYTHING in the interview. Get the name of the person interviewing you. Ask for direct contact info (they probably won't give it). Ask specifically WHAT will happen next and WHEN. They're terrible about keeping you informed about where you are in the process. Don't mean to be negative but just want you to be prepared for the bureaucratic nightmare that follows the interview.

Does your son receive SSI already? If yes, then much of the disability determination work might be done already and this could be more straightforward. If not, they'll need to do a full disability determination. My daughter was already on SSI when we did her CDB application, which made the process faster.

One important thing to prepare for: they will ask specific questions about Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Before your interview, make notes about how much assistance your son needs with: - Personal hygiene/grooming - Dressing - Meal preparation - Managing medications - Transportation - Communication - Managing money - Following instructions - Social interactions Be honest and specific. Don't say "he needs help with bathing" if the reality is "he cannot bathe without complete supervision and step-by-step prompting." Also, if your son has had any vocational assessments through school transition services, bring those as they can be very helpful in documenting limitations in work settings. The disability determination process for children becoming adults is looking primarily at whether they can work at a level of substantial gainful activity. Focus your documentation and answers on those functional limitations.

btw did they mention medical review or did they send u forms for that already??? sometimes they do that seperate

Does ur son get Medicaid? If so bring that paperwork too! Sometimes the medicaid disability determination can help with SS disability stuff. At least in my state they share some info between programs.