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Under certain specific conditions clinical or major depression can be considered a disability and you can receive benefits for it. I have included information from the Social Security Disability Resource Center.Facts about Major Depressive Disorder (Depression) and Filing for Disabilityhttps://www.ssdrc.com/ssd-major-depressive.htmlFacts about the condition1. Major depressive disorder is a serious illness that can affect a person’s health, relationships, work life, and school life.2. Those with major depressive disorder, also known unipolar disorder, major depression and clinical depression, have a very low mood that affects their ability to function in life. They lose interest in once pleasurable activities, and feel worthless, hopeless, guilty, and helpless.3. Many people with major depressive disorder withdraw from society, experience insomnia, have a reduced sex drive, and have thoughts of suicide or death.4. Major depressive disorder affects women more often than men. That being said, anyone can have major depressive disorder: women, men, children, and teenagers of any age or race.5. The cause of major depressive disorder is not known, though it is thought that it is caused by imbalanced chemicals in the brain. The imbalance is thought to be hereditary, or brought on my stressful or traumatic events in one’s life, or a combination of both.6. Psychotherapy and antidepressants are the most common treatments for major depressive disorders. Types of antidepressants most commonly prescribed are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, NDRIs (norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors), atypical antidepressants, MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), and tricyclic antidepressants.7. In some cases, anti-anxiety or antipsychotic medications, as well as mood stabilizing medications or stimulants, depending upon the patient and their needs.8. Lifestyle changes can help improve quality of life, but cannot cure major depressive disorder; it is important to seek medical advice. Getting plenty of sleep each night, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting daily exercise, and sticking to psychotherapy treatments and medications, can help relieve symptoms.9. It is believed that some alternative medicines can help relieve symptoms of major depressive disorder, such as SAMe or St. John’s Wort, though it is important to let your doctor know if you are trying alternative medicines. There can be dangerous interactions between medications and herbal or dietary supplements.Qualifying for disability benefits with this conditionWhether or not you qualify for disability and, as a result, are approved for disability benefits will depend entirely on the information obtained from your medical records.This includes whatever statements and treatment notes that may have been obtained from your treating physician (a doctor who has a history of treating your condition and is, therefore, qualified to comment as to your condition and prognosis). It also includes discharge summaries from hospital stays, reports of imaging studies (such as xrays, MRIs, and CT scans) and lab panels (i.e. bloodwork) as well as reports from physical therapy.In many disability claims, it may also include the results of a report issued by an independent physician who examines you at the request of the Social Security Administration.Qualifying for SSD or SSI benefits will also depend on the information obtained from your vocational, or work, history if you are an adult, or academic records if you are a minor-age child. In the case of adults, your work history information will allow a disability examiner (examiners make decisions at the initial claim and reconsideration appeal levels, but not at the hearing level where a judges decides the outcome of the case) to A) classify your past work, B) determine the physical and mental demands of your past work, C) decide if you can go back to a past job, and D) whether or not you have the ability to switch to some type of other work.The important thing to keep in mind is that the social security administration does not award benefits based on simply having a condition, but, instead, will base an approval or denial on the extent to which a condition causes functional limitations. Functional limitations can be great enough to make work activity not possible (or, for a child, make it impossible to engage in age-appropriate activities).Should you get a statement from a personal physician for your SSD or SSI Disability case?To satisfy SSA (the social security administration), a statement (known as a medical source statement or residual functional capacity, or RFC, statement) should be as follows:1. It should indicate the claimant's diagnosed condition or conditions.2. It should indicate the date of the diagnosis.3. It should indicate the outlook, or prognosis, for the condition, or conditions.4. Most importantly, it should indicate all the various ways in which the claimant is functionally limited and, consequently, has difficulty engaging in normal daily activities.5. Finally, a doctor who submits a statement should be a treating physician, which is, according to the social security administration, a doctor who has an extended history of treating the claimant for their condition, as opposed to, for example, an urgent care doctor who has seen the claimant once or twice. As SSA sees it, a treating physician is qualified to give a valid opinion as to the claimant's medical condition and how the condition affects them.If the claimant's condition is mental, the physician or psychologist should indicate which cognitive deficits they have. For example, do they have trouble retaining information, learning information, concentrating, getting along with supervisors or co-workers, etc.Statements that obtain this type of detailed information are not, however, sent to a claimant's doctor or doctors by social security. When a case is being processed, they are completed (in the form of something known as a RFC form) by the doctors who act as consultants to disability examiners.Can You Get Approved For SSI or SSD Benefits IF You Have A Mental Condition But Do Not Take Medication?https://www.ssdrc.com/disabilityquestions1-92.htmlWhat mental conditions does the Social Security Administration (SSA) consider disabling?You can get approved for SSI or SSD if you have any one of a variety of mental conditions.For example, you can be approved for SSI or SSD if you have depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, learning disabilities, mental retardation, panic attacks, somatoform disorder, organic brain disorders, attention deficit disorder, personality disorder, or any other combination of mental conditions.Claimants can be approved for disability benefits by meeting or equaling the requirements of a listing in the blue book, or by successfully passing through the sequential evaluation process, a five step process which seeks to determine whether or not a claimant has a severe impairment that will last at least one full year and which will prevent the performance of substantial and gainful work activity.What medical evidence is required if you have a mental condition?Like all disabling conditions, whether they are physical or mental, Social Security requires some type of objective medical evidence to support your allegation of a disabling mental condition. If you are applying for SSI on the basis of a mental condition, it is beneficial to your disability claim if you have a history of continuous treatment for your mental condition from a qualified mental health professional (i.e. a psychiatrist or psychologist).Generally, Social Security prefers medical information from a treating physician (i.e. counseling notes that contain a diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment or any kind of objective mental testing) to make their medical decisions. If you do not have any mental health treatment notes, it is likely that you will have attend a CE, or consultative examination, with a mental health professional who will be paid by the Social Security Administration to:A) give a status of your mental condition and/orB) perform objective testing such as intelligence quotient (IQ) testing or memory testing.Since they are paid for and obtained by Social Security to provide the minimal amount of medical evidence needed for disability examiners to make their disability decision, the consultative examinations rarely result in an approval for SSI or SSD disability benefits. It is simply difficult to ascertain the true limitations of an individual in a one-time, often quick, examination, performed by a doctor who has never previously met the patient and who may have no knowledge of the patient's past medical history.Having a documented medical history, of course, can also serve to provide a record of prescribed medications and the patient's response to such treatment.Can you be approved for SSI or SSD disability benefits if you do not take medication or are not compliant with the medication you have been prescribed?While Social Security does not specifically state that you have to be compliant with your medication in order to be approved for SSI or approved for SSD (except in the case of attention deficit disorder), it is my opinion as a former disability examiner that non-compliance with prescribed medication does not help your chances of being approved for SSI or SSD disability.There is no denying that most people with mental conditions have some improvement in their functional capabilities while following their prescribed treatment. Having said this, though, how medication non-compliance might affect the overall chances of being approved for SSI or SSD varies from disability agency to disability agency, and even from unit to unit within those agencies (each state has at least one DDS agency that processes disability claims for the social security administration: DDS stands for disability determination services).If you do not take any medication, or are not prescribed medication for your mental condition, it may or may not affect upon your chances of being approved for disability. Some mental conditions cannot be treated with medication.For example, if your mental condition is organic brain disorder, or mental retardation there are no medications available for treatment. If you have one of these conditions you may vary well be approved for disability benefits even if you are not taking medication.However, if you are not taking medication and your disabling impairment is depression, anxiety, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, etc., your condition may be considered less debilitating or even non-severe.

Special Needs ChildBy JULIA KAGANUpdated Mar 21, 2020A special needs child is a youth who has been determined to require special attention and specific necessities that other children do not.The state may declare this status for the purpose of offering benefits and assistance for the child’s well-being and growth.Special needs can also be a legal designation, particularly in the adoption and foster care community, wherein the child and guardian receive support to help them both lead productive lives.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe definition of special needs pertaining to a child includes a wide variety of conditions including physical ailments, learning disabilities, and terminal illness.Parents and guardians of special needs children usually receive tax credits or deductions to help offset the cost of raising a special needs child.Some special needs children are able to go to public schools that offer a wide range of educational and emotional support programs, like occupational therapy and one-on-one teacher aides in the classroom.Special Needs TrustBy JULIA KAGANUpdated Aug 8, 2020What Is a Special Needs Trust?A special needs trust is a legal arrangement and fiduciary relationship that allows a physically or mentally disabled or chronically ill person to receive income without reducing their eligibility for the public assistance disability benefits provided by Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare or Medicaid. In a fiduciary relationship, a person or entity acts on behalf of another person or people to manage assets.A special needs trust is a popular strategy for those who want to help someone in need without taking the risk that the person will lose their eligibility for programs that require their income or assets to remain below a certain limit.KEY TAKEAWAYSA special needs trust is a legal arrangement that lets a physically or mentally ill person, or someone chronically disabled, have access to funding without potentially losing the benefits provided by public assistance programs.This trust allows for the additional financial support of an individual with special needs, without risking bumping them out of contention for disability benefits.Public assistance programs set up for people with special needs are predicated on certain income and asset restrictions; money put in the trust doesn't count toward the purpose of qualifying for public assistance.The Essential Guide to Special Needs Education in IndiaAmrita ThakkarThe term ‘special needs’ can cause some confusion. It refers to particular educational requirements resulting from learning difficulties, physical disability, or emotional and behavioural difficulties. Often, these can overlap depending on the child’s condition.Physical difficulties — These can affect a child’s physical functioning, mobility or stamina. Aside from obvious ones such as loss of limbs, it can refer to respiratory disorders, blindness, or epilepsy. Hearing loss and chronic fatigue also fall under these. This may occur before birth or after due to infection or other issues.Mental difficulties — These cover a wide range of issues. The most common are learning difficulties, in which a person cannot learn in the usual manner. Dyslexia and dyspraxia are common ones. Communication disorders such as stuttering or speech difficulties caused by autism also come under this. Developmental difficulties can also arise due to chronic conditions. Developmental delays caused by Down’s Syndrome are a common example of this.Emotional and behavioral difficulties — These are usually social difficulties that may not be caused by biological factors. These may be internalized, so the child may not interact well with others or have low self esteem. They might also be externalized, so the child may act disruptive in the classroom. Children with anxiety, OCD or other mental illnesses often experience these.Around the WorldWorldwide, about 58 million children at the primary level are not in school. Of those, an estimated one third have a disability. They are even less likely to be able to go to school than other children. Their future job prospects are also low, as about 750 to 950 million people with special needs of working age are unable to work. In light of this, many countries are taking steps to help special needs children.United States: In response to discriminatory treatment by public educational agencies against students with disabilities, United States Congress enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA requires states to provide special education and related services consistent with federal standards as a condition of receiving federal funds.United Kingdom: The University of Aberdeen School of Education, Inclusive Practice Project (IPP), is a research and development project funded by the Scottish Government to develop new approaches to training teachers. The IPP has developed a model of initial teacher education that prepares mainstream primary and secondary teachers for inclusive education.Finland: Tervaväylä School is a Finnish State-owned basic education establishment. It consists of two units: the Lohipato Unit and the Merikartano Unit. The school’s mission is to provide advice and guidance to the schools in Northern Finland that — with the introduction of inclusive education — are now able to provide education for sick and disabled pupils. In addition, the school provides basic education for children who due to their illness or disability cannot attend their local school. Tervaväylä School specialises in provision for neurological difficulties and autistic Spectrum Disorder/ Asperger’s Syndrome. The school has operated in different forms for over one hundred years.Bulgaria — The Bulgaria Social Inclusion Project gives CWSN opportunities at an early age. They provide social, health and childcare services that are necessary for them. Over 1,700 children have benefited from this, with 360 enrolled in mainstream schools.Vietnam — The Intergenerational Deaf Education Outreach aims to teach deaf children sign language at an early age. This helps them get ready for formal primary school. As of 2015, 260 deaf children have been taught by family support teams. They have made progress in their ability to communicate with family and others. Around 200 hearing teachers have also learned sign language and ways to help deaf children.A video of siblings helped by the program. Source: World BankCurrent Situation in IndiaPolicy IssuesIndia’s policies regarding special needs children are unclear.The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment(MSJE) runs separate schools for special needs children. But, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) promotes these children being included in regular classrooms. Parents often cannot decide which is the best option.Further, colleges for higher studies may refuse admission to special needs children. This is due to bias regarding their ability to complete certain courses.In 2010, a visually challenged young woman had to approach Bombay High Court to be allowed to study physiotherapy.The country lacks a central body to frame guidelines, leaving colleges and schools to decide for themselves. This doesn’t work in favor of the children or parents.This, combined with numerous other issues, means that many special needs children do not get the education they need. While 89% are enrolled in primary school, that number drops to 8.5% in secondary school. Only 2.3% of special needs children reach higher secondary (11th and 12th).Economic IssuesHaving a special needs child can be an expensive affair. The cost can be up to four times that of raising a child without special needs.Doctors’ visits, medication, and special items like wheelchairs can cause costs to pile up. Insurance is not always available, though government programs like Nirmaya try to provide it.Special needs children also need to be provided for after reaching adulthood. Many of these children will not be able to work or face biases. Parents struggle to save for 50–60 years of care.Social IssuesIndia still has a long way to go when it comes to social acceptance of special needs.Bias can often prevent children from getting a place at school or jobs, later in life. Parents are also afraid of sending their children to school. They may not understand their condition or think it is pointless to get the child an education.Schools also do not want to admit them because of potential disruption or misunderstanding.Emotional and behavioral disorders are poorly understood in India. Many children suffering from these are simply brushed off as ‘badly behaved.’ Remember Taare Zameen Par?Legal IssuesGetting a disability certificate can greatly help a special needs person. Scholarships, prosthetic aids and access to government schemes can depend on these.Medical boards of district civil hospitals issue these. However, 51% of the disabled population did not have these as of 2015.While certificates must be issued within a month of the application, it often takes much longer. Centres to issue these are also limited.For example in Mumbai, only JJ Group of Hospitals, Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities, and All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation can issue these.Especially in rural areas, there is also a shortage of specialists. Certificates for issues such as cerebral palsy cannot be issued without a diagnosis.Technological IssuesTechnology can greatly improve the lives of special needs children.Motorized wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids and other items can help reduce the discomfort from physical difficulties.Technology can help in other ways as well. Those with learning disabilities, for example, can benefit from tablets and other electronics made for learning.However, lack of access is an issue. Even basic interventions like wheelchairs require money to buy and maintain.There are some schemes in place to subsidize or provide these technologies free of cost. But many special needs children in India do not have access to these, due to lack of awareness, red tape or other reasons.Initiatives for ImprovementWhile leaving room for improvement, India has already begun many programs for special needs. The government and private sector have both made efforts to provide for these.Government InitiativesPersons with Disability Act (1995)This Act was put into effect on Feb. 1996 by the government. It was to ensure that people with special needs received equal opportunities. Education, employment, vocational training, reservation and rehabilitation of disabled persons are provided for by this Act. An unemployment allowance for disabled people, as well as a special insurance scheme for the disabled, are also part of it. You can read a simplified explanation of the Act here.Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)The SSA is a government program aiming to make primary education universal. Its goal is to make education of children ages 6–14 a fundamental right. Since it aims to be inclusive, SSA has adopted a zero rejection policy. This is due to the belief is that all children are entitled to a quality education. SSA provides up to INR 3,000 per special needs child, per year, for the use of special resources and teacher training.Right to Education (RTE)This Act was enacted by the Parliament in August 2009 and came into force on 1st April 2010. It grants children from ages 6–14 the right to a free and compulsory education. An Amendment in 2012 makes explicit provisions for disabled children. It gave them access to reserved seats. Transport was also to be provided for in case of lack of access. You can read more about this act here.Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan)An initiative of MSJE, this was originally called the Department of Disability Affairs. It is a government body that is in charge of Social Security and Social Insurance of the disabled. It is also in charge of several special schemes and aids in the training of rehabilitation professionals. International agreements and conventions regarding disabled persons fall under them as well. They are in charge of several institutes and organizations serving disabled persons, and the Rehabilitation Council of India.Accessible India CampaignThis campaign was started to provide accessibility to Persons with Disability (PwDs). While the Disability Act of 1995 provides for nondiscrimination in transport and environment, awareness is an issue. The campaign has a multi pronged approach. Along with mass awareness and leadership endorsements, it aims for interventions. These would be carried out through legal framework, technological improvement, etc.Divyangjan SchemesThe government has initiated a number of schemes for special needs persons. Railway concessions, special insurance schemes, and a number of other other benefits are granted to them through these. You can read up on the schemes in detail here.Private InitiativesSeveral companies and NGOs have also taken steps for improving the life of those with special needs. Funded by corporate donors or as CSR initiatives, they aim to provide them with jobs, education and improved accessibility. This list is not comprehensive, and many more such organizations across India aid special needs people.PankhStarted by B S Nagesh (non executive Vice Chairman of Shopper’s Stop) and Meera Shenoy, it ensures employability for disabled people. It offers a comprehensive 60 day program. It includes trade specific training and training in life skills, soft skills and spoken English. So far, 2,800 people with special needs have found jobs through this initiative. You can read more about it here.Association of People with DisabilityThis Bangalore based NGO aims to create an inclusive society for special needs people. Started in 1955, it boasts donors such as Wipro and Tech Mahindra. It has several programs for education, intervention and therapy. You can read more about them here.Employment InitiativesSome businesses have begun to include special needs people in a more visible manner. Lemon Tree, a chain of hotels started in 2002, has hired people with special needs for ~7% of their total staff positions. Metta Foot Spa in Bandra, Mumbai, started by Joanita Figueiredo, has only visually impaired people on its staff. A former yoga teacher, Ms. Figueiredo started the spa as an experiment, and has turned it into a successful venture.Early Signs of Special NeedsSome difficulties, such as physical ones, are easy to identify. They are often identified at birth. But even those can present issues. For example, loss of vision or hearing can manifest slowly and might not be obvious. Symptoms of conditions such as cystic fibrosis also have to be carefully monitored. Mental, emotional and behavioural difficulties are even harder to place. Observing your child can help bring about some clarity . Keep in mind that some of these behaviours are just part of a child’s personality. Taking your child to a professional can help determine if a diagnosis is needed.VisionRubbing frequently, trouble focusing or making eye contactCloses one eye when looking at faraway objectsReddened or watering eyesHolds head oddly when looking at an objectHearingFrequent earachesFrequent ear, nose or throat allergies or infectionsTalks too loudly or softlyDoes not react to loud noises or respond to being called from a distanceTurns up the volume on the TVShifts one ear towards soundsUnderstandingBy age 1, does not recognize people or faces, does not look for hidden objectsBy age 2, cannot identify simple body parts or say simple wordsBy age 3, cannot follow simple directions or commandsBy age 4, does not have an active imagination and has short attention spanNote: This are only a few developmental milestones. All milestones should be monitored by age to determine if difficulties exist. However, lagging on milestones is not always a sign of special needs.CommunicatingIs unusually quietTakes time to understand words which they should by a certain age, or does not understand them at allFor example, by age 1, children can recognize simple words like mama. By age 2, they start pointing at objects and say family members’ names.By age 4 or 5, their speech is usually a few sentences long. It is also understood by adults.MovingLimp body postureLack of motor controlDifficulty walking or crawlingIssues with balanceOlder children may have issues with using objects like scissors, or with getting dressedGeneral BehaviourShort attention span, impulsive behaviours, easily distractedAvoids speaking to people other than family membersActs shy and withdrawnActs out or is aggressiveDestructive or cruel to animalsRefuses to share or mingle with other childrenPlays by pushing or hitting other children, breaks things oftenStares into space more often than other childrenTends to be sick more often, or has trouble eating and sleepingDoes not seek approval of behavioursManaging Special NeedsSo a diagnosis has been established, and your child has special needs. You might feel overwhelmed or scared. While these feelings are normal, you can help manage them with a plan. Once you have a steady route mapped out for your child, you’ll feel better — and so will they. The steps below will help you understand how to educate a child with special needs.Know your rights — Make sure you know the legal rights of your child. Schools are usually compelled to accept special needs children by law. Look into the benefits and resources the government will provide for your child.Pick the type of school — Will your child do better in a regular or special school? Children with mild disabilities (partial vision loss, slight hearing loss) can be integrated easily into a regular school. If your child’s disability is moderate, they may benefit from a special school first. This will bring them to the function level needed by a regular school. Special schools are usually the better option for students with multiple severe disabilities. Many are run by voluntary organizations and are residential, with some services provided free of cost. At present, there are 3,000 of these across the country. Another option is the National Institute of Open Schooling, that provides flexible distance learning courses.Research — Make sure the school you choose can provide for your child. Even regular schools should provide resources and qualified teachers if they accept special needs children. Teachers should be trained to understand and help special needs kids. Technologies and strategies for dealing with ADHD, for example, should be provided.Develop strategies at home — You can reinforce the lessons taught at school at home. Strategies for reading, writing, math and general behaviour can help improve your child’s skills. This will help them progress faster in the classroom.Support for children — Find organizations in your area that cater to special needs children. It is essential for your child to be able to interact with children like them as well. They may feel alone and different otherwise. It may also help them find activities tailored to their disabilities. You should also try to support your child as much as possible. Assure them they are loved and valued. Help them feel like contributing members of the family, and to understand their strengths.Support for parents — Taking care of a special needs child is a full time job. Your friends and family may not understand the issues you face. Look for support groups or organizations that put parents in touch with each other. Speaking to parents in similar situations can provide new strategies and reduce stress. If you can’t find anything in your area, online message boards or Facebook groups can also be great sources of support.Concluding ThoughtsThere are a large number of children with special needs in India and around the world. They are no less deserving of an education than any other. With the right resources, institutes and teachers, a child with special needs can also learn well. If your child requires these resources, you can turn to government or private schemes to help out.We can overcome these obstacles by creating more awareness on inclusive education, by schools having the resources and the ability to re-structure their curriculum to cater to all types of students, by recruiting teachers who have the skills and proficiency to meet varying demands within the classroom and by having the support of family. If these changes are implemented, it will increase the confidence of a number of special children to aspire for a valuable education like their normal peers.THE ABOVE WRITE UP DEALS WITH THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SPECIAL NEEDSI THANK THE AUTHOR FOR THE DETAILS WHICH I PRESENTED AS AN EDUCATIVE MATERISL FOR NEW LEARNESTHANKS FOR THE AUTHORBLESSINGS AND BEST WISHES