M.R.
Disabled children are elegible for Social Security benefits under certain circumstances, but to my understanding, ADHD inatentive type (or ADHD-I the actual diagnosis when people say ADD-usally) does not usually meet the profound disablity standards required. If you have an expectation that this child will progress in school and hold a job when he reaches adulthood, you can certainly forget compesation from the federal government for your troubles. Most children on SS are also on waiting lists for group homes and housing assistance in anticipation of thier need for 24 hour care for the rest of thier lives.
Some children will qualify for state medical insurance or welfare, but this is based on the need they create for their family and the families income and not just the child's disablity or functioning level. If a parent has a disablity and qualifies for Social Security Insurance (meaning, that the adult once worked, payed in, and is not collecting SSI because of an aquired disablity) a child with a disablity may also. Social Security and Social Security Insurance are different.
My geuss is, if your son does not yet need medication, you are not in a position to collect compensation from the federal government.
Marda is right, he may be elegible for educational services from his local school distict in the form of either an IEP or a 504 plan, if his ADHD-I creates educational needs. It is not enough to just have a qualifying disablity, the child must also have a need for special education (or accomodations from a 504 plan) to qualify.
M.
