Brad Said:

What are the chances of getting SSI for a child with a speech disorder?

We Answered:

That's a hard question....my sister gets SSI for a mental disorder. She has to go for re-evaluation every 6 months...BUT when she's stable on medicine it's going to go away. (right now they haven't found the right combo yet).

I would think that you probably wouldn't get it simply for a speech disorder. Where we live...their rules are very strict...she only gets it because she literally can't hold down a job because her illness makes it hard for her to wake up and stay awake. And it took almost a whole year before she actually got it.

I would speak to a lawyer about your son. I know that they have lawyers that specialize in helping people get SSI benefits. I simply don't know if they would care that your husband has to drive so far...it would be more like a "then move closer" kind of thing. (I'm not trying to be rude....I just know that dealing with stuff like this...they simply don't care about things like cost of gas etc. I get child support for my oldest...and the fact that we have to drive 30 miles one way to a job, and the cost of gas or the cost of food has no bearing on how much we qualify for)

Good luck. And like I said....I would definitely talk to a lawyer...most will give you a consultation for free and give you an honest answer what your chances are, and whether or not you would have a case to fight it.

Darryl Said:

Survivors of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. What type of therapy did you have? For how long?

We Answered:

As a physical therapist, this frustrates me to no end. 100 visits is actually still pretty good. I've seen many policies that have absolutely horrendous benefits...my own...BCBS PPO has a limit of $4,000...in a hospital based setting, that might get you 8 visits of each discipline. Some Unicare PPO policies only pay for 12 visits and only cover $25 a visit (my goodness, why even bother), finally, the worst I had recently was one that had a $1,000 limit.

It disgusts me that the policies determine what type of medical care you get and that they are willing to pay for surgery and hospitalization, but not for recovery. For example, if you have a rotator cuff repair, it typically requires 3-5 months of therapy...so they will pay for the surgery, but not for the recovery.

There are review processes in place, but usually by the time insurance companies will offer more benefits (about a 3 month wait), the damage is already done.

Disgusting...I'm thinking of starting a private insurance policy just for PT coverage!!!

Elsie Said:

My 6 year old son has a speech disorder, will he be eligible for SSI payments?

We Answered:

I found this site that explains SSI and speech problems in children. Hope this gives you the info you need!

http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/rulings/ssi/0…

Ruth Said:

What is the most efficacious prognosis for spastic hemiparesis due to brain injury?

We Answered:

Wow. You are lucky to be here at all.

I'm afraid that after 20 years, you are probably not going to gain much more, but I could be wrong.

You've been through all the appropriate therapies, but, like everything in medicine, advances are made in allied health.

Contact the PT and OT departments at your local hospital, and ask if there is anything that they can do for you. There may be exercises, splints, or other modalities that can make some small, but useful, improvements in your condition.

Best of luck to you. Keep at it!

Craig Said:

I graduate in a week and my parents want to send to outpatient therapy for bulimia...?

We Answered:

You said you know you have a problem and that you can't stop on your own. Don't you want to stop this problem before you get to college? Isn't outpatient therapy a good way to accomplish that?

What if you offer your parents a compromise: tell them that you will participate in the program and really try to get better as long as they wait to enroll you until after your graduation. That way you don't have to miss giving your speech, AND you have a chance of treating this disorder BEFORE it gets more severe. If the deadline is before then, offer to attend a different kind of therapy to address this issue.