Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children and Receiving Social Security Disability
You may have a child with disability who has separation anxiety disorder. This may be the cause of your child's disability. If this is true, you may need help. You may need financial assistance. Have you applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits for your child with disability from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by separation anxiety disorder? Was your child with disability denied? If you appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, remember this. People who are represented by a caring disability attorney like the one at disabilitycasereview.com in the appeals procedure are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer. There is a difference between separation anxiety and separation anxiety disorder. Separation anxiety is a normal stage of development for secure, healthy babies. It usually involves crying and distress when the baby is separated from parents or home. With the passage of time, however, the child learns to feel safe in a new environment. The child feels secure that a parent will return. Gradually the separation anxiety fades away. On the other hand, separation anxiety disorder is excessive, age-inappropriate fear of being separated from family members. This is particularly true of being separated from parents. Children with separation anxiety disorder are afraid of being lost to their families. Or, they are sure something bad will happen to their family members if they are separated from them. Separation anxiety disorder can inhibit or restrict a child's normal activities to a significant degree. Separation anxiety disorder usually begins in children who are of school age. It affects about 4% of children 6-12 and a slightly lower proportion of adolescents. Separation anxiety disorder affects girls and boys about the same The causes of separation anxiety disorder can involve a traumatic experience a child has gone through. These are things like § A scary event (tornado, earthquake) § A serious separation (parent in the military) § A big change (starting a new school, birth of brother or sister) § Stress in the family (coming divorce, serious illness or death of family member or pet) § Sickness (major or minor). The main sign or symptom of separation anxiety disorder is fear that is exaggerated out of proportion to real problems or situations. Other signs and symptoms can be physical or behavioral such as:- Headaches or stomachaches when they come persistently before separation from parents
- Following parents around the house, not wanting them to be out of sight
- Asking to sleep in bed with parents at night
- Nightmares of parents leaving or being gone
- Excessive worry or panic at the experience or anticipation of being away from home
- Refusing to go to school or other activities away from home
- Excessive worry about their own safety or that of members of the family.