NC - Zahra Clare Baker, 10, Hickory, 9 Oct 2010 - #13

[westsidefox64]

http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-eligibility-ussi.htm

WHAT DOES "DISABLED" MEAN FOR A CHILD?

An individual under age 18 is "disabled" if he or she has a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, which:

results in marked and severe functional limitations; and

can be expected to result in death; or

has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. If the individual is age 18 or older, the adult definition of disability explained below applies.

I don't know if she was enrolled and collecting but it is extremely safe to say she WAS eligible.

I almost hate to say this BUT... Does this apply if shes not a legal US citizen...what I mean is if Jane Doe came to the US on a visitors Visa that was say good for 3 years but met the criteria could she still get SSI disability...please take in consideration I have only been to Canada once and only for 6 hours and before 9/11 so I have no understanding of this.

 

[audreyfan]

I believe a child can recieve disability benefits if the parent is disabled and previously worked.

At this time we are NOT able to know if Zahra in fact collected SSI, I say she didnt but SM had other plans for it to happen. My very own opinion:innocent:

BBM
SM had lots of dreadful plans and I don't think most of them had any basis in reality....

 

[panthera]

For hearing impaired, you must still be below a certain level of impairment even with hearing aids. If the hearing aids correct hearing to a certain level, then she is no longer considered eligible. Same with blindness: if glasses can correct your vision then you are not vision impaired. (I just did some quick research and combined with my own knowledge of services provided, which I think are similar to what IDEA provides for kids in schools.)

Speaking of the hearing aids, from what I understand, they were so she could do better in school. So she got them in May, yet this school year she supposedly was going to be home-schooled. What I'm wondering is what happened over the summer, besides them moving? Fear of DSS/CPS? Fear of follow up on the home-schooling? I'm still trying to figure out exactly what precipitated reporting her missing a week ago when she could've been gone for a long time and no one would notice. :waitasec: MOO

 

[Virgogalsue]

I wonder if SM worked recently? What did she do prior to going to Australia to get married?
Was she recieving any kind of 'disability' payment herself?

 

[wfgodot]

Deductive reasoning. Police haven't shared a whole lot of information about the case, but they have been pretty open about their trouble pinning down when Zahra was last known to have been alive. LEO has spoken to the mother directly (by phone) and I expect to the grandmother as well, and would certainly have gotten access to phone records by now via Australian authorities assisting. It's only in the past couple of days that they've come up with a "sighting" that puts her alive any more recently than about 6 weeks before her disappearance. Grandmother has also spoken to the press and hasn't mentioned anything about when she last spoke to Zahra. So not a peep about any phone contact with her since at least the time of the last change of residence.

Also, if grandmum (and/or mum) had been speaking to Zahra periodically by phone, it's hard to imagine they wouldn't have detected at least a hint of trouble in her tone of voice, even if she was being monitored during calls by EB/AB and not free to openly make any complaints. And if I were a loving grandmother or mother, whose young cancer survivor, amputee grand/daughter had been half way around the globe for two years with her not-too-bright dad and his "gothic fairy" internet bride, and I thought I heard even the slightest hint of worry or unhappiness in her tone, I'd step up the phone call frequency and notify Australian child welfare authorities if I found I could no longer reach her. I'd also be insisting, either directly, or if blocked by EB/AB, then through Australian child welfare authorities, on confirmation that the child was receiving appropriate follow-up care and monitoring for a cancer survivor and amputee.

Your earlier statement was this: "I'll note for the record that it's pretty clear grandmum wasn't doing much phoning to NC either (nor mum). "

I grant you your reasoning. But reasoning produces opinion, not concrete fact. To say the grandmother "wasn't doing much phoning" is a statement which requires actual evidence. Earlier, when you doubted, based on what turned out to be a Facebook page, that Z's mother had sought her out, I provided you a link which showed that the "evidence" was only Facebook hearsay. When I hear something "for the record," I'd like at least a link which establishes concretely that authorities have determined it to be true.

 

[shefner]

Yes, I hear what you're saying. But most of the information here is hearsay. I don't particularly care for the gentleman either. But presumption of innocence until guilt is proven is an established right since the time of Magna Carta.

Thank goodness that the standards for a guilty verdict in the court of public opinion are not as stiff as those required for a guilty verdict in the court of law....of course, the first is just as important as the latter in many cases.

 

[belimom]

Thanks, there are so many possibilities, temporary disability, permanent, and SSI. and it goes on and on. I appreciate your input.

I really think with a child, getting SSI would mean that it is impacting his/her life the same way that it would an adult who could not work. In other words, it generally means can they function at school? I'm not sure how SSI would work in this case:

- hearing impaired: not if she can hear with hearing aids
- amputee: not if she is mobile with a prosthetic leg
- cancer: isn't usually covered unless doctors say the cure will take longer than 12 months (or if it has been declared terminal or incurable). In her case (according to what I've read), she was in remission as of 2008.

I could be wrong on all of this, but this is my (professional) opinion.

 

[audreyfan]

I wonder if SM worked recently? What did she do prior to going to Australia to get married?
Was she recieving any kind of 'disability' payment herself?

I just don't see how she could have held down a job. I predict she was receiving payments based on mental illness. And I am not even trying to be funny.

 

[simlyme]

There is no category for childhood lung cancer. In that case, the adult category would be used. More at link:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disab.../13.00-NeoplasticDiseases-Malignant-Adult.htm

3.14 Lungs.

A. Non-small-cell carcinoma--inoperable, unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic disease to or beyond the hilar nodes.

OR

B. Small-cell (oat cell) carcinoma.

OR

C. Carcinoma of the superior sulcus (including Pancoast tumors) with multimodal antineoplastic therapy. Consider under a disability until at least 18 months from the date of diagnosis. Thereafter, evaluate any residual impairment(s) under the criteria for the affected body system.

WOW,ADA, this info is SCARY, wonder if SM got a hold of that information and was working her way up to it for SSI collection.
I dont really want to get into the HS thing,only because I am a homeschooler, BUT, if she did keep her isolated, perfect opportunity to do her dirty deeds without anyone butting in, especially school officials. Just a thought. Opinion only

 

[Nana46]

Now I am wondering if loss of an eye is considered "disabled." Sorry OT but this is so interesting.
Thanks Ada!

 

[belimom]

Now I am wondering if loss of an eye is considered "disabled." Sorry OT but this is so interesting.
Thanks Ada!

Not if you can still see okay with the other one...

 

[Ada]

I really think with a child, getting SSI would mean that it is impacting his/her life the same way that it would an adult who could not work. In other words, it generally means can they function at school? I'm not sure how SSI would work in this case:

- hearing impaired: not if she can hear with hearing aids
- amputee: not if she is mobile with a prosthetic leg
- cancer: isn't usually covered unless doctors say the cure will take longer than 12 months. In her case (according to what I've read), she was in remission as of 2008.

I could be wrong on all of this, but this is my (professional) opinion.

Exactly. Children are evaluated on their ability to be children. Are they able to reasonably succeed in school, can they socialize with peers, how do they do with authority figures. Kid stuff.

Homeschooling can throw a wrench in that, as input from the school is very important.

 

[Virgogalsue]

Now I am wondering if loss of an eye is considered "disabled." Sorry OT but this is so interesting.
Thanks Ada!

I must have missed that bit! Did SM lose an eye?? Do we know how??

 

[Ada]

Not if you can still see okay with the other one...

Yes. You only need one working eye.

 

[Nana46]

Not if you can still see okay with the other one...

LOL, answers the question...but the other eye is gone as in not there due to accident as a child. But what you say makes perfect sense..thanks!

 

[Nosee_Parker]

Could the members from the US answer a couple of questions for me.

So, based on the evidence that AB was the sole income earner in the household, what would be his wage - just a rough idea???

What does a trip to the Dr cost? Like Australians under Medicare, do you receive a rebate on a Dr's consultation. For example, I might pay $50 upfront to my GP, then take my receipt to the Medicare office and get about $23 back.

What would be a rough estimate of rent they were paying on the most recent house?

How much would a family of two adults and a child spend on groceries per week?

(Just trying to get an idea of their financial situation).

 

[Nana46]

I must have missed that bit! Did SM lose an eye?? Do we know how??

Sorry Violet F. I should have bolded my OT but sadly I don't know how,lol
Back to my lurking.:waitasec:

 

[panthera]

I just don't see how she could have held down a job. I predict she was receiving payments based on mental illness. And I am not even trying to be funny.

At some point recently it seems she must have been employed since one of the charges is larceny from an employer. MOO

 

[kalekona]

Ok I'm going to try to post some snips and links (this is written for the public and does not appear to include the specifics). More at link:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disab...k/102.00-SpecialSensesandSpeech-Childhood.htm

B. How do we evaluate hearing loss?

1. What evidence do we need?

a. We need evidence showing that you have a medically determinable impairment that causes your hearing loss and audiometric measurements of the severity of your hearing loss. We generally require both a complete otologic examination and audiometric testing to establish that you have a medically determinable impairment that causes your hearing loss. You should have this audiometric testing within 2 months of the complete otologic examination. Once we have evidence that you have a medically determinable impairment, we can use the results of later audiometric testing to assess the severity of your hearing loss without another complete otologic examination. We will consider your test scores together with any other relevant information we have about your hearing, including information from outside of the test setting.

b. The complete otologic examination must be performed by a licensed physician (medical or osteopathic doctor). It must include your medical history, your description of how your hearing loss affects you, and the physician's description of the appearance of the external ears (pinnae and external ear canals), evaluation of the tympanic membranes, and assessment of any middle ear abnormalities.

c. Audiometric testing must be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, an otolaryngologist or by an audiologist qualified to perform such tests. We consider an audiologist to be qualified if he or she is currently and fully licensed or registered as a clinical audiologist by the State or U.S. territory in which he or she practices. If no licensure or registration is available, the audiologist must be currently certified by the American Board of Audiology or have a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

You do understand as a CHILD her requirements are less- They just need a statement from an audiologist or Doctor saying she is hearing impaired and it isn't going to get better.
The standards applied to an adult are different.

But in Zahra's case it is all moot because the loss of her leg qualifies her all on it's own.

 

[audreyfan]

Could the members from the US answer a couple of questions for me.

So, based on the evidence that AB was the sole income earner in the household, what would be his wage - just a rough idea???

What does a trip to the Dr cost? Like Australians under Medicare, do you receive a rebate on a Dr's consultation. For example, I might pay $50 upfront to my GP, then take my receipt to the Medicare office and get about $23 back.

What would a rough estimate of rent they were paying on the most recent house?

How much would a family of two adults and a child spend on groceries per week?

(Just trying to get an idea of their financial situation).

A trip to the doctor's with no insurance? Hmmm. 100-200, for something simple. God help you if you need xrays or even blood work.
Not familiar with the area, but I am guessing maybe 600/month for the house.
Groceries? 125 per week, I am guessing. But that would be for ample food, I think.
Guessing AB made 12/hour.