Parents Drugging Their Children for Money

4-Part series in the Boston Globe by Patricia Wen   A legacy of unintended side effects A Globe investigation has found that this Supplemental Security Income program - created by Congress primarily to aid indigent children with severe physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and blindness - now largely serves children with relatively common mental, learning and behavioral disorders such as ADHD. It has also created, for many needy parents, a financial motive to seek prescriptions for powerful drugs for their children. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/12/with_ssi_program_a_legacy_of_unintended_side_effects/   A coveted benefit, a failure to follow up Government data show that Social Security officials have, over the past decade, fallen far short when it comes to conducting the regular case reviews required by statute. A typical SSI disability case is supposed to get a full medical review every three years, but from 2000 to 2008 the agency examined, on average, only 10 percent of the children on SSI. Read the full article here: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/12/13/follow_up_process_lacking_in_ssi_disability_program/?page=full   A cruel dilemma for those on the cusp of adult life Many teenage recipients of federal disability benefits say they feel pressure to avoid work, not wanting to raise doubts about their status and jeopardize vital family income. http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/12/14/teenagers_in_ssi_program_face_a_cruel_dilemma/?page=full   Brown calls for hearings on disability program US Senator Scott Brown called yesterday for Senate hearings to examine a $10 billion federal disability program for indigent children, a response to a three-part Globe series published this week that alleged troubling incentives that pose risks to children. http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/12/18/brown_calls_for_hearings_on_disability_program/