Children living in poverty are more likely to have mental health problems, and their conditions are more likely to be severe. Of the approximately 1.3 million children who were recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits in 2013, about 50% were disabled primarily due to a mental disorder. An increase in the number of children who are recipients of SSI benefits due to mental disorders has been observed through several decades of the program beginning in 1985 and continuing through 2010. Nevertheless, less than 1% of children in the United States are recipients of SSI disability benefits for a mental disorder. At the request of the Social Security Administration, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children compares national trends in the number of children with mental disorders with the trends in the number of children receiving benefits from the SSI program, and describes the possible factors that may contribute to any differences between the two groups. This report provides an overview of the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, and the levels of impairment in the U.S. population under age 18. The report focuses on 6 mental disorders, chosen due to their prevalence and the severity of disability attributed to those disorders within the SSI disability program: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and mood disorders. While this report is not a comprehensive discussion of these disorders, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children provides the best currently available information regarding demographics, diagnosis, treatment, and expectations for the disorder time course - both the natural course and under treatment. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummaryPart I: Background and Context of the Supplemental Security IncomeDisability Benefit Program for Children1 Introduction2 The SSI Program for Children3 National-Level Trends in the SSI Program for Children with MentalDisorders, 200420134 State Variation in the SSI Program for Children5 Poverty and Childhood DisabilityPart II: Clinical Characteristics of Selected Mental Disorders6 Clinical Characteristics of Attention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder7 Clinical Characteristics of Oppositional Defiant Disorder andConduct Disorder8 Clinical Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder9 Clinical Characteristics of Intellectual Disabilities10 Clinical Characteristics of Learning Disabilities11 Clinical Characteristics of Mood DisordersPart III: Prevalence of Selected Mental Disorders12 Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder13 Prevalence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder14 Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder15 Prevalence of Intellectual Disabilities16 Prevalence of Learning Disabilities17 Prevalence of Mood DisordersPart IV: Medicaid Analytic eXtract Study18 Medicaid Analytic eXtract StudyAppendixesAppendix A: Deeming Eligibility Chart for ChildrenAppendix B: SSA Childhood Mental Disorders Listing of ImpairmentsAppendix C: The Listing of Impairments - OverviewAppendix D: Surveys and Surveillance Systems That Collect Data onMental Disorders Among ChildrenAppendix E: Initial Allowance, Initial Determination, AllowanceRate, and Recipient Data for 10 Major Mental DisordersAppendix F: Medicaid Analytic eXtract MethodsAppendix G: Medicaid Analytic eXtract ResultsAppendix H: Committee and Consultant Biographies