One of the best tips I can give about building a child’s Social Security (Supplemental Security Income) case is to hold on to any disciplinary report, office notes, write ups, teachers notes, detention or suspension notices, etc.

This includes notes for:

• Talking out of turn
• Not following instructions
• Not sitting down
• Fighting
• Yelling
• Being disruptive 
• Cursing
• Throwing things

These documents are an important source of independent evidence about the child’s problems at school.

“Independent evidence” is key.  Social Security looks for  corroboration of the problems the family will tell them about.  Reports from teachers, counselors, administrators, coaches, can be extremely valuable in proving the type and severity of the child’s problems.

Unfortunately, based on my experience in Colorado, a lot of schools do not keep these write-ups in the student’s permanent file.

So, if you do not hold on to these documents, they may not be available when you are trying to prove your child’s disability claim.