Spina Bifida, a birth defect attributed to a malformed neural tube, presents significant physical and emotional impairment in children and in their families. From birth, children born with Spina Bifida will require a life care medical treatment plan to ensure the best possible physical and emotional outcome. As parents of a child with Spina Bifida, understanding the various dynamics of the care involved in the Spina Bifida child, especially financial impacts, will offer a more effective processing in raising this special needs child.

For parents, raising a child with Spina Bifida the financial impact can often lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. To the benefit of families with special needs children, many programs are in place to assist the Spina Bifida child in gaining some form of independence into adulthood. As a result, it is important for parents to understand what programs are available to ensure financial stability while working through the other dynamics, namely, emotional and medical, associated with Spina Bifida.

In terms of financial services, Spina Bifida is classified as a disability. As a result, income tax returns for parents claiming the child with a disability dependent will provide for an income tax break, commonly classified as a personal deduction in addition to the dependent deduction. As this child ages, and reaches the age of 18, the parents of the Spina Bifida child may continue to claim this additional personal deduction even when the child earns less than a specified wage during the calendar year. For many children with Spina Bifida, working fulltime is often difficult to do but, when tackled, these special needs children can develop into working, productive adults, often many participating in work at home employment. Even still, parents are often afforded the opportunity to claim the Spina Bifida child, even as an adult, as a dependent for varying lengths of time. Additionally, when the child reaches 18 and is able to earn wages in which he or she is no longer classified as a parent's dependent, the Spina Bifida child will then receive those same tax incentives the parents were once afforded.

In addition to tax deductions, the Social Security Administration offers two programs for individuals with a disability; Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance. While one program involves the demonstration of financial need, the other program, SSDI, will provide benefits to the family of a special needs child, taking into consideration the working status of the parents. For information regarding social security benefits for individuals with Spina Bifida, or any other disability, parents should contact the Social Security Administration at www.ssa.gov.

Beyond government financial assistance and tax deductions, there are many other financial programs open for the teenager or young adult living with Spina Bifida. Work Incentive Programs and educational programs specifically designed to aide people with a disability offer unique opportunities in which to promote growth and development with a sense of independence. With work expense deductions applied in these cases, many adults with Spina Bifida are entering the workforce without losing their social security benefits. The best option for improving the financial aspect of Spina Bifida individual, is to contact the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), at (800) 346-2742 for information regarding training and work tax incentive programs.

As with any special needs child, the focus for many parents involves the emotional and physical dynamics the birth defect plays upon not only the child but the entire family. Often, it is not until several weeks following birth that parents of the Spina Bifida child begin to assess the immediate and long term financial impact. In an effort to promote the most optimal financial outcome, consult a tax advisor, the social security office as well as the NARIC for information regarding tax deductions and work incentive programs.