topic Is a child diagnosed with Autism considered “disabled” for tax purposes. Does this change if they are under 18 or non-verbal? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Is a child diagnosed with Autism considered “disabled” for tax purposes. Does this change if they are under 18 or non-verbal?

jorrickfamily — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:21:37 GMT

I have a 4 year old child who is diagnosed with Autism and is non-verbal. I would like to know if I should check the "Was disabled" box in the "information area" on my tax return.

Re: Is a child diagnosed with Autism considered “disabled” for tax purposes. Does this change if they are under 18 or non-verbal?

xmasbaby0 — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 16:12:29 GMT

Do I get a credit or deduction if my child is disabled?

If your child is older than 12 and you need to pay someone to take care of him while you work, you can say he is disabled and you can still get the childcare credit on your federal return. Or if he is 19 or older you may still be able to claim him as a qualifying child dependent on your federal return.

Aside from those things, there is no federal tax advantage to saying that your child is disabled. Your state tax laws might be different.

Re: Is a child diagnosed with Autism considered “disabled” for tax purposes. Does this change if they are under 18 or non-verbal?

Bsch4477 — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 16:12:32 GMT

It will not affect your return since the child is 4 years old.