Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : More Children to Get Disability Aid

New federal rules expand by up to 37,000 a year the number of children entitled to disability benefits. The government for the first time will consider not only children’s medical conditions but also the effect those conditions have on their ability to walk, eat, dress and perform other daily activities. Old rules applied a rigid list of disorders--deafness, for example--to children but permitted adults to be judged on their ability to work. The Administration estimates that the new guidelines will cost $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion over five years.