Qualifying For Disability Benefits With ADHD
By Chris Sharry on August 25th, 2013 in Disability, Disability Qualifying, Social Security Disability
A diagnosis for ADHD, like other conditions and injuries, does not mean a child will automatically qualify for disability benefits. Children under 18 diagnosed with ADHD will be granted benefits if the severity of their condition meets the Social Security Administrations (SSA) impairment listing, or functionally equals the listing. The applicable listing for ADHD can be found at 112.11 of the children’s listings.
To meet listing 112.11, your child must have all three (3) symptoms of ADHD: marked inattention, marked impulsiveness and marked hyperactivity. For children 3-18, the claimant must have severe difficulty in at least two (2) of the following four (4) areas:
- Cognitive or communicative functioning;
- Social functioning;
- Personal functioning; and
- Concentration, persistence and pace.
To prove limitations in these areas, you must provide documentation detailing the limitations that your children experiences. Examples of documentation may include medical records, medical source statements, teacher or therapist questionnaires, individualized education plans (IEP), standardized testing and reports from pre-school or daycare. The symptoms of and limitations caused by ADHD must affect the child’s day-to-day activities, and, more importantly, how they function in school. Due to the subjective nature of evaluating and treating ADHD, you must be sure to obtain sufficient evidence to prove your case.
In addition to proving medical disability, you must also satisfy certain asset and income requirements to be granted benefits. See here for an explanation on meeting the asset/income rules to qualify.
