What is Autism?
Autism is a very complex disorder on a very broad spectrum. It is characterized by a vast range of conditions that typically challenge the development of social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and non-verbal communication issues.
Can children qualify for Social Security disability benefits with autism?
For children to qualify for benefits, Social Security will examine medical documentation of both:
- Qualitative defects in verbal communication, non-verbal communication and social interactions ie school and medical records will be examined for this information, and
- Significantly restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities
- Social Security will examine how the child’s functioning impacts the child’s ability to:
- Understand, remember, or apply information
- Interact with others, both adults and other children
- Concentrate, persist or maintain pace and
- Adapt and manage oneself
- In making this determination, Social Security will look at how your child functions compared to other same-age children who do not have this disorder.
Can adults qualify for Social Security disability benefits with autism?
For adults to qualify for benefits, Social Security will look for medical evidence documenting symptoms such as abnormalities and unevenness in the development of cognitive skills, unusual responses to sensory stimuli, short attention spans, impulsivity and self-injurious actions.
- As with a child’s case, an adult must have medical documentation of both:
- Qualitative deficits in verbal communication, non-verbal communication and social interaction, and
- Significantly restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities
- Social Security will examine how this disorder impacts your ability to function in:
- Understanding, remembering and applying information
- Interact with others
- Concentrate, persist or maintain pace
- Adapt and manage yourself.
Balin Law handles autism Social Security disability cases
Balin law can help an individual understand the kinds of records and evidence needed to prove your disability, such as school records, employment records, medical records, and counseling records. We can make this very complex disorder easier to understand and prove.