If you have a child who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or attention deficit disorder (ADD), you already know how extra challenging these kids can be. You have your work cut out for yourself as these kids are constantly on the go, they are impulsive, and can’t pay attention for very long at all. A little outside help can be a breath of fresh air in a situation like this.
If your child has been diagnosed, he or she can qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits. It is not always easy to win these cases but with the help of an experienced lawyer your chances increase quite a bit. The severity of your child’s condition has to meet the Social Security Administration’s impairment listings for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
The Social Security Administration uses a two pronged assessment for children and both parts must be satisfied. One incomplete section of the application or anything misleading can set the process back, and the current process is already very slow. An Los Angeles Social Security application lawyer can assist and make sure that everything is in order to expedite your claim.
You must have medically documented records that your child has severe inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. They cannot have just one, they need all three. These three, in combination, must cause serious interference with an age-appropriate ability to function. There must also be specific functional impairments caused by ADHD, such as:
- Severe difficulty in the child’s maintaining concentration, persistence, or pace
- Severe impairment in age-appropriate social functioning
- Severe impairment in age-appropriate cognitive or communicative functions
- Severe impairment in age-appropriate personal functioning
Two of the four impairments listed above must be met and these are relevant for children ages 3-18. To prove these impairments you will need all of the medical evidence and psychological test results you have. Documentation from qualified and licensed nurses, social workers, special educators, school records, teachers’ observations, and physicians or psychologists is also required.
It is essential to show the consistency or progression of impairments over time. Documenting your own observations is also acceptable to show how they react in daily living and social situations. In the likely event of an appeal, if you haven’t already, you need the help of a Los Angeles Social Security application lawyer.