Getting Disability for Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome

If you have autism or you have a child with autism, you may already know that autism is a very serious and permanent condition. Because of that, you may instinctively believe that everybody with autism automatically can get Social Security benefits.

But while you can get disability benefits because of autism, just having or being diagnosed with the condition by itself, isn’t always enough to get your Social Security benefits.

How Does it Affect You?

The Social Security administration already knows what you may know, if autism affects you or your family: there are many different levels of functioning when it comes to autism, and while some are seriously debilitated to the point they will need lifelong care, others are capable of working and living on their own, and being quite successful.

That’s why just having autism is not enough to get Social Security benefits. Rather, you must demonstrate that autism causes what Social Security terms a “marked limitation” in understanding information, interactions with others, the ability to concentrate or the ability to take care of your own affairs.

You must also show that you have defects in communication and social interaction and repetitive autism-related behavioral patterns.

All of this means that to win your disability benefits, you need more than just the medical diagnosis. Winning means compiling a full and complete history of you or your child’s limitations because of autism.

For children, it may require getting school records, or therapy records, or cognitive testing.

Overcoming Beliefs

Those with autism often have limitations that Social Security judges may not understand, at least, at first.

For example, many with autism struggle with hypersensitivity to noises, sounds or lights. While this, by itself, is not a limitation that Social Security recognizes, it is something that a good disability attorney must explain to the judge, and demonstrate how it affects the child’s ability to interact or concentrate or learn or take care of the child’s own affairs.

Many people, including disability judges, may also not understand that autism can be diagnosed until as late as the pre-teen years. A late diagnosis is not evidence that autism is not severe, or that it isn’t “real.”

Asperger’s Syndrome

The same problems arise with those diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome. Many people have the impression that Asperger’s is “not as serious” or debilitating as Autism. And while that may be true for some, it is not true for all–getting disability requires, again, showing a disability judge the specific, daily impairments that Asperger’s causes.

Quicker Approvals

The good thing about applying for disability with Autism, is that if, in fact, you do meet the requirements, you get your benefits–you do not have to prove that there are no jobs in the national economy that you can do, the way you would in other types of cases.

Schedule a consultation today with the Tampa Social Security disability lawyers at Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian if you or a family member has Autism or Asperger’s, and you feel that you might be entitled to Social Security disability benefits.

Source:

ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/12.00-MentalDisorders-Adult.htm