What Does Social Security Look for in ADHD Disability Claims?
When Social Security evaluates disability claims for ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders, it looks for symptoms that interfere with working.
Symptoms your attention-deficit disability claim could highlight include:
- Easy distraction
- Fragmented attention
- Difficulty staying on task
- Restlessness, including trouble staying seated or in place
- Excessive talking
- Issues understanding, remembering or applying information
- Problems interacting with others
- Trouble managing yourself or your emotions
Someone who can’t stay focused, appropriately interact with others or remember instructions may struggle to hold down a job.
In addition to these symptoms, you can strengthen your claim by including information about other medical issues you face.
Many people with ADHD also experience ailments like depression and anxiety. If you have multiple mental health issues, the symptoms of each illness can interact and get worse, making it even harder to work.
A Wisconsin disability attorney can help you tell your story to Social Security.
Is It Difficult to Win Disability Benefits for ADHD in Wisconsin?
You might think winning disability benefits for a mental health issue like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder will be nearly impossible. It’s not an ailment people can see, so will Social Security acknowledge it?
Many people successfully apply for disability benefits with issues like ADHD. Mental health struggles are some of the most common reasons people win disability benefits.
The key is backing up your disability claim with objective evidence from other sources in addition to your own testimony about how your mental health makes working impossible.
An ADHD disability claim should include items like these:
- A diagnosis from your doctor
- A list of prescription medications you take, their dosages, effects and side effects
- Information about other treatments you’ve tried and how effective they’ve been at managing your symptoms
- Evidence of other co-occurring medical conditions
- School records, if you have suffered from ADHD since you were in school
- Information about accommodations you needed when you tried to work, like extra breaks or a reduced workload
- Evidence of disruptions at work, like frequent missed days or issues completing assignments
- Statements from friends, family members, teachers, coworkers and anyone else who has witnessed your symptoms
Gathering this evidence can take significant effort, but a Northeast Wisconsin disability lawyer can help you identify details that support your ADHD disability claim.
Denials are common, so even with significant evidence, you could still be denied disability benefits. If that happens, disability lawyer Tim Geary can help you appeal and get more chances to win SSDI benefits.
Another Option for Some Wisconsinites with ADHD: Disabled Adult Child Benefits
If you haven’t worked enough to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and you need to claim disability for ADHD, you may want to check your eligibility for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits from Social Security.
To qualify for SSDI, you need a work history and “work credits” from paying into Social Security. If you’ve had debilitating ADHD most of your life and never worked a significant amount, you may not be able to meet this requirement.
But you could get DAC benefits if you have a parent who worked and paid a qualifying amount into Social Security.
To qualify, you must show that:
- You’re at least 18 years old.
- Your medical condition began before age 22.
- You cannot work a substantial amount due to your health.
- You are not married.
- Your parent paid into Social Security and is currently receiving disability or retirement benefits, or is deceased.
Another potential option for someone who has never worked much due to ADHD is Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a needs-based program.
SSI benefits can offer a vital financial lifeline. But because DAC payments are based on your qualifying parent’s previous income and Social Security record, they are likely to be higher than SSI payments.
From our office in Appleton, the Geary Disability Law team has helped people in Oshkosh, Wausau, Green Bay and across the Fox Valley navigate this process.
If you think you may qualify for SSDI or DAC benefits because of your ADHD, schedule a free consultation with our firm.
We want to help you claim benefits that can get you back on steady ground.
Social Security Disability FAQs
It’s only natural for you to have many questions when your life has been disrupted by health problems and you need financial assistance. Get started on your path forward with our answers to some of the questions we hear most often:
DISABILITY FAQs
Hear from a Geary Law Firm Client
“When I did have a court date, he was confident and knew the law perfectly and was dedicated to my case.”
