 SSDRC Filing a Social Security Disability Application - How to File & the Information that is Needed by SSA Do you need a Lawyer at the Administrative Law Judge Disability Hearing? Social Security Disability Back pay and How Long it Takes to Qualify for it How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition? What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of benefits If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare? How much is paid for the Social Security Disability Attorney Fee? How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability? How To Get Disability Through SSDI or SSI Approved Should you get Help from a Disability Attorney before the Claim has been Denied? Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability Qualifying for Disability - What is Social Security Looking for? How do I check the status of my Social Security disability claim? What Expenses Will A Social Security Attorney Charge In Addition To The Fee? |
Facts about Dyslexia and Filing for DisabilityHow to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits 1) Although many people think of dyslexia as a disorder that simply makes people ‘see words backwards’, it is a reading disability disorder that encompasses difficulty recognizing words, reading, and spelling, as well as understanding the meaning of individual words and sentences, and can even encompass the inability to rhyme. Oftentimes those with dyslexia also have a challenging time with comprehending mathematics, but that is a separate disability known as dyscalculia. 2) According to estimates, dyslexia affects nearly 17 percent of the population in the United States. The disorder affects both males and females equally. 3) Those with dyslexia are not ‘learning challenged’; anyone of any intelligence can have dyslexia and although they may have issues recognizing and understanding graphic characters, this does not affect their degree of intelligence. 4) Studies have found that small business owners are more likely to have dyslexia than non-business owners. It is estimated that 20 to 35 percent of British and American business owners are affected with the disorder. 5) Symptoms of dyslexia include difficulty with the following: learning the alphabet, counting syllables, learning the sounds of letters, hearing sounds in words, and retrieving the correct meaning of words. 6) Preschool aged children that are prone to dyslexia may show signs early on. They may have difficulty with nursery rhymes, saying words correctly such as calling spaghetti ‘bisghetti’, can be slow to learn new words, and may be late in establishing a dominant writing hand. 6) Many people with dyslexia also have issues with distinguishing between the right side and left side, and understanding the concept of time. 7) Although there is no cure for dyslexia and treatments depend upon the individual and their unique symptoms and learning style, those with the disorder can learn to spell, read, and write with the proper, individualized educational tutoring and support. 8) Dyslexia is oftentimes accompanied by other conditions, such as dysgraphia, dyscalculia, cluttering, developmental dyspraxia, and specific language impairment (SLI). Can you qualify for disability benefits with this condition? Whether or not you qualify for disability and, as a result, are approved for disability benefits will depend entirely on the information obtained from your medical records. This includes whatever statements may have been obtained from your treating physician (a doctor who has a history of treating your condition and is, therefore, qualified to comment as to your condition and prognosis). It will also depend on the information obtained from your vocational, or work, history if you are an adult, or academic records if you are a minor-age child. The important thing to keep in mind is that the social security administration does not award benefits based on simply having a condition, but, instead, will base an approval or denial on the extent to which a condition causes functional limitations. Functional limitations can be great enough to make work activity not possible (or, for a child, make it impossible to engage in age-appropriate activities). Why are so many disability cases lost at the disability application and reconsideration appeal levels? Speaking as a former Disability Claims Examiner, I can state that there are several reasons: 1) Social Security makes no attempt to obtain a statement from a claimant's treating physician. By contrast, at the hearing level, a claimant and his or her disability attorney will generally obtain and present this type of statement to a judge; 2) Prior to the hearing level, a claimant will not have the opportunity to explain how their condition limits them, nor will their attorney or representative have the opportunity to make a presentation based on the evidence of the case. At the hearing level, of course, this is exactly what happens. And a number of disability representatives will also take such steps even earlier, at the reconsideration appeal level; 3) Disability judges, unlike disability examiners who decides cases at the first two levels of the system, can make independent decisions without being overturned by immediate supervisors--which happens frequently. 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Topics and Questions Other Links SSD and SSI are Federal Programs The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here: Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials |