Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS, is a disorder that falls on the autism spectrum, but may not be quite as severe as what those suffering from autism have. This does not make it any less difficult for the sufferer to get through daily life, but there are some reasons why the individual does not quite meet the requirements for autism. A PDD-NOS diagnosis can be characterized by issues of impaired social interaction that makes it hard to get along with others, communication impairments, a strict schedule, and issues knowing how to behave in the work setting.
Because of these limitations of someone suffering from pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified, many may wonder if their children would be able to receive social security disability benefits in Atlanta, GA. For cases that are severe enough to prevent the individual from working much, or working at all, it may be possible to receive these social security disability benefits in Atlanta, GA.
PDD-NOS Diagnosis for Children in Atlanta, GA
Autism in children, as well as other disorders such as PDD-NOS are found in the SSA Impairment Listing Manual, which is also known as the Blue Book. In order for a child to receive social security disability benefits in Atlanta Georgia, the child needs to meet both Paragraph A and B to get their disability benefits.
In paragraph A, the child with a PDD-NOS must have medical documentation showing all three of the following:
- That there are qualitative deficits in the development of the child’s social interactions
- That there are qualitative deficits in their nonverbal and verbal communication, as well as in their ability to be imaginative.
- And that they have a very restricted list of interests and activities that they are willing to do.
All three of those must be present before even considering applying for Social Security Disability Benefits in Atlanta, GA. In addition to those conditions, Paragraph B needs to be satisfied as well. You must be able to demonstrate how severe the impairment is before being able to receive these benefits for PDD-NOS.
For older infants as well as toddlers who are between the ages of 1 to 3, they must not be able to function more than at half their age for one of the areas that are set for below or no more than two-thirds the age-appropriate level of functioning for two or more areas set forth below:
- Fine or gross motor development
- Social function
- Cognitive or communicative function
If the child is older and falls between the ages of 3 to 18, the impairment should fall within two areas including:
- Maintaining concentration, pace, or persistence
- Personal functioning
- Social functioning
- Communicative or cognitive functioning
How Can an SSDI Lawyer Prove My SSDI Claim in Atlanta, GA?
Working on a social security disability benefits claim in Atlanta, GA can be difficult when it comes to a PDD-NOS Diagnosis. This is usually not as pronounced as some of the other autism spectrum disorders and can be hard to handle when you are filing your claim. Having the proper documentation in place ahead of time can make a big difference.
First, if a doctor has diagnosed your child with Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, keep track of all the documentation that you get from this. If your child is around caregivers or in school, ask for documentation from them describing the limitations and the specific case for your child. The more that you can document that this disorder is truly there and causing issues with the normal functioning of your child, the easier it will be to receive the disability benefits for your child with PDD-NOS.
Keep in mind that it is possible that you can be turned down for benefits the first time that you apply. Many people will attempt to apply for these benefits, and while many have legitimate cases, some do not. The SSA may have a hard time going through each and determining who has the most need and meets their requirements just by looking at the paper. It is possible to go through and do an appeal in order to get your case looked at again and get the social security disability benefits in Atlanta, GA that you need.
If your child has a PDD-NOS diagnosis and you need help filing a claim or an appeal with the SSA, make sure to contact our professionals at Ted A. Greve and Associates. Our team of experienced Atlanta Social Security disability lawyers can help you gather the right documentation to provide a strong claim when you submit it to the SSA. Contact us today to get started.
