Can you get a disability allowance if you are diagnosed with ADHD and autism?
If your ADHD and/or autism prevents you from working (performing the duties of a simple, entry-level job) then yes, either of these conditions could be disabling as Social Security defines that term.However… I have had very little success recently arguing for disability based on ADHD. In children, ADHD is overdiagnosed and disability judges see far too many cases of parents getting their kids labeled with ADHD solely to qualify for disability. In a child’s case you would need evidence consisting of extensive psychiatric and psychological testing.In adults, my experience has been that ADHD is a non-starter. I have yet to find a disability judge who will find an adult disabled because of ADHD alone. It just doesn’t move the needle.Autism is a better argument because the symptoms of the disorder are more likely to impact work performance. Here, too, a solid record of psychiatric and psychological testing would be very persuasive.
Do you believe in diagnosing a slow learner with a disability?
Well you have a choice as to whether you wish to fix the cause or target the symptom.Yes, a slow learner has a disability. But it is useful to ask yourself how a disability label might help. Would the costs exceed the benefits?If a 'Slow Learner' label attracted extra support in the classroom and that was helpful, then maybe it would be productive. Consider the impact of such a label on self-confidence. Many might infer 'slow and stupid' from such a label. This could be demoralising and erroneous. I see many bright kids who are slowed by their sensory overloads.My preferred approach would be to identify the cause, search for the why and then target this. Once you uncover the cause, this brings hope and relief to those involved. Yes, I have seen this hundreds of times in my practice.One of the causes of slow processing, poor concentration and distractability is Auditory Processing Disorder. Perhaps you would like to check you performance on my free Listening Scorecard.http://www.listen4life.com/your-...
Would you consider ADD/ADHD a disability?
Though you may believe everyone with a diagnosis of ADHD qualifies as being disabled by the government under the Americans with Disabilities Act, this is not true. Not everyone does qualify even though they have been diagnosed. And that may include you or your child. The Americans with Disabilities Act was established by Congress in 1990. The purpose of the Act is to end discrimination against persons with disabilities when it comes to housing, education, public transportation, recreation, health services, voting, and access to public services. It also aims to provide equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Since Congress enacted the ADA courts have had several challenges in defining the scope of the Act. • What exactly is a disability? • Who would be defined as having a disability? • Is having a diagnosis the same as having a disability? So, to the Question:Is ADHD included in the ADA? The answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no. The ADA defines "disability" as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more "major life activities," such as walking, seeing, hearing, or learning. Having a diagnosed impairment, such as ADHD, does not necessarily mean that an individual is disabled within the meaning of the ADA. In this regard you are correct. The ADA does provide for "mental" conditions or mental illnesses, and potentially ADHD fits in this category. But as with physical impairments, the diagnosis of a mental illness or mental impairment such as ADHD is not sufficient by itself to qualify for protection under ADA. Again, having a "diagnosis" is not the same as having a "disability." If a child, teen, or adult with ADHD can "get the task done" or "get the job done" by using medications, applying behavioral management techniques, receiving counseling, using biofeedback, using other treatment interventions, then they do not have a disability that is protected under the ADA. So, it would follow that if you, or your child, could function pretty well at work or in school when taking medication or using some other treatment, no disability as defined under the ADA would exist. So, to answer your question, I would consider the "diagnosis" of ADHD as having the potential of rendering a person disabled if certain criteria are met.
Can you get an IEP with a diagnosis of CAPD?????
Special Education services vary from state to state. Identified disabilities from the Federal standpoint are taken from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM IV). Additional criteria for warranted services also depends on state law. ADHD in itself is not always an area of need for a student to receive an IEP. The learning difficulties are generally what qualify an individual for additional assistance as provided by the law. In some states, children are not labeled with any identified disability but are "eligible individuals" based on their level of need. To receive help in understanding the IEP, or the process, there may have been an individual at your initial meeting who is identified as a consultant. If not, search your state web sites for a parent advocacy group of special needs children. Most states have such support groups and they should be able to assist you with the IEP process. If you live in a state that requires a "label" for services, you may wish to leave the ADHD diagnosis as a means to ensure services are available for your child. In your IEP meetings be sure to focus on the goals & objectives (addressing the academic needs of your child) and the Least Restricitive Environment section that includes the accomodations and modifications your child may need in the school setting (i.e. extended time, preferrential seating, shortened assignments). Although your child may have have needs other then ADHD, if the ADHD identification provides for SpEd services you may wish to use it to ensure services for your child. The IEP is to be tailored to each child's individual needs, and it can be written to reflect what services best suit your child regardless of the "label".
Can I get disability for Aspergers?
As stated by other answers, it depends on the degree to which you are disabled by the Asperger's and/or other diagnoses--which don't have to be related to Asperger's. Some people (such as conservative politicians and Fox News commentators) have the impression that government agencies (such as the Social Security Administration in the USA) have a list of disabling conditions and you just go in and say "I have $DisablingCondition" and they give you money. This pretty much isn't true--you have to prove that your condition affects your "activities of daily living" and prevents you from maintaining "substantial gainful employment" which means a job that earns more than a number that changes each year, roughly $1000/mo. It doesn't mean that you can't work in the field for which you trained or have experience, but it can mean that if you get jobs and get fired repeatedly (for example, for "making people uncomfortable" or "not fitting in socially") you can qualify. If you've worked for enough time, you can qualify for SSDI based on past earnings instead of SSI, which is a tiny pittance, often not enough to rent a studio apartment and pay utilities.If you have other conditions--including things like allergies, migraines, sleep disorders, arthritis, etc. it is good to consider them too, since the SSA will (and presumably other agencies in other countries) look at how your medical conditions affect your ability to work. If the jobs that were compatible with your Asperger's were incompatible with other conditions, that would make it harder for them to argue that there are jobs you could do. For example, if they said "Well, you could just be a security guard watching construction sites at night and not have to deal with people" that wouldn't be true if you couldn't stand or walk for long periods of time due to arthritis.
What are the signs of intellectual disability in newborns?
In a newborn, mild to severe intellectual disability really won’t be that obvious. A child with profound ID might show signs that early, but they’ll be signs like not being interested in their environment, not being able to learn to nurse, absent or unusual reflexes, that kind of thing. They’ll be vague signs that could come from many different sources.The only way they diagnose intellectual disability in a newborn is to diagnose them with a syndrome that inevitably includes intellectual disability as one of its symptoms. The three survivable trisomies—Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, and Patau syndrome—all come with intellectual disability, though Down syndrome tends to be much milder than the other two. Fragile X can be diagnosed at birth, too. There are brain malformations that can be diagnosed and predicted to result in intellectual disability. Occasionally, a child with a hypoxic brain injury at birth (difficult birth, cord wrapped around the neck, that kind of thing) can be diagnosed as having had a brain injury severe enough to result in intellectual disability; but that’s not a sure thing, because they could end up with cerebral palsy that affects only physical movements, or even recover completely.As the child gets older, they will start missing developmental milestones—they’ll be developing more slowly than other children the same age. At that point, a pediatrician can take a look at their developmental delay and try to figure out what’s causing it. ID is one of the causes of developmental delay (there are others, including reversible ones like physical illness or neglect). Once a child shows a fairly stable pattern of slower development, a neurologist or pediatrician can confidently call it “intellectual disability”—but only when it’s clear that this is atypical development, rather than a temporary problem. A child with ID has an atypical brain, and the best treatment for it is good education and a friendly environment.