My Daughter’s IQ Score Is Just A Little Too High To Qualify For An Intellectual Disability. She Can’t Hold Down A Menial Job For More Than A Few Weeks. Could She Still Qualify For Social Security Disability Benefits?

Yes, your daughter may qualify for Social Security disability benefits even if her IQ is not quite low enough to qualify her as having an intellectual disability. However, building a compelling case for Social Security disability benefits will involve a lot of legwork and a thorough knowledge of how the Social Security disability system works.

Borderline Intellectual Functioning

If your daughter’s IQ is between 71 and 84, she is in the range of borderline intellectual functioning (BIF). People with BIF do not have an intellectual disability for purposes of Social Security disability benefits, and if a lower-than-average IQ score is her only issue, then she won’t be able to obtain benefits.

However, if your daughter has mental functional capacity issues that extend beyond her IQ score, she may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

How to Help Your Child Prove That She Qualifies for Social Security Disability

Before you have your child apply for Social Security disability, it is important to gather all of the information that will be relevant to her application, including:

Medical evidence, including a mental Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) form completed by her primary physician.
Statements from teachers, former supervisors, and anyone who has instructed, trained, or worked with your daughter.
Job and education-related assessments and reviews.
Any documentation describing disciplinary action or reasons for discharge from former employers that will support your claims of her other limitations.

You may also want to seriously consider hiring an experienced disability attorney to help you navigate the challenges of proving your daughter’s disability claim in spite of these special circumstances. To learn more, call Morgan & Weisbrod today. Our compassionate and skilled team is here to answer your questions and to help your daughter get the disability benefits she deserves.