Applying for SSI for the first time - wish us luck!

[EllenFrasier]

We have an appointment this week to apply for SSI - I'm getting nervous.

My son is 20 and is learning disabled, has been classified as such since pre-school. Since the age of 18, however, he has not been to see a doctor. He used to go to a pediatrician, but they only see kids until they turn 18 - he
has not been ill, so there has been no reason to seek out another doctor for him. He is also not on our health insurance anymore.

My sister's have been talking to me and think I should apply for SSI for him. I know that Dr. records will be needed to do this. Will they just go by the last Dr. he has seen and request records or statements from that Dr., or will they need a current Dr. statement? I am totally in the dark where this is concerned.

The application that came said to provide as much information as we can from his doctors and from school and if they need more information, they can request it from them. Sounds simple enough. Now all I have to do is locate papers that I didnt' think we'd ever need again!

 

[deerhart]

it depends. Do you have all his previous records showing IQ testing, etc? Did he have an IEP in school?


If you don't have urrent doc, then SSA will send him for a consultative exam (likely psych since its an LD). But you must realize that at his age he can't be able to do ANY job at all. This includes things like just sorting mail day in day out.

 

[EllenFrasier]

it depends. Do you have all his previous records showing IQ testing, etc? Did he have an IEP in school?


If you don't have urrent doc, then SSA will send him for a consultative exam (likely psych since its an LD). But you must realize that at his age he can't be able to do ANY job at all. This includes things like just sorting mail day in day out.

Thank you for your response. I know there has got to be more people on here who have applied for SSI. As far as doing any job at all, he seems to be able to get a job with the help of his job coach, but then only has it for one or two days and then they say it is not working out. Also, any job he gets is part-time, he cannot support himself with a part-time minimum wage job.

 

[deerhart]

SSA CANNOT deny him benefits because he would be employable due to ADA accommodations. It's against SSA law and rulings.

Therefore they cannot deny him benefits because he can keep a job ONLY if a job coach is allowed.

 

[EllenFrasier]

Well, we have an appointment with Social Security next week. I was kind of surprised that we got an appointment that fast. So between then and now, I have to dig out all of our son's records for doctors (not too many, it's just a matter of locating where I stuck them!), and his school IEP's. I am hoping that they ask for statement from the school or something in addition to the written IEP's - but most of them had teacher, counselor, psychologist, etc. comments on them as to how he was doing and what progress he made.
Odd thing - when he was in school I always wanted his IEP reports to sound good, to improve. Now I want them to sound like he could not do things very well!