Who makes the determination about my childs eligiblity?
Eligibility is decided by the Disability Determination Service (DDS) of Social Security. The DDS makes a decision initially based on the written information in medical and other records submitted. When DDS does not have enough information to make a decision, it requests, at no cost to the applicant, a consultative examination (CE) by an approved psychologist. If the DDS subsequently rejects the application for eligibility, the parent may request “reconsideration,” a process in which a three member team who had nothing to do with the initial decision reviews it. Reconsideration stems from timely action taken by the parent to request a second opinion. At that point the parent may appear in person at an informal hearing or simply submit additional documentation.
