Why is the “school work” factor so important in ADHD cases?
It is important for the same reason that the ability (or inability) to work is so important in adult cases. The social security disability system is not really concerned with a claimant’s diagnosed condition, but rather the effect that the condition has on a claimant’s ability to engage in certain specific activities. For adults, this means the ability to work while earning at least a certain basic amount (the SGA income amount, which is currently $940.00 per month, gross). For children, this means being able to adequately perform age-appropriate activities, such as adequate functioning in school. Therefore, to win an ADHD disability claim, it is not simply enough to be given an ADHD diagnosis. To win disability benefits from the Social Security Administration based on attention deficit, or ADHD, a child must have meaurable functional deficits, in the context of school performance.
