Can you get SSI for low IQ?
People with IQ scores that are below 75 might qualify for disability under the SSA's Listing 12.05 for intellectual disorder, while people with IQ scores in the low average to borderline range could qualify under Listing 12.11 for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Loss of Mental Functioning. Applicants who are receiving benefits based solely on an intellectual disorder must have an impairment that occurred before age 22 and a full-scale IQ score of 70 or below, or a full-scale IQ score of 71 to 75 with a verbal or performance score of 70 or less.
The SSA lists mental retardation as a recognized disability. People who have an IQ under 60 before the age of 22 automatically qualify for SSDI benefits. If a person has an IQ that is less than 70 but greater than 60, the individual can qualify for benefits if another physical or mental ailment is also present.
Mild intellectual disability
The measured IQ for persons with mild ID is between 50–55 and 70 (based on population mean of 100; 1 standard deviation of 15, and margin of measurement error of ±5) (8,10,13-16).
Intelligence tests are standardized tests that measure a person's intellectual performance in multiple aspects of cognitive functioning.
Borderline intellectual functioning is diagnosed by IQ test scores that are between 71 and 84. People with scores that fall within that range may qualify for disability benefits under Social Security's "Blue Book" listing 12.11 for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Although an IQ test is not required for a diagnosis, people with IDs tend to score lower than average on this test of intelligence. An IQ score of 70 or below may indicate an intellectual disability. Symptoms of IDs in children can include: difficulty understanding and following social rules and norms.
Specific information for each state is available from the state's office of education. Most public schools make provisions for children with special educational needs. Children with IQ scores above or below the mean (average) by two standard deviations usually receive an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).
Some of the most common known causes of intellectual disability – like Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, genetic conditions, birth defects, and infections – happen before birth. Others happen while a baby is being born or soon after birth.
Level | IQ Range |
---|---|
Mild | IQ 52–69 |
Moderate | IQ 36–51 |
Severe | IQ 20–35 |
Profound | IQ 19 or below |
What are examples of mild intellectual disabilities?
- taking longer to learn to talk, but communicating well once they know how.
- being fully independent in self-care when they get older.
- having problems with reading and writing.
- social immaturity.
- increased difficulty with the responsibilities of marriage or parenting.
The condition is further divided into four levels of retardation based on IQ, which include mild mental retardation (IQ between 50-55 and 70), moderate mental retardation (IQ between 35-40 and 50-55), severe mental retardation (IQ between 20-25 and 35-40), and profound mental retardation (IQ below 20 or 25) (American ...
- Fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is the most common known cause of an inherited intellectual disability worldwide. ...
- Down syndrome. ...
- Developmental delay. ...
- Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) ...
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
What Is the Most Approved Disability? Arthritis and other musculoskeletal system disabilities make up the most commonly approved conditions for social security disability benefits. This is because arthritis is so common. In the United States, over 58 million people suffer from arthritis.
According to DSM and ICD, borderline intellectual functioning is not a disorder. But people with borderline intellectual functioning, or an IQ between 70 and 85, do comprise a vulnerable group.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) allows people who suffer from an anxiety disorder to qualify for SSDI benefits if their condition causes ongoing, severe symptoms that make it impossible for them to properly care for themselves or complete job-related tasks.
A common misconception is that intellectual disability is just a limitation on intelligence as assessed by a simple IQ test. An IQ test is only one piece of information. Some people have an average or above-average IQ but have trouble with other abilities necessary for everyday life.
Plot. In 1981, a man named Forrest Gump recounts his life story to strangers who happen to sit next to him at a bus stop. As a boy in 1956, Forrest has an IQ of 75 and is fitted with leg braces to correct a curved spine.
The average IQ is 100, with the majority of people scoring between 85 and 115. A person is considered intellectually disabled if they have an IQ of less than 70 to 75.
Having a bad memory is a sign of high intelligence. If you have a hard time remembering, it's a good indication that your brain is more focused on the essential things. Packing your brain full of memories for an exam or a business meeting is overrated and could harm your chances of success.
Is an IQ test required for an IEP?
IDEA does not include any requirement about including a child's IQ scores in the IEP. (i) How the child's disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for nondisabled children) . . .
There are three major criteria for intellectual disability: significant limitations in intellectual functioning, significant limitations in adaptive behavior, and onset before the age of 18.
The life expectancy for people with I/DD is similar to that of the general population, with the mean age at death ranging from the mid-50s (for those with more severe disabilities or Down syndrome) to the early 70s for adults with mild/moderate I/DD (Bittles et al., 2002; Janicki, Dalton, Henderson, & Davidson, 1999).
Overall, most persons with mild ID function at mental age of 9–11 years as adults (10,13,15). Persons with mild ID need intermittent support in daily living activities such as self-care, shopping, food preparation and money management (10).
Social skills difficulties
Children with an intellectual disability may have poorly developed social skills and problems understanding things from another person's perspective. In addition, social anxiety and sometimes poor articulation, can lead to conversational difficulties.
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/facts-about-intellectual-disability.html
- https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0424583055
- https://www.kolblegal.com/ssdi/impairments/anxiety-disorders/
- https://www.mentalhelp.net/intellectual-disabilities/educational-supports-and-individual-educational-plans-ieps/
- https://www.alperinlaw.com/blog/iq-scores-and-disability-benefits.cfm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7082244/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Gump
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967780/
- https://www.kolblegal.com/ssdi/impairments/mental-retardation/
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25015-intellectual-disability-id
- https://www.healthline.com/health/intellectual-disability
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207540/
- https://www.psych4schools.com.au/free-resource/intellectual-disability/
- https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/child-intellectual-disability
- https://irisreading.com/is-memory-a-sign-of-intelligence-quick-facts/
- https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/multimedia/table/levels-of-intellectual-disability
- https://www.healthline.com/health/intellectual-disability-vs-learning-disability
- https://tp.amegroups.org/article/view/36118/28320
- https://www.johnfoy.com/faqs/what-are-the-top-10-disabilities/
- https://www.aruma.com.au/about-us/about-disability/types-of-disabilities/types-of-intellectual-disabilities/
- https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/iep.iq.scores.transition.htm
- https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Eligibility-Guidelines-Intellectual-Disability.pdf
- https://publications.ici.umn.edu/impact/23-1/people-with-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities-growing-old-an-overview
- https://www.disabilitysecrets.com/resources/social-security-disability-coverage/borderline-intellectual-functioning-benefits.htm