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How to Get Disability for Autism in Salinas, California
The Help You Need in a Tough Time
If you or a loved one is living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you know the challenges that come with it. Often, it can make holding a full-time job impossible.
No income presents problems for anyone, no matter their situation. The last thing you deserve is a financial crisis thanks to a health issue.
It’s why you need Social Security Disability benefits. The monthly checks are meant for people in your spot, so you can focus on what’s most important: the health of you or your loved one with autism.
But getting these benefits with ASD presents its own obstacles. Autism is a neurological disorder that can be tough to diagnose. Its severity fluctuates from person to person, and it’s measured on a “spectrum,” which encompasses the mildest cases and the most severe.
Unfortunately, winning benefits can be a complex, difficult and exhausting process. Social Security operates under its own legal system, filled with rules and regulations often foreign to outsiders.
The good news? You don’t have to go through this alone.
The experienced, compassionate disability lawyers at Angelina Valle & Associates can help guide you through this hard time.
If you’re in San Jose, Salinas, Hollister or anywhere in the Bay Area, give us a call today to get started.
How to Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits with Autism
Proving you deserve these benefits comes down to the severity of symptoms, which can include:
Some common characteristics we see:
- Inability to interact socially
- Difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication
- Limited or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and/or activities
- Development stagnation or loss of skills acquired early in life
And here’s what you will have to show to win:
- Deficits in verbal communication, nonverbal communication and social interaction
- Significantly restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities
AND
Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two of the following areas of mental functioning:
- Understanding, remembering or applying information (using information to follow instructions, make decisions, solve problems)
- Interacting with others (playing with and cooperating with others, understanding social cues, holding a conversation, maintaining friendships and handling conflict)
- Concentrating, persisting or maintaining pace (keeping a consistent focus on an activity, avoiding distractions, completing a task in a timely manner)
- Adapting or managing oneself (regulating your own emotions, controlling behavior, protecting yourself from harm, maintaining personal hygiene)
We know this can seem overwhelming. Angelina Valle can answer any questions you have, and even evaluate your case at no cost to you.
Deciding What Type of Disability Benefits Are Right for You
Social Security offers two different disability options for people with autism:
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is based on your income
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is intended for adults who experience a disability before retirement age. To qualify, you must have worked long enough to receive a sufficient number of work credits.
Our San Jose disability lawyers have helped thousands of our neighbors get the benefits they need.
Whether you’re applying or appealing a denial, we’re here to help you.