Social Security Disability Impairments: Neurological Problems
May 8, 2015

What are neurological disorders?
Unlike mental impairments, such as schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder, neurological disorders are those where the brains ability to function has been compromised because of a physical trauma, an illness, a congenital or genetic defect or any other non-personality relate issue. In short, neurological disorders affect a person’s brain physical, which in turn affects how a person’s body functions.
Which neurological disorders are accepted by the SSA?
The SSA website lists a number of acceptable neurological conditions for adults seeking Social Security disability:
- Seizure disorders, specifically convulsive (grand mal or psychomotor) and nonconvulsive (petit mal, psychomotor, or focal) epilepsies.
- Central nervous system vascular accidents affecting speech, communications and motor skills
- Benign brain tumors
- Parkinson’s disease
- Cerebral Palsy, as long as the CP is severe enough to affect a person’s motor skills, IQ or behavior patterns
- Spinal cord or nerve root lesions caused by literally anything
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Polio
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Nerve damage
- Subacute combined cord degeneration (pernicious anemia), also called Lichtheim’s disease
- Degenerative diseases that do not fall under other categories, like Huntington’s Chorea, Friedreich’s ataxia, and spino-cerebellar degeneration
- Traumatic brain injuries or brain damage
- Spinal cysts caused by syringomyelia disorder
The regulations for children are somewhat different, as their brains and bodies are still developing. If you child suffers from “major motor seizure disorder[s], nonconvulsive epilepsy, brain tumors, motor dysfunction (due to any neurological disorder), Cerebral Palsy, meningomyelocele (and related disorders) [or] communication impairment associated with documented neurological disorder[s],” he or she may be eligible for benefits.
If you or your child suffers from a neurological impairment that makes it impossible for you to support your family, you may be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits. Please contact the law office of Larry Pitt & Associates to find out how our Social Security disability lawyers can help you. We maintain 6 offices throughout Pennsylvania to serve our clients in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.