TN 25 (04-19)
112.00 MENTAL DISORDERS
A. How are the listings for mental disorders for children arranged, and what do
they require?
1. The listings for mental disorders for children are arranged in 12 categories: neurocognitive
disorders (112.02); schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (112.03);
depressive, bipolar and related disorders (112.04); intellectual disorder (112.05);
anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders (112.06); somatic symptom and related disorders
(112.07); personality and impulse-control disorders (112.08); autism spectrum disorder
(112.10); neurodevelopmental disorders (112.11); eating disorders (112.13); developmental
disorders in infants and toddlers (112.14); and trauma- and stressor-related disorders
(112.15). All of these listings, with the exception of 112.14, apply to children from
age three to attainment of age 18. Listing 112.14 is for children from birth to attainment
of age 3.
2. Listings 112.07, 112.08, 112.10, 112.11, 112.13, and 112.14 have two paragraphs,
designated A and B; your mental disorder must satisfy the requirements of both paragraphs
A and B. Listings 112.02, 112.03, 112.04, 112.06, and 112.15 have three paragraphs,
designated A, B, and C; your mental disorder must satisfy the requirements of both
paragraphs A and B, or the requirements of both paragraphs A and C. Listing 112.05
has two paragraphs that are unique to that listing (see 112.00A3); your mental disorder
must satisfy the requirements of either paragraph A or paragraph B.
a. Paragraph A of each listing (except 112.05) includes the medical criteria that
must be present in your medical evidence.
b. Paragraph B of each listing (except 112.05) provides the functional criteria we
assess to evaluate how your mental disorder limits your functioning. For children
ages 3 to 18, these criteria represent the areas of mental functioning a child uses
to perform age-appropriate activities. They are: understand, remember, or apply information;
interact with others; concentrate, persist, or maintain pace; and adapt or manage
oneself. (See 112.00I for a discussion of the criteria for children from birth to
attainment of age 3 under 112.14.) We will determine the degree to which your medically
determinable mental impairment affects the four areas of mental functioning and your
ability to function age-appropriately in a manner comparable to that of other children
your age who do not have impairments. (Hereinafter, the words "age-appropriately"
incorporate the qualifying statement, "in a manner comparable to that of other children
your age who do not have impairments.") To satisfy the paragraph B criteria, your
mental disorder must result in "extreme" limitation of one, or "marked" limitation
of two, of the four areas of mental functioning. (When we refer to "paragraph B criteria"
or "area[s] of mental functioning" in the introductory text of this body system, we
mean the criteria in paragraph B of every listing except 112.05 and 112.14.)
c. Paragraph C of listings 112.02, 112.03, 112.04, 112.06, and 112.15 provides the
criteria we use to evaluate "serious and persistent mental disorders." To satisfy
the paragraph C criteria, your mental disorder must be "serious and persistent"; that
is, there must be a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder
over a period of at least 2 years, and evidence that satisfies the criteria in both
C1 and C2 (see 112.00G). (When we refer to "paragraph C" or "the paragraph C criteria"
in the introductory text of this body system, we mean the criteria in paragraph C
of listings 112.02, 112.03, 112.04, 112.06, and 112.15.)
3. Listing 112.05 has two paragraphs, designated A and B, that apply to only intellectual
disorder. Each paragraph requires that you have significantly subaverage general intellectual
functioning and significant deficits in current adaptive functioning.
B. Which mental disorders do we evaluate under each listing category for
children?
1. Neurocognitive disorders (112.02).
a. These disorders are characterized in children by a clinically significant deviation
in normal cognitive development or by a decline in cognitive functioning. Symptoms
and signs may include, but are not limited to, disturbances in memory, executive functioning
(that is, higher-level cognitive processes; for example, regulating attention, planning,
inhibiting responses, decision-making), visual-spatial functioning, language and speech,
perception, insight, and judgment.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include major neurocognitive
disorder; mental impairments resulting from medical conditions such as a metabolic
disease (for example, juvenile Tay-Sachs disease), human immunodeficiency virus infection,
vascular malformation, progressive brain tumor, or traumatic brain injury; or substance-induced
cognitive disorder associated with drugs of abuse, medications, or toxins. (We evaluate
neurological disorders under that body system (see 111.00). We evaluate cognitive
impairments that result from neurological disorders under 112.02 if they do not satisfy
the requirements in 111.00. We evaluate catastrophic genetic disorders under listings
in 110.00, 111.00, or 112.00, as appropriate. We evaluate genetic disorders that are
not catastrophic under the affected body system(s).)
c. This category does not include the mental disorders that we evaluate under intellectual
disorder (112.05), autism spectrum disorder (112.10), and neurodevelopmental disorders
(112.11).
2. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (112.03).
a. These disorders are characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech,
or grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, causing a clinically significant decline
in functioning. Symptoms and signs may include, but are not limited to, inability
to initiate and persist in goal-directed activities, social withdrawal, flat or inappropriate
affect, poverty of thought and speech, loss of interest or pleasure, disturbances
of mood, odd beliefs and mannerisms, and paranoia.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include schizophrenia,
schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, and psychotic disorder due to another
medical condition.
3. Depressive, bipolar and related disorders (112.04).
a. These disorders are characterized by an irritable, depressed, elevated, or expansive
mood, or by a loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities, causing
a clinically significant decline in functioning. Symptoms and signs may include, but
are not limited to, feelings of hopelessness or guilt, suicidal ideation, a clinically
significant change in body weight or appetite, sleep disturbances, an increase or
decrease in energy, psychomotor abnormalities, disturbed concentration, pressured
speech, grandiosity, reduced impulse control, sadness, euphoria, and social withdrawal.
Depending on a child's age and developmental stage, certain features, such as somatic
complaints, irritability, anger, aggression, and social withdrawal may be more commonly
present than other features.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include bipolar disorders
(I or II), cyclothymic disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, major depressive
disorder, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), and bipolar or depressive disorder
due to another medical condition.
4. Intellectual disorder (112.05).
a. This disorder is characterized by significantly subaverage general intellectual
functioning and significant deficits in current adaptive functioning. Signs may include,
but are not limited to, poor conceptual, social, or practical skills evident in your
adaptive functioning.
b. The disorder that we evaluate in this category may be described in the evidence
as intellectual disability, intellectual developmental disorder, or historically used
terms such as "mental retardation."
c. This category does not include the mental disorders that we evaluate under neurocognitive
disorders (112.02), autism spectrum disorder (112.10), or neurodevelopmental disorders
(112.11).
5. Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders (112.06).
a. These disorders are characterized by excessive anxiety, worry, apprehension, and
fear, or by avoidance of feelings, thoughts, activities, objects, places, or people. Symptoms
and signs may include, but are not limited to, restlessness, difficulty concentrating,
hyper-vigilance, muscle tension, sleep disturbance, fatigue, panic attacks, obsessions
and compulsions, constant thoughts and fears about safety, and frequent physical complaints.
Depending on a child's age and developmental stage, other features may also include
refusal to go to school, academic failure, frequent stomachaches and other physical
complaints, extreme worries about sleeping away from home, being overly clinging,
and exhibiting tantrums at times of separation from caregivers.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include separation anxiety
disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia,
and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
c. This category does not include the mental disorders that we evaluate under trauma-
and stressor-related disorders (112.15).
6. Somatic symptom and related disorders (112.07).
a. These disorders are characterized by physical symptoms or deficits that are not
intentionally produced or feigned, and that, following clinical investigation, cannot
be fully explained by a general medical condition, another mental disorder, the direct
effects of a substance, or a culturally sanctioned behavior or experience. Symptoms
and signs may include, but are not limited to, pain and other abnormalities of sensation,
gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, abnormal motor movement, pseudoseizures, and pseudoneurological
symptoms, such as blindness or deafness.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include somatic symptom
disorder and conversion disorder.
7. Personality and impulse-control disorders (112.08).
a. These disorders are characterized by enduring, inflexible, maladaptive, and pervasive
patterns of behavior. Onset may occur in childhood but more typically occurs in adolescence
or young adulthood. Symptoms and signs may include, but are not limited to, patterns
of distrust, suspiciousness, and odd beliefs; social detachment, discomfort, or avoidance;
hypersensitivity to negative evaluation; an excessive need to be taken care of; difficulty
making independent decisions; a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and
control; and inappropriate, intense, impulsive anger and behavioral expression grossly
out of proportion to any external provocation or psychosocial stressors.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include paranoid, schizoid,
schizotypal, borderline, avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive personality disorders,
and intermittent explosive disorder.
8. Autism spectrum disorder (112.10).
a. These disorders are characterized by qualitative deficits in the development of
reciprocal social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and symbolic
or imaginative play; restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests,
and activities; and stagnation of development or loss of acquired skills. Symptoms
and signs may include, but are not limited to, abnormalities and unevenness in the
development of cognitive skills; unusual responses to sensory stimuli; and behavioral
difficulties, including hyperactivity, short attention span, impulsivity, aggressiveness,
or self-injurious actions.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include autism spectrum
disorder with or without accompanying intellectual impairment, and autism spectrum
disorder with or without accompanying language impairment.
c. This category does not include the mental disorders that we evaluate under neurocognitive
disorders (112.02), intellectual disorder (112.05), and neurodevelopmental disorders
(112.11).
9. Neurodevelopmental disorders (112.11).
a. These disorders are characterized by onset during the developmental period, that
is, during childhood or adolescence, although sometimes they are not diagnosed until
adulthood. Symptoms and signs may include, but are not limited to, underlying abnormalities
in cognitive processing (for example, deficits in learning and applying verbal or
nonverbal information, visual perception, memory, or a combination of these); deficits
in attention or impulse control; low frustration tolerance; excessive or poorly planned
motor activity; difficulty with organizing (time, space, materials, or tasks); repeated
accidental injury; and deficits in social skills. Symptoms and signs specific to tic
disorders include sudden, rapid, recurrent, non-rhythmic, motor movement or vocalization.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include specific learning
disorder, borderline intellectual functioning, and tic disorders (such as Tourette
syndrome).
c. This category does not include the mental disorders that we evaluate under neurocognitive
disorders (112.02), autism spectrum disorder (112.10), or personality and impulse-control
disorders (112.08).
10. Eating disorders (112.13).
a. These disorders are characterized in young children by persistent eating of nonnutritive
substances or repeated episodes of regurgitation and re-chewing of food, or by persistent
failure to consume adequate nutrition by mouth. In adolescence, these disorders are
characterized by disturbances in eating behavior and preoccupation with, and excessive
self-evaluation of, body weight and shape. Symptoms and signs may include, but are
not limited to, failure to make expected weight gains; restriction of energy consumption
when compared with individual requirements; recurrent episodes of binge eating or
behavior intended to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, excessive
exercise, or misuse of laxatives; mood disturbances, social withdrawal, or irritability;
amenorrhea; dental problems; abnormal laboratory findings; and cardiac abnormalities.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include anorexia nervosa,
bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food disorder.
11. Developmental disorders in infants and toddlers (112.14).
a. Developmental disorders are characterized by a delay or deficit in the development
of age-appropriate skills, or a loss of previously acquired skills, involving motor
planning and control, learning, relating and communicating, and self-regulating.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include developmental coordination
disorder, separation anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and regulation disorders
of sensory processing (difficulties in regulating emotions, behaviors, and motor abilities
in response to sensory stimulation). Some infants and toddlers may have only a general
diagnosis of "developmental delay."
c. This category does not include eating disorders related to low birth weight and
failure to thrive, which we evaluate under that body system (100.00).
12. Trauma- and stressor-related disorders (112.15).
a. These disorders are characterized by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic or
stressful event, or learning of a traumatic event occurring to a close family member
or close friend, and the psychological aftermath of clinically significant effects
on functioning. Symptoms and signs may include, but are not limited to, distressing
memories, dreams, and flashbacks related to the trauma or stressor; avoidant or withdrawn
behavior; constriction of play and significant activities; increased frequency of
negative emotional states (for example, fear, sadness) or reduced expression of positive
emotions (for example, satisfaction, affection); anxiety; irritability; aggression;
exaggerated startle response; difficulty concentrating; sleep disturbance; and a loss
of previously acquired developmental skills.
b. Examples of disorders that we evaluate in this category include posttraumatic stress
disorder, reactive attachment disorder, and other specified trauma- and stressor-related
disorders (such as adjustment-like disorders with prolonged duration without prolonged
duration of stressor).
c. This category does not include the mental disorders that we evaluate under anxiety
and obsessive-compulsive disorders (112.06), and cognitive impairments that result
from neurological disorders, such as a traumatic brain injury, which we evaluate under
neurocognitive disorders (112.02).
C. What evidence do we need to evaluate your mental disorder?
1. General. We need objective medical evidence from an acceptable medical source to establish
that you have a medically determinable mental disorder. We also need evidence to assess
the severity of your mental disorder and its effects on your ability to function age-appropriately.
We will determine the extent and kinds of evidence we need from medical and nonmedical
sources based on the individual facts about your disorder. For additional evidence
requirements for intellectual disorder (112.05), see 112.00H. For our basic rules
on evidence, see §§ 416.912, 416.913, and 416.920b of this chapter. For our rules
on evaluating medical opinions, see §§ 416.1520c and 416.927 of this chapter. For
our rules on evidence about your symptoms, see § 416.929 of this chapter. 2. Evidence from medical sources. We will consider all relevant medical evidence about your disorder from your physician,
psychologist, and other medical sources, which include health care providers such
as physician assistants, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed clinical social
workers, and clinical mental health counselors. Evidence from your medical sources
may include:
a. Your reported symptoms.
b. Your developmental, medical, psychiatric, and psychological history.
c. The results of physical or mental status examinations, structured clinical interviews,
psychiatric or psychological rating scales, measures of adaptive functioning, or other
clinical findings.
d. Developmental assessments, psychological testing, imaging results, or other laboratory
findings.
e. Your diagnosis.
f. The type, dosage, and beneficial effects of medications you take.
g. The type, frequency, duration, and beneficial effects of therapy you receive.
h. Side effects of medication or other treatment that limit your ability to function.
i. Your clinical course, including changes in your medication, therapy, or other treatment,
and the time required for therapeutic effectiveness.
j. Observations and descriptions of how you function during examinations or therapy.
k. Information about sensory, motor, or speech abnormalities, or about your cultural
background (for example, language or customs) that may affect an evaluation of your
mental disorder.
l. The expected duration of your symptoms and signs and their effects on your ability
to function age-appropriately, both currently and in the future.
3. Evidence from you and people who know you. We will consider all relevant evidence about your mental disorder and your daily functioning
that we receive from you and from people who know you. If you are too young or unable
to describe your symptoms and your functioning, we will ask for a description from
the person who is most familiar with you. We will ask about your symptoms, your daily
functioning, and your medical treatment. We will ask for information from third parties
who can tell us about your mental disorder, but we must have permission to do so.
This evidence may include information from your family, caregivers, teachers, other
educators, neighbors, clergy, case managers, social workers, shelter staff, or other
community support and outreach workers. We will consider whether your statements and
the statements from third parties are consistent with the medical and other evidence
we have.
4. Evidence from early intervention programs, school, vocational training, work,
and work-related programs.
a. Early intervention programs. You may receive services in an Early Intervention Program (EIP) to help you with
your developmental needs. If so, we will consider information from your Individualized
Family Service Plan (IFSP) and the early intervention specialists who help you.
b. School. You may receive special education or related services at your preschool or school.
If so, we will try to obtain information from your school sources when we need it
to assess how your mental disorder affects your ability to function. Examples of this
information include your Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), your Section 504
plans, comprehensive evaluation reports, school-related therapy progress notes, information
from your teachers about how you function in a classroom setting, and information
from special educators, nurses, school psychologists, and occupational, physical,
and speech/language therapists about any special education services or accommodations
you receive at school.
c. Vocational training, work, and work-related programs. You may have recently participated in or may still be participating in vocational
training, work-related programs, or work activity. If so, we will try to obtain information
from your training program or your employer when we need it to assess how your mental
disorder affects your ability to function. Examples of this information include training
or work evaluations, modifications to your work duties or work schedule, and any special
supports or accommodations you have required or now require in order to work. If you
have worked or are working through a community mental health program, sheltered or
supported work program, rehabilitation program, or transitional employment program,
we will consider the type and degree of support you have received or are receiving
in order to work (see 112.00D).
5. Need for longitudinal evidence.
a. General. Longitudinal medical evidence can help us learn how you function over time, and help
us evaluate any variations in the level of your functioning. We will request longitudinal
evidence of your mental disorder when your medical providers have records concerning
you and your mental disorder over a period of months or perhaps years (see § 416.912(d)
of this chapter).
b. Non-medical sources of longitudinal evidence. Certain situations, such as chronic homelessness, may make it difficult for you to
provide longitudinal medical evidence. If you have a severe mental disorder, you will
probably have evidence of its effects on your functioning over time, even if you have
not had an ongoing relationship with the medical community or are not currently receiving
treatment. For example, family members, caregivers, teachers, neighbors, former employers,
social workers, case managers, community support staff, outreach workers, or government
agencies may be familiar with your mental health history. We will ask for information
from third parties who can tell us about your mental disorder, but you must give us
permission to do so.
c. Absence of longitudinal evidence. In the absence of longitudinal evidence, we will use current objective medical evidence
and all other relevant evidence available to us in your case record to evaluate your
mental disorder. If we purchase a consultative examination to document your disorder,
the record will include the results of that examination (see § 416.914 of this chapter).
We will take into consideration your medical history, symptoms, clinical and laboratory
findings, and medical source opinions. If you do not have longitudinal evidence, the
current evidence alone may not be sufficient or appropriate to show that you have
a disorder that meets the criteria of one of the mental disorders listings. In that
case, we will follow the rules in 112.00K.
6. Evidence of functioning in unfamiliar situations or supportive situations.
a. Unfamiliar situations. We recognize that evidence about your functioning in unfamiliar situations does not
necessarily show how you would function on a sustained basis in a school or other
age-appropriate setting. In one-time, time-limited, or other unfamiliar situations,
you may function differently than you do in familiar situations. In unfamiliar situations,
you may appear more, or less, limited than you do on a daily basis and over time.
b. Supportive situations. Your ability to function in settings that are highly structured, or that are less
demanding or more supportive than settings in which children your age without impairments
typically function, does not necessarily demonstrate your ability to function age-appropriately.
c. Our assessment. We must assess your ability to function age-appropriately by evaluating all the evidence,
such as reports about your functioning from third parties who are familiar with you,
with an emphasis on how well you can initiate, sustain, and complete age-appropriate
activities despite your impairment(s), compared to other children your age who do
not have impairments.
D. How do we consider psychosocial supports, structured settings, living
arrangements, and treatment when we evaluate the functioning of
children?
1. General. Psychosocial supports, structured settings, and living arrangements, including assistance
from your family or others, may help you by reducing the demands made on you. In addition,
treatment you receive may reduce your symptoms and signs and possibly improve your
functioning, or may have side effects that limit your functioning. Therefore, when
we evaluate the effects of your mental disorder and rate the limitation of your areas
of mental functioning, we will consider the kind and extent of supports you receive,
the characteristics of any structured setting in which you spend your time (compared
to children your age without impairments), and the effects of any treatment. This
evidence may come from reports about your functioning from third parties who are familiar
with you, and other third-party statements or information. Following are some examples
of the supports you may receive:
a. You receive help from family members or other people in ways that children your
age without impairments typically do not need in order to function age-appropriately.
For example, an aide may accompany you on the school bus to help you control your
actions or to monitor you to ensure you do not injure yourself or others.
b. You receive one-on-one assistance in your classes every day; or you have a full-time
personal aide who helps you to function in your classroom; or you are a student in
a self-contained classroom; or you attend a separate or alternative school where you
receive special education services.
c. You participate in a special education or vocational training program, or a psychosocial
rehabilitation day treatment or community support program, where you receive training
in daily living and entry-level work skills.
d. You participate in a sheltered, supported, or transitional work program, or in
a competitive employment setting with the help of a job coach or supervisor.
e. You receive comprehensive "24/7 wrap-around" mental health services while living
in a group home or transitional housing, while participating in a semi-independent
living program, or while living at home.
f. You live in a residential school, hospital, or other institution with 24-hour care.
g. You receive assistance from a crisis response team, social workers, or community
mental health workers who help you meet your physical needs, and who may also represent
you in dealings with government or community social services.
2. How we consider different levels of support and structure in psychosocial
rehabilitation programs.
a. Psychosocial rehabilitation programs are based on your specific needs. Therefore,
we cannot make any assumptions about your mental disorder based solely on the fact
that you are associated with such a program. We must know the details of the program(s)
in which you are involved and the pattern(s) of your involvement over time.
b. The kinds and levels of supports and structures in psychosocial rehabilitation
programs typically occur on a scale of "most restrictive" to "least restrictive."
Participation in a psychosocial rehabilitation program at the most restrictive level
would suggest greater limitation of your areas of mental functioning than would participation
at a less restrictive level. The length of time you spend at different levels in a
program also provides information about your functioning. For example, you could begin
participation at the most restrictive crisis intervention level but gradually improve
to the point of readiness for a lesser level of support and structure and, if you
are an older adolescent, possibly some form of employment.
3. How we consider the help or support you receive.
a. We will consider the complete picture of your daily functioning, including the
kinds, extent, and frequency of help and support you receive, when we evaluate your
mental disorder and determine whether you are able to use the four areas of mental
functioning age-appropriately. The fact that you have done, or currently do, some
routine activities without help or support does not necessarily mean that you do not
have a mental disorder or that you are not disabled. For example, you may be able
to take age-appropriate care of your personal needs, or you may be old enough and
able to cook, shop, and take public transportation. You may demonstrate both strengths
and deficits in your daily functioning.
b. You may receive various kinds of help and support from others that enable you to
do many things that, because of your mental disorder, you might not be able to do
independently. Your daily functioning may depend on the special contexts in which
you function. For example, you may spend your time among only familiar people or surroundings,
in a simple and steady routine or an unchanging environment, or in a highly structured
classroom or alternative school. However, this does not necessarily show whether you
would function age-appropriately without those supports or contexts. (See 112.00H
for further discussion of these issues regarding significant deficits in adaptive
functioning for the purpose of 112.05.)
4. How we consider treatment. We will consider the effect of any treatment on your functioning when we evaluate
your mental disorder. Treatment may include medication(s), psychotherapy, or other
forms of intervention, which you receive in a doctor's office, during a hospitalization,
or in a day program at a hospital or outpatient treatment program. With treatment,
you may not only have your symptoms and signs reduced, but may also be able to function
age-appropriately. However, treatment may not resolve all of the limitations that
result from your mental disorder, and the medications you take or other treatment
you receive for your disorder may cause side effects that limit your mental or physical
functioning. For example, you may experience drowsiness, blunted affect, memory loss,
or abnormal involuntary movements.
E. What are the paragraph B criteria for children age 3 to the attainment of age
18?
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (paragraph B1). This area of mental functioning refers to the abilities to learn, recall, and use
information to perform age-appropriate activities. Examples include: understanding
and learning terms, instructions, procedures; following one- or two-step oral instructions
to carry out a task; describing an activity to someone else; asking and answering
questions and providing explanations; recognizing a mistake and correcting it; identifying
and solving problems; sequencing multi-step activities; and using reason and judgment
to make decisions. These examples illustrate the nature of the area of mental functioning.
We do not require documentation of all of the examples. How you manifest this area
of mental functioning and your limitations in using it depends, in part, on your age.
2. Interact with others (paragraph B2). This area of mental functioning refers to the abilities to relate to others age-appropriately
at home, at school, and in the community. Examples include: engaging in interactive
play; cooperating with others; asking for help when needed; initiating and maintaining
friendships; handling conflicts with others; stating own point of view; initiating
or sustaining conversation; understanding and responding to social cues (physical,
verbal, emotional); responding to requests, suggestions, criticism, correction, and
challenges; and keeping social interactions free of excessive irritability, sensitivity,
argumentativeness, or suspiciousness. These examples illustrate the nature of this
area of mental functioning. We do not require documentation of all of the examples.
How you manifest this area of mental functioning and your limitations in using it
depends, in part, on your age.
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (paragraph B3). This area of mental functioning refers to the abilities to focus attention on activities
and stay on task age-appropriately. Examples include: initiating and performing an
activity that you understand and know how to do; engaging in an activity at home or
in school at an appropriate and consistent pace; completing tasks in a timely manner;
ignoring or avoiding distractions while engaged in an activity or task; changing activities
without being disruptive; engaging in an activity or task close to or with others
without interrupting or distracting them; sustaining an ordinary routine and regular
attendance at school; and engaging in activities at home, school, or in the community
without needing an unusual amount of rest. These examples illustrate the nature of
this area of mental functioning. We do not require documentation of all of the examples.
How you manifest this area of mental functioning and your limitations in using it
depends, in part, on your age.
4. Adapt or manage oneself (paragraph B4). This area of mental functioning refers to the abilities to regulate emotions, control
behavior, and maintain well-being in age-appropriate activities and settings. Examples
include: responding to demands; adapting to changes; managing your psychologically
based symptoms; distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable performance in
community- or school-related activities; setting goals; making plans independently
of others; maintaining personal hygiene; and protecting yourself from harm and exploitation
by others. These examples illustrate the nature of this area of mental functioning.
We do not require documentation of all of the examples. How you manifest this area
of mental functioning and your limitations in using it depends, in part, on your age.
F. How do we use the paragraph B criteria to evaluate mental disorders in
children?
1. General. We use the paragraph B criteria to rate the degree of your limitations. We consider
only the limitations that result from your mental disorder(s). We will determine whether
you are able to use each of the paragraph B areas of mental functioning in age-appropriate
activities in a manner comparable to that of other children your age who do not have
impairments. We will consider, for example, the range of your activities and whether
they are age-appropriate; how well you can initiate, sustain, and complete your activities;
the kinds and frequency of help or supervision you receive; and the kinds of structured
or supportive settings you need in order to function age-appropriately (see 112.00D).
2. Degrees of limitation. We evaluate the effects of your mental disorder on each of the four areas of mental
functioning. To satisfy the paragraph B criteria, your mental disorder must result
in extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, paragraph B areas of mental
functioning. See §§ 416.925(b)(2)(ii) and 416.926a(e) of this chapter for the definitions
of the terms marked and extreme as they apply to children.
3. Rating the limitations of your areas of mental functioning.
a. General. We use all of the relevant medical and non-medical evidence in your case record to
evaluate your mental disorder: the symptoms and signs of your disorder, the reported
limitations in your activities, and any help and support you receive that is necessary
for you to function. The medical evidence may include descriptors regarding the diagnostic
stage or level of your disorder, such as "mild" or "moderate." Clinicians may use
these terms to characterize your medical condition. However, these terms will not
always be the same as the degree of your limitation in a paragraph B area of mental
functioning.
b. Areas of mental functioning in daily activities. You use the same four areas of mental functioning in daily activities at home, at
school, and in the community. With respect to a particular task or activity, you may
have trouble using one or more of the areas. For example, you may have difficulty
understanding and remembering what to do; or concentrating and staying on task long
enough to do it; or engaging in the task or activity with other people; or trying
to do the task without becoming frustrated and losing self-control. Information about
your daily functioning in your activities at home, at school, or in your community
can help us understand whether your mental disorder limits one or more of these areas;
and, if so, whether it also affects your ability to function age-appropriately.
c. Overall effect of limitations. Limitation of an area of mental functioning reflects the overall degree to which
your mental disorder interferes with that area. The degree of limitation does not
necessarily reflect a specific type or number of activities, including activities
of daily living, that you have difficulty doing. In addition, no single piece of information
(including test results) can establish whether you have extreme or marked limitation
of an area of mental functioning.
d. Effects of support, supervision, structure on functioning. The degree of limitation of an area of mental functioning also reflects the kind
and extent of supports or supervision you receive (beyond what other children your
age without impairments typically receive) and the characteristics of any structured
setting where you spend your time, which enable you to function. The more extensive
the support you need from others (beyond what is age-appropriate) or the more structured
the setting you need in order to function, the more limited we will find you to be
(see 112.00D).
e. Specific instructions for paragraphs B1, B3, and B4. For paragraphs B1, B3, and B4, the greatest degree of limitation of any part of the
area of mental functioning directs the rating of limitation of that whole area of
mental functioning.
(i) To do an age-appropriate activity, you must be able to understand and remember and apply information required by the activity. Similarly, you must be able to concentrate
and persist and maintain pace in order to complete the activity, and adapt and manage yourself age-appropriately. Limitation in any one of these parts (understand
or remember or apply; concentrate or persist or maintain pace; adapt or manage oneself) may prevent you from completing age-appropriate activities.
(ii) We will document the rating of limitation of the whole area of mental functioning,
not each individual part. We will not add ratings of the parts together. For example,
with respect to paragraph B3, if you have marked limitation in concentrating, but
your limitations in persisting and maintaining pace do not rise to a marked level,
we will find that you have marked limitation in the whole paragraph B3 area of mental
functioning.
(iii) Marked limitation in more than one part of the same paragraph B area of mental
functioning does not satisfy the requirement to have marked limitation in two paragraph
B areas of mental functioning.
4. How we evaluate mental disorders involving exacerbations and
remissions.
a. When we evaluate the effects of your mental disorder, we will consider how often
you have exacerbations and remissions, how long they last, what causes your mental
disorder to worsen or improve, and any other relevant information. We will assess
whether your mental impairment(s) causes marked or extreme limitation of the affected
paragraph B area(s) of mental functioning (see 112.00F2). We will consider whether
you can use the area of mental functioning age-appropriately on a sustained basis.
We will not find that you function age-appropriately solely because you have a period(s)
of improvement (remission), or that you are disabled solely because you have a period
of worsening (exacerbation), of your mental disorder.
b. If you have a mental disorder involving exacerbations and remissions, you may be
able to use the four areas of mental functioning at home, at school, or in the community
for a few weeks or months. Recurrence or worsening of symptoms and signs, however,
can interfere enough to render you unable to function age-appropriately.
G. What are the paragraph C criteria, and how do we use them to evaluate mental
disorders in children age 3 to the attainment of age 18?
1. General. The paragraph C criteria are an alternative to the paragraph B criteria under listings
112.02, 112.03, 112.04, 112.06, and 112.15. We use the paragraph C criteria to evaluate
mental disorders that are "serious and persistent." In the paragraph C criteria, we
recognize that mental health interventions may control the more obvious symptoms and
signs of your mental disorder.
2. Paragraph C criteria.
a. We find a mental disorder to be "serious and persistent" when there is a medically
documented history of the existence of the mental disorder in the listing category
over a period of at least 2 years, and evidence shows that your disorder satisfies
both C1 and C2.
b. The criterion in C1 is satisfied when the evidence shows that you rely, on an ongoing
basis, upon medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or
a highly structured setting(s), to diminish the symptoms and signs of your mental
disorder (see 112.00D). We consider that you receive ongoing medical treatment when
the medical evidence establishes that you obtain medical treatment with a frequency
consistent with accepted medical practice for the type of treatment or evaluation
required for your medical condition. We will consider periods of inconsistent treatment
or lack of compliance with treatment that may result from your mental disorder. If
the evidence indicates that the inconsistent treatment or lack of compliance is a
feature of your mental disorder, and it has led to an exacerbation of your symptoms
and signs, we will not use it as evidence to support a finding that you have not received
ongoing medical treatment as required by this paragraph.
c. The criterion in C2 is satisfied when the evidence shows that, despite your diminished
symptoms and signs, you have achieved only marginal adjustment. "Marginal adjustment"
means that your adaptation to the requirements of daily life is fragile; that is,
you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that
are not already part of your daily life. We will consider that you have achieved only
marginal adjustment when the evidence shows that changes or increased demands have
led to exacerbation of your symptoms and signs and to deterioration in your functioning;
for example, you have become unable to function outside of your home or a more restrictive
setting, without substantial psychosocial supports (see 112.00D). Such deterioration
may have necessitated a significant change in medication or other treatment. Similarly,
because of the nature of your mental disorder, evidence may document episodes of deterioration
that have required you to be hospitalized or absent from school, making it difficult
for you to sustain age-appropriate activity over time.
H. How do we document and evaluate intellectual disorder under
112.05?
1. General. Listing 112.05 is based on the two elements that characterize intellectual disorder
for children up to age 18: significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning
and significant deficits in current adaptive functioning.
2. Establishing significantly subaverage general intellectual
functioning.
a. Definition. Intellectual functioning refers to the general mental capacity to learn, reason,
plan, solve problems, and perform other cognitive functions. Under 112.05A, we identify
significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning by the cognitive inability
to function at a level required to participate in standardized intelligence testing.
Our findings under 112.05A are based on evidence from an acceptable medical source.
Under 112.05B, we identify significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning
by an IQ score(s) on an individually administered standardized test of general intelligence
that meets program requirements and has a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of
15. A qualified specialist (see 112.00H2c) must administer the standardized intelligence
testing.
b. Psychometric standards. We will find standardized intelligence test results usable for the purposes of 112.05B1
when the measure employed meets contemporary psychometric standards for validity,
reliability, normative data, and scope of measurement; and a qualified specialist
has individually administered the test according to all pre-requisite testing conditions.
c. Qualified specialist. A "qualified specialist" is currently licensed or certified at the independent level
of practice in the State where the test was performed, and has the training and experience
to administer, score, and interpret intelligence tests. If a psychological assistant
or paraprofessional administered the test, a supervisory qualified specialist must
interpret the test findings and co-sign the examination report.
d. Responsibility for conclusions based on testing. We generally presume that your obtained IQ score(s) is an accurate reflection of
your general intellectual functioning, unless evidence in the record suggests otherwise.
Examples of this evidence include: a statement from the test administrator indicating
that your obtained score is not an accurate reflection of your general intellectual
functioning, prior or internally inconsistent IQ scores, or information about your
daily functioning. Only qualified specialists, Federal and State agency medical and
psychological consultants, and other contracted medical and psychological experts
may conclude that your obtained IQ score(s) is not an accurate reflection of your
general intellectual functioning. This conclusion must be well supported by appropriate
clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques and must be based on relevant evidence
in the case record, such as:
(i) The data obtained in testing;
(ii) Your developmental history, including when your signs and symptoms began;
(iii) Information about how you function on a daily basis in a variety of settings;
and
(iv) Clinical observations made during the testing period, such as your ability to
sustain attention, concentration, and effort; to relate appropriately to the examiner;
and to perform tasks independently without prompts or reminders.
3. Establishing significant deficits in adaptive functioning.
a. Definition. Adaptive functioning refers to how you learn and use conceptual, social, and practical
skills in dealing with common life demands. It is your typical functioning at home,
at school, and in the community, alone or among others. Under 112.05A, we identify
significant deficits in adaptive functioning based on your dependence on others to
care for your personal needs, such as eating and bathing (grossly in excess of age-appropriate
dependence). We will base our conclusions about your adaptive functioning on evidence
from a variety of sources (see 112.00H3b) and not on your statements alone. Under
112.05B2, we identify significant deficits in adaptive functioning based on whether
there is extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the paragraph
B criteria (see 112.00E; 112.00F).
b. Evidence. Evidence about your adaptive functioning may come from:
(i) Medical sources, including their clinical observations;
(ii) Standardized tests of adaptive functioning (see 112.00H3c);
(iii) Third party information, such as a report of your functioning from a family
member or your caregiver;
(iv) School records;
(v) A teacher questionnaire;
(vi) Reports from employers or supervisors; and
(vii) Your own statements about how you handle all of your daily activities.
c. Standardized tests of adaptive functioning. We do not require the results of an individually administered standardized test of
adaptive functioning. If your case record includes these test results, we will consider
the results along with all other relevant evidence; however, we will use the guidelines
in 112.00E and F to evaluate and determine the degree of your deficits in adaptive
functioning, as required under 112.05B2.
d. Standardized developmental assessments. We do not require the results of standardized developmental assessments, which compare
your level of development to the level typically expected for your chronological age.
If your case record includes test results, we will consider the results along with
all other relevant evidence. However, we will use the guidelines in 112.00E and F
to evaluate and determine the degree of your deficits in adaptive functioning, as
required under 112.05B2.
e. How we consider common everyday activities.
(i) The fact that you engage in common everyday activities, such as caring for your
personal needs, preparing simple meals, or driving a car, will not always mean that
you do not have deficits in adaptive functioning as required by 112.05B2. You may
demonstrate both strengths and deficits in your adaptive functioning. However, a lack
of deficits in one area does not negate the presence of deficits in another area.
When we assess your adaptive functioning, we will consider all of your activities
and your performance of them.
(ii) Our conclusions about your adaptive functioning rest on the quality of your daily
activities and whether you do them age-appropriately. If you receive help in performing
your activities, we need to know the kind, extent, and frequency of help you receive
in order to perform them. We will not assume that your ability to do some common everyday
activities, or to do some things without help or support, demonstrates that your mental
disorder does not meet the requirements of 112.05B2. (See 112.00D regarding the factors
we consider when we evaluate your functioning, including how we consider any help
or support you receive.)
f. How we consider work activity. The fact that you have engaged in work activity, or that you work intermittently
or steadily in a job commensurate with your abilities, will not always mean that you
do not have deficits in adaptive functioning as required by 112.05B2. When you have
engaged in work activity, we need complete information about the work, and about your
functioning in the work activity and work setting, before we reach any conclusions
about your adaptive functioning. We will consider all factors involved in your work
history before concluding whether your impairment satisfies the criteria for intellectual
disorder under 112.05B. We will consider your prior and current work history, if any,
and various other factors influencing how you function. For example, we consider whether
the work was in a supported setting, whether you required more supervision than other
employees, how your job duties compared to others in the same job, how much time it
took you to learn the job duties, and the reason the work ended, if applicable.
I. What additional considerations do we use to evaluate developmental disorders of
infants and toddlers?
1. General. We evaluate developmental disorders from birth to attainment of age 3 under 112.14.
We evaluate your ability to acquire and maintain the motor, cognitive, social/communicative,
and emotional skills that you need to function age-appropriately. When we rate your
impairment-related limitations for this listing (see §§ 416.925(b)(2)(ii) and 416.926a(e)
of this chapter), we consider only limitations you have because of your developmental
disorder. If you have a chronic illness or physical abnormality(ies), we will evaluate
it under the affected body system, for example, the cardiovascular or musculoskeletal
system.
2. Age and typical development in early childhood.
a. Prematurity and age. If you were born prematurely, we will use your corrected chronological age (CCA)
for comparison. CCA is your chronological age adjusted by a period of gestational
prematurity. CCA = (chronological age) - (number of weeks premature). If you have
not attained age 1, we will correct your chronological age, using the same formula.
If you are over age 1, we will decide whether to correct your chronological age, based
on our judgment and all the facts of your case (see § 416.924b(b) of this chapter).
b. Developmental assessment. We will use the results from a standardized developmental assessment to compare your
level of development with that typically expected for your chronological age. When
there are no results from a comprehensive standardized developmental assessment in
the case record, we need narrative developmental reports from your medical sources
in sufficient detail to assess the limitations resulting from your developmental disorder.
c. Variation. When we evaluate your developmental disorder, we will consider the wide variation
in the range of normal or typical development in early childhood. At the end of a
recognized milestone period, new skills typically begin to emerge. If your new skills
begin to emerge later than is typically expected, the timing of their emergence may
or may not indicate that you have a developmental delay or deficit that can be expected
to last for 1 year.
3. Evidence.
a. Standardized developmental assessments. We use standardized test reports from acceptable medical sources or from early intervention
specialists, physical or occupational therapists, and other qualified professionals.
Only the qualified professional who administers the test, Federal and State agency
medical and psychological consultants, and other contracted medical and psychological
experts may conclude that the assessment results are not an accurate reflection of
your development. This conclusion must be well supported by appropriate clinical
and laboratory diagnostic techniques and must be based on relevant evidence in the
case record. If the assessment results are not an accurate reflection of your development,
we may purchase a new developmental assessment. If the developmental assessment is
inconsistent with other information in your case record, we will follow the guidelines
in § 416.920b of this chapter.
b. Narrative developmental reports. A narrative developmental report is based on clinical observations, progress notes,
and well-baby check-ups, and includes your developmental history, examination findings
(with abnormal findings noted on repeated examinations), and an overall assessment
of your development (that is, more than one or two isolated skills) by the medical
source. Although medical sources may refer to screening test results as supporting
evidence in the narrative developmental report, screening test results alone cannot
establish a diagnosis or the severity of developmental disorder.
4. What are the paragraph B criteria for 112.14?
a. General. The paragraph B criteria for 112.14 are slightly different from the paragraph B criteria
for the other listings. They are the developmental abilities that infants and toddlers
use to acquire and maintain the skills needed to function age-appropriately. An infant or toddler is expected to use
his or her developmental abilities to achieve a recognized pattern of milestones,
over a typical range of time, in order to acquire and maintain the skills needed to
function age-appropriately. We will find that your developmental disorder satisfies
the requirements of 112.14 if it results in extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation
of two, of the 112.14 paragraph B criteria. (See §§ 416.925(b)(2)(ii) and 416.926a(e)
of this chapter for the definitions of the terms marked and extreme as they apply
to children.)
b. Definitions of the 112.14 paragraph B developmental abilities.
(i) Ability to plan and control motor movement. This criterion refers to the developmental ability to plan, remember, and execute
controlled motor movements by integrating and coordinating perceptual and sensory
input with motor output. Using this ability develops gross and fine motor skills,
and makes it possible for you to engage in age-appropriate symmetrical or alternating
motor activities. You use this ability when, for example, you grasp and hold objects
with one or both hands, pull yourself up to stand, walk without holding on, and go
up and down stairs with alternating feet. These examples illustrate the nature of
the developmental ability. We do not require documentation of all of the examples.
How you manifest this developmental ability and your limitations in using it depends,
in part, on your age.
(ii) Ability to learn and remember. This criterion refers to the developmental ability to learn by exploring the environment,
engaging in trial-and-error experimentation, putting things in groups, understanding
that words represent things, and participating in pretend play. Using this ability
develops the skills that help you understand what things mean, how things work, and
how you can make things happen. You use this ability when, for example, you show interest
in objects that are new to you, imitate simple actions, name body parts, understand
simple cause-and-effect relationships, remember simple directions, or figure out how
to take something apart. These examples illustrate the nature of the developmental
ability. We do not require documentation of all of the examples. How you manifest
this developmental ability and your limitations in using it depends, in part, on your
age.
(iii) Ability to interact with others. This criterion refers to the developmental ability to participate in reciprocal social
interactions and relationships by communicating your feelings and intents through
vocal and visual signals and exchanges; physical gestures and contact; shared attention
and affection; verbal turn taking; and understanding and sending increasingly complex
messages. Using this ability develops the social skills that make it possible for
you to influence others (for example, by gesturing for a toy or saying "no" to stop
an action); invite someone to interact with you (for example, by smiling or reaching);
and draw someone's attention to what interests you (for example, by pointing or taking
your caregiver's hand and leading that person). You use this ability when, for example,
you use vocalizations to initiate and sustain a "conversation" with your caregiver;
respond to limits set by an adult with words, gestures, or facial expressions; play
alongside another child; or participate in simple group activities with adult help.
These examples illustrate the nature of the developmental ability. We do not require
documentation of all of the examples. How you manifest this developmental ability
and your limitations in using it depends, in part, on your age.
(iv) Ability to regulate physiological functions, attention, emotion, and
behavior. This criterion refers to the developmental ability to stabilize biological rhythms
(for example, by developing an age-appropriate sleep/wake cycle); control physiological
functions (for example, by achieving regular patterns of feeding); and attend, react,
and adapt to environmental stimuli, persons, objects, and events (for example, by
becoming alert to things happening around you and in relation to you, and responding
without overreacting or underreacting). Using this ability develops the skills you
need to regulate yourself and makes it possible for you to achieve and maintain a
calm, alert, and organized physical and emotional state. You use this ability when,
for example, you recognize your body's needs for food or sleep, focus quickly and
pay attention to things that interest you, cry when you are hurt but become quiet
when your caregiver holds you, comfort yourself with your favorite toy when you are
upset, ask for help when something frustrates you, or refuse help from your caregiver
when trying to do something for yourself. These examples illustrate the nature of
the developmental ability. We do not require documentation of all of the examples.
How you manifest this developmental ability and your limitations in using it depends,
in part, on your age.
5. Deferral of determination.
a. Full-term infants. In the first few months of life, full-term infants typically display some irregularities
in observable behaviors (for example, sleep cycles, feeding, responding to stimuli,
attending to faces, self-calming), making it difficult to assess the presence, extent,
and duration of a developmental disorder. When the evidence indicates that you may
have a significant developmental delay, but there is insufficient evidence to make
a determination, we will defer making a disability determination under 112.14 until
you are at least 6 months old. This deferral will allow us to obtain a longitudinal
medical history so that we can more accurately evaluate your developmental patterns
and functioning over time. In most cases, when you are at least 6 months old, any
developmental delay you may have can be better assessed, and you can undergo standardized
developmental testing, if indicated.
b. Premature infants. When the evidence indicates that you may have a significant developmental delay,
but there is insufficient evidence to make a determination, we will defer your case
until you attain a CCA (see 112.00I2a) of at least 6 months in order to better evaluate
your developmental delay.
c. When we will not defer a determination. We will not defer our determination if we have sufficient evidence to determine that
you are disabled under 112.14 or any other listing, or that you have an impairment
or combination of impairments that functionally equals the listings. In addition, we will not defer our determination if the evidence demonstrates
that you are not disabled.
J. How do we evaluate substance use disorders?
If we find that you are disabled and there is medical evidence in your case record
establishing that you have a substance use disorder, we will determine whether your
substance use disorder is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability
(see § 416.935 of this chapter).
K. How do we evaluate mental disorders that do not meet one of the mental
disorders listings?
1. These listings include only examples of mental disorders that we consider serious
enough to result in marked and severe functional limitations. If your severe mental
disorder does not meet the criteria of any of these listings, we will consider whether
you have an impairment(s) that meets the criteria of a listing in another body system.
You may have another impairment(s) that is secondary to your mental disorder. For
example, if you have an eating disorder and develop a cardiovascular impairment because
of it, we will evaluate your cardiovascular impairment under the listings for the
cardiovascular body system.
2. If you have a severe medically determinable impairment(s) that does not meet a
listing, we will determine whether your impairment(s) medically equals a listing (see § 416.926 of this chapter).
3. If your impairment(s) does not meet or medically equal a listing, we will consider
whether you have an impairment(s) that functionally equals the listings (see § 416.926a
of this chapter).
4. Although we present these alternatives in a specific sequence above, each represents
listing-level severity, and we can evaluate your claim in any order. For example,
if the factors of your case indicate that the combination of your impairments may
functionally equal the listings, we may start with that analysis. We use the rules
in § 416.994a of this chapter, as appropriate, when we decide whether you continue
to be disabled.
112.01 Category of Impairments, Mental Disorders
112.02 Neurocognitive disorders (see 112.00B1), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B,
or A and C:
A. Medical documentation of a clinically significant deviation in normal cognitive
development or by significant cognitive decline from a prior level of functioning
in one or more of the cognitive areas:
1. Complex attention;
2. Executive function;
3. Learning and memory;
4. Language;
5. Perceptual-motor; or
6. Social cognition.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
OR
C. Your mental disorder in this listing category is "serious and persistent;" that
is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over
a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:
1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly
structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of
your mental disorder (see 112.00G2b); and
2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in
your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life (see 112.00G2c).
112.03 Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (see 112.00B2), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B,
or A and C:
A. Medical documentation of one or more of the following:
1. Delusions or hallucinations;
2. Disorganized thinking (speech); or
3. Grossly disorganized behavior or catatonia.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
OR
C. Your mental disorder in this listing category is "serious and persistent;" that
is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over
a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:
1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly
structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of
your mental disorder (see 112.00G2b); and
2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in
your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life (see 112.00G2c).
112.04 Depressive, bipolar and related disorders (see 112.00B3), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B, or
A and C:
A. Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1, 2, or 3:
1. Depressive disorder, characterized by five or more of the following:
a. Depressed or irritable mood;
b. Diminished interest in almost all activities;
c. Appetite disturbance with change in weight (or a failure to achieve an expected
weight gain);
d. Sleep disturbance;
e. Observable psychomotor agitation or retardation;
f. Decreased energy;
g. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness;
h. Difficulty concentrating or thinking; or
i. Thoughts of death or suicide.
2. Bipolar disorder, characterized by three or more of the following:
a. Pressured speech;
b. Flight of ideas;
c. Inflated self-esteem;
d. Decreased need for sleep;
e. Distractibility;
f. Involvement in activities that have a high probability of painful consequences
that are not recognized; or
g. Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation.
3. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, beginning prior to age 10, and all of the following:
a. Persistent, significant irritability or anger;
b. Frequent, developmentally inconsistent temper outbursts; and
c. Frequent aggressive or destructive behavior.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
OR
C. Your mental disorder in this listing category is "serious and persistent;" that
is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over
a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:
1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly
structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of
your mental disorder (see 112.00G2b); and
2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in
your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life (see 112.00G2c).
112.05 Intellectual disorder (see 112.00B4), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A or B:
A. Satisfied by 1 and 2 (see 112.00H):
1. Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning evident in your cognitive
inability to function at a level required to participate in standardized testing of
intellectual functioning; and
2. Significant deficits in adaptive functioning currently manifested by your dependence
upon others for personal needs (for example, toileting, eating, dressing, or bathing)
in excess of age-appropriate dependence.
OR
B. Satisfied by 1 and 2 (see 112.00H):
1. Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning evidenced by a or b:
a. A full scale (or comparable) IQ score of 70 or below on an individually administered
standardized test of general intelligence; or
b. A full scale (or comparable) IQ score of 71-75 accompanied by a verbal or performance
IQ score (or comparable part score) of 70 or below on an individually administered
standardized test of general intelligence; and
2. Significant deficits in adaptive functioning currently manifested by extreme limitation
of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning:
a. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1); or
b. Interact with others (see 112.00E2); or
c. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3); or
d. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
112.06 Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders (see 112.00B5), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B,
or A and C:
A. Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1, 2, 3, or 4:
1. Anxiety disorder, characterized by one or more of the following:
a. Restlessness;
b. Easily fatigued;
c. Difficulty concentrating;
d. Irritability;
e. Muscle tension; or
f. Sleep disturbance.
2. Panic disorder or agoraphobia, characterized by one or both:
a. Panic attacks followed by a persistent concern or worry about additional panic
attacks or their consequences; or
b. Disproportionate fear or anxiety about at least two different situations (for example,
using public transportation, being in a crowd, being in a line, being outside of your
home, being in open spaces).
3. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, characterized by one or both:
a. Involuntary, time-consuming preoccupation with intrusive, unwanted thoughts; or;
b. Repetitive behaviors that appear aimed at reducing anxiety.
4. Excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from those to whom you are attached.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
OR
C. Your mental disorder in this listing category is "serious and persistent;" that
is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over
a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:
1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly
structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of
your mental disorder (see 112.00G2b); and
2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in
your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life (see 112.00G2c).
112.07 Somatic symptom and related disorders (see 112.00B6), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B:
A. Medical documentation of one or both of the following:
1. Symptoms of altered voluntary motor or sensory function that are not better explained
by another medical or mental disorder; or
2. One or more somatic symptoms that are distressing, with excessive thoughts, feelings,
or behaviors related to the symptoms.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
112.08 Personality and impulse-control disorders (see 112.00B7), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B:
A. Medical documentation of a pervasive pattern of one or more of the following:
1. Distrust and suspiciousness of others;
2. Detachment from social relationships;
3. Disregard for and violation of the rights of others;
4. Instability of interpersonal relationships;
5. Excessive emotionality and attention seeking;
6. Feelings of inadequacy;
7. Excessive need to be taken care of;
8. Preoccupation with perfectionism and orderliness; or
9. Recurrent, impulsive, aggressive behavioral outbursts.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
112.09 [Reserved]
112.10 Autism spectrum disorder (see 112.00B8), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18), satisfied by A and B:
A. Medical documentation of both of the following:
1. Qualitative deficits in verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and social
interaction; and
2. Significantly restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
112.11 Neurodevelopmental disorders (see 112.00B9), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B:
A. Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1, 2, or 3:
1. One or both of the following:
a. Frequent distractibility, difficulty sustaining attention, and difficulty organizing
tasks; or
b. Hyperactive and impulsive behavior (for example, difficulty remaining seated, talking
excessively, difficulty waiting, appearing restless, or behaving as if being "driven
by a motor").
2. Significant difficulties learning and using academic skills; or
3. Recurrent motor movement or vocalization.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
112.12 [Reserved]
112.13 Eating disorders (see 112.00B10), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B:
A. Medical documentation of a persistent alteration in eating or eating-related behavior
that results in a change in consumption or absorption of food and that significantly
impairs physical or psychological health.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
112.14 Developmental disorders in infants and toddlers (see 112.00B11, 112.00I), satisfied by A and B:
A. Medical documentation of one or both of the following:
1. A delay or deficit in the development of age-appropriate skills; or
2. A loss of previously acquired skills.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following developmental
abilities (see 112.00F):
1. Plan and control motor movement (see 112.00I4b(i)).
2. Learn and remember (see 112.00I4b(ii)).
3. Interact with others (see 112.00I4b(iii)).
4. Regulate physiological functions, attention, emotion, and behavior (see 112.00I4b(iv)).
112.15 Trauma- and stressor-related disorders (see 112.00B11), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A and B,
or A and C:
A. Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1 or 2:
1. Posttraumatic stress disorder, characterized by all of the following:
a. Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or violence;
b. Subsequent involuntary re-experiencing of the traumatic event (for example, intrusive
memories, dreams, or flashbacks);
c. Avoidance of external reminders of the event;
d. Disturbance in mood and behavior (for example, developmental regression, socially
withdrawn behavior); and
e. Increases in arousal and reactivity (for example, exaggerated startle response,
sleep disturbance).
2. Reactive attachment disorder, characterized by two or all of the following:
a. Rarely seeks comfort when distressed;
b. Rarely responds to comfort when distressed; or
c. Episodes of unexplained emotional distress.
AND
B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas
of mental functioning (see 112.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 112.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4).
OR
C. Your mental disorder in this listing category is "serious and persistent;" that
is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over
a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:
1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly
structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of
your mental disorder (see 112.00G2b); and
2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in
your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life (see 112.00G2c).