Neurologic Disorders

Neurologic Disorders can include multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, brain tumors or brain injuries among others. The Social Security Administration’s list of impairments includes guidelines for which neurological disabilities are acceptable, and what constitutes a disability to be severe enough for a person to be considered disabled.

Generally, you must meet these guidelines:

• Your disability will be long term or result in death.
• Your disability interferes with your ability to consistently perform your line of work, or prevents you from being trained in a new line of work.

It is important to include medical records from your physician to show that your disability has been ongoing, and to confirm the severity and frequency of your symptoms. You need to continue taking all prescribed medications to show that your symptoms are not improved enough with medication to be able to hold a job. It can be helpful to have written testimony from a friend or witness that states how your disability prevents you from performing daily activities, especially in a condition like epilepsy where you are unable to express the severity of an episode.

Because neurologic disorders are often inconsistent, documenting the frequency and severity of occurrences is important. It’s also a good idea to also document any work that you have done, and how your disability has interfered with your attempts to work.