Is Dyslexia a Disability? How to Qualify for Social Disability for Dyslexia

When we think of Social Security disability benefits, most people picture someone who cannot walk or has a terminal illness. But there are invisible disabilities as well, both physical and mental. But is dyslexia a disability, at least according to the Social Security Administration (SSA)? Anyone who lives with it has surely asked themselves this question. And parents of children may wonder, “Can my child can get a disability check for dyslexia?” The answer to that question is maybe — but it’s probably harder than most people realize.

Getting Social Security Disability for Dyslexia: Key Takeaways

• Having a formal diagnosis doesn’t mean you (or your child) will qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
• You (or your child) must show how dyslexia symptoms affect your daily life and ability to work, learn, or function.
• There are several different types of dyslexia. Common symptoms across all types include difficulty spelling, writing, and wanting to avoid anything that is related to reading.
• Applying for Social Security disability for dyslexia can be time-consuming and confusing. Social Security Administration evaluation guidelines (for example, the difference between a “marked” and “extreme” limitation) can be difficult to understand.
• Just having a diagnosis doesn’t mean you (or your child) will qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
• You (or your child) must show how dyslexia symptoms affect your daily life and ability to work, learn, or function.
• There are several different types of dyslexia. Common symptoms across all types include difficulty spelling, writing, and wanting to avoid anything that is related to reading.

Applying for Social Security disability for dyslexia can be time-consuming and confusing. Social Security Administration evaluation guidelines (for example, the difference between a “marked” and “extreme” limitation) can be hard to understand.

Doctors may diagnose dyslexia at any point in a person’s life. If a child has it and their family meets the financial requirements for SSI, they can potentially receive disability payments. If an adult with enough work history to qualify for SSDI receives a diagnosis, they can apply for those benefits. And adults without enough work history for SSDI may instead qualify for SSI, assuming they meet the financial eligibility requirements. However, it is not possible for children to get dyslexia disability benefits from SSDI.

What is Dyslexia? Symptoms and Side Effects

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects spelling, writing and comprehension skills, all of which makes reading much more difficult. Not all cases of dyslexia are alike, and some people have more challenges working with language than others.

Symptoms can vary depending on the type of dyslexia your doctor diagnoses you with. However, there are common, noticeable symptoms that appear at various ages.

Before a child is old enough to start school:

• Starting to talk later than usual
• Hardship in forming words correctly, or mispronouncing them
• Struggling to remember or learn the names of different letters, numbers, and colors
• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes, songs, or playing rhyming games
• Telling stories or explaining events that happened out of logical sequence, or are hard to follow

Elementary school children:

• Difficulty processing and understanding what they hear when learning new words
• Struggling to find the right word when referring to something familiar (i.e., pointing, calling something a “thing” or “that,” gesturing)
• Confusing words and letters that either look or sound alike
• Trouble sounding out new words, remembering how to spell them, or read without pictures or illustrations
• Substituting similar words when reading out loud (i.e., saying “car” instead of “truck”) or skipping short words, like if and of
• Frustration and anxiety when asked to read, spell, explain a story, or answer questions about reading assignments
• Difficulty recognizing common words, spelling the same word two different ways, or reversing letters

Teenagers and young adults:

• Reading below the student’s grade level
• Struggling to remember the right word or common abbreviations for words
• Taking a long time to complete reading-related activities or summarize a story
• Can answer questions about a page of text more easily if it’s read aloud to them instead
• May need someone to explain jokes, puns, or slang
• Difficulty learning other languages

Different Types of Dyslexia

Phonological Dyslexia

This is likely the most common kind, and it causes difficulty decoding or sounding out words because it’s hard to correctly match sounds with symbols. So, people with this type may struggle to sound out new words or recognize familiar ones in different contexts. Spelling words correctly and consistently is also a challenge.

Surface Dyslexia

Someone with this type fails to recognize familiar words by sight but can easily sound out new words. This is because the person’s brain cannot recognize what the word looks like, and therefore cannot process it very quickly. People with this type of dyslexia often memorize words because they don’t sound the way they look on a page. They also struggle to read words spelled one way but pronounced another (like “yacht” and “aisle”). It’s not unusual for a person to have both phonological and surface dyslexia.

Rapid-Naming Dyslexia

Rapid-naming dyslexia makes it difficult to quickly name colors, numbers, and letters out loud while reading them. While people with this type can often correctly identify the names of those objects, it takes them longer to process.

Symptoms can include substituting words or leaving them out, creating made-up words in place of real ones, gesturing rather than using a word, and slower reading comprehension.

Deep Dyslexia

This form usually happens later in life when someone suffers a brain injury of some kind, such as a stroke. It primarily affects the brain’s left hemisphere and makes the reader substitute one word for another with the same meaning. A common example might be that they read the word small as little.

Symptoms can include difficulty reading abstract or nonsense words, difficulty with words that are hard to imagine (example: “normal” is harder to visualize “truck”) and struggling with tasks that require verbal working memory.

Disability Criteria From the SSA

The SSA defines disability as any condition that makes someone unable to work for more than 12 months. A medical condition your doctor expects to result in your death (like Lou Gehrig’s disease) also counts as a disability.

However, your diagnosis alone is not the sole criterion for whether you may qualify for dyslexia disability benefits. Depending on which program you file a claim for, you must also meet other eligibility requirements:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – Pays benefits only to adults with enough and recent work history, along with their eligible dependents. Children cannot qualify unless it’s as a dependent of a disabled adult who currently gets SSDI benefits.
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – Benefits for disabled or blind children and adults as well as seniors aged 65+ with limited income and financial assets. There is no work history requirement for SSI.

For both federal programs listed above, you must also not currently receive any other Social Security benefits. That includes both early and regular Social Security retirement payments.

Is Dyslexia Considered a Disability by the SSA?

There isn’t a simple answer to this question. Dyslexia is included in the SSA Blue Book under “neurodevelopmental disorders.” However, there are some qualifiers (meaning a diagnosis alone doesn’t automatically qualify someone for dyslexia disability benefits).

If the person applying for dyslexia disability benefits is an adult with a job, and they’re unable work for at least 12 months, they can apply for SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance).

For a child younger than 18, or is someone without a qualifying work history, apply for SSI (Supplemental Security Income). If you are a parent of a child with dyslexia, then you can apply for SSI on their behalf. However, your total family income must be less than $1,550 a month to qualify for SSI.

How Hard Is it to Get Disability for Dyslexia?

The SSA Blue Book listing criteria for a child says you must present medical evidence that shows:

1. They often have trouble paying attention, become distracted, or struggle to organize tasks, AND/OR
2. Frequent hyperactive, impulsive behavior (i.e., talking too much, restlessness, struggling to stay seated), OR
3. Serious difficulty learning and using academic skills they learned in school, OR
4. Repeated movements or sounds that have no real reason or goal for existing (i.e., vocal and/or physical tics).

 In addition, your child must also show extreme limitation in one or marked limitation in two of the following areas:

• Applying, remembering, or understanding information (i.e., following directions, problem-solving, using logic to make sound decisions).
• Interacting with other people in appropriate ways. This includes things like following social cues, cooperating with others, being able to handle conflict, and initiating or maintaining friendships.
• Concentrating, persisting, or maintaining a normal pace. Struggling to start or finish homework, constantly distracting or interrupting others, and chronic tardiness are common examples of this.
• Adapting or managing their own behavior and emotions. This includes things like poor personal hygiene, angry tantrums or emotional outbursts, engaging in self-harm, or frequent accidental injuries.

The SSA defines “extreme limitation” as something your child can almost never do by themselves and often require outside help. Marked limitation, on the other hand, is something your child can sometimes do without help, but usually needs additional time.

How Hard Is It to Get Disability for Learning Disabilities?

The process of getting monthly benefits for a learning disability is exactly the same as above. It requires medical documentation of specific and measurable symptoms that prove that the learning disability prevents one year of work.

Older adults may also need to prove they cannot work in any job at all that will pay them a living wage to qualify for disability. Illiterate applicants face similar challenges in qualifying for disability benefits.

Which Dyslexia Symptoms Might Limit Your Ability to Work?

Because people with dyslexia struggle to read, spell, and write, any of these symptoms might limit their ability to work. Here are just a few examples:

• Being unable to spell reliably can limit teaching, writing, marketing or administration job opportunities. This is especially true of positions responsible for front-facing written materials, such as advertisements and websites.
• Being unable to properly sequence what you’re reading can prevent you from working in construction or pharmacy jobs. This is because those careers require you follow a very precise set of instructions in order to ensure everyone’s safety.
• The inability to recognize or quickly process words can limit your ability to drive or operate heavy machinery. You may also have difficulty navigating road closings, detours, and construction areas on highways without clear, well-lit signage.

Other Related Medical Conditions That May Help You Get Disability for Dyslexia

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and conditions that cause tics (i.e., Tourette’s syndrome) also appear in the SSA Blue Book. Many children who suffer from dyslexia also have ADHD and/or a tic disorder. Studies show comorbidities such as these can increase the severity of a child’s symptoms.

Certain IQ test results can also increase the possibility of getting Social Security disability benefits for dyslexia in children.

Medical Evidence and Other Records You’ll Need for Your Dyslexia Disability Claim

The SSA must review all relevant medical documentation, including specific test results, when you apply for dyslexia disability benefits. The same is true in order to get SSI for dyslexia in children. These medical records should come from any pediatrician, social worker, or psychiatrist who treats your child regularly. They will also likely ask to see your child’s IQ test results to assess any functional limitations.

Your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a crucial piece of evidence to include with their dyslexia disability benefits claim. That can help the SSA understand how developmentally delayed your child is and any accommodation needed to function in school.

Other evidence that helps show a complete picture to the SSA might include teachers’ or counselors’ treatment or behavioral notes. Letters from teachers and counselors who interact with your child regularly and can attest to your child’s:

• Frustrations with reading and homework assignments
• Inability to complete work or activities in a timely manner
• Struggles in social or interpersonal areas, specifically due to their dyslexia

How to Apply for Dyslexia Disability Benefits

The Social Security Administration manages both SSDI and SSI benefit programs. In general, you have 3 ways to file an application for Social Security disability benefits from either program:

1. Apply by phone. You can do this by calling 1-800-772-1213 Monday through Friday, 8am-7pm Eastern.
2. File in person at your local Social Security office.
3. Work with an experienced Social Security attorney to file your claim for free. Bonus: This is the only option that triples your chances for benefit approval within 6 months.

Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) With Dyslexia

Apply for SSDI if you’re unable to work for at least a year and have 40 Social Security work credits. Unlike SSI, you can start your dyslexia disability benefits claim online at SSA.gov. It’s wise to gather the following before you start filling out your claim:

• Employment records, including past pay stubs and income tax returns
• Medical records, including any test results
• A list of symptoms and how they limit your ability to work
• Marriage and birth records for your spouse and dependent children, if applicable

Applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) With Dyslexia

You should apply for SSI if any of the following applies to your situation:

• You do not have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI. This means you did not work during the last 5 years, only part time, or did not pay FICA taxes.
• Your household has little income and few or no financial assets you can easily sell for cash. In general, this means an individual must own less than $2,000 in assets and bank account balances combined. For couples, the SSI limit is $3,000.
• You’re applying on your own child’s behalf and can meet the income and asset limits for SSI.

Be sure to have the following documents handy when you’re ready to apply:

• Medical records, including any relevant test results
• IEP, letters from the child’s teachers, therapist, or counselor and IQ test results
• Proof of comorbidities, such as ADHD or tic disorders

Work With a Disability Lawyer to Improve Your Odds of Approval

Working with a disability attorney makes you 3x more likely to get dyslexia disability benefits within 180 days of application. Let us connect you with one nearby for a free consultation today so you can better understand all your options.

If a disability lawyer can’t secure benefits for you or your child, then you owe $0 in legal fees. And if you’re successful, then you only pay one small fee after your approval goes through.

 Ready to get started? Click the button below to start your free online benefits quiz now:

Get Your Free Benefits Evaluation