Tips for Filing a Disability Claim for Sotos Syndrome

Sotos syndrome or cerebral gigantism is a rare genetic disorder characterized by excessive physical growth during the first two to three years of life and advanced bone aging. The disorder may involve disabling medical conditions such as mild mental retardation, delayed motor, cognitive, and social development, hypotonia or low muscle tone, speech impairments, clumsiness, an awkward gait, and unusual aggressiveness or irritability.  Children with Sotos Syndrome will often have a disportionately large and long head with a slightly protrusive forehead, large hands and feet, an abnormally increased distance between the eyes referred to as hypertelorism, and down-slanting eyes.

Tips for Filing a Social Security Claim

Medical Evidence

Individuals or children applying for disability benefits based on a Sotos Syndrome disability claim will need to provide Social Security with medical evidence and documentation of (1) the diagnosis of Sotos Syndrome and (2) the diagnosis of all disabling medical conditions caused by the Sotos syndrome.

Determining Intellectual Impairment

Sotos syndrome often results in disabilities involving intellectual impairments and behavior issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), problems with speech and language, weak muscles resulting in delayed development in motor skills such as sitting or crawling.  The resulting disabling conditions need to be fully documented by medical reports and testing results and all documentation must be made available to the Social Security to review within its disability determination processes.

Multiple Disabilities and Medical Equivalence

Individuals diagnosed in infancy or early childhood with Sotos syndrome may have multiple disabilities ranging from severe to minor.  The Social Security may determine that the multiple disabilities may be combined to equate one severe disability in order to facilitate the awarding of benefits.  Combining multiple disabilities may afford more individuals access to benefits based on a Sotos syndrome disability where as the child ages many medical conditions associated with the syndrome may lessen or resolve completely.

SSI Benefits

If the Sotos syndrome impairments have caused disabilities that adversely impact on the individual’s ability to earn a living he may be eligible to apply for Supplemental Security Income in addition to an application for Social Security benefits.

Getting Legal Help

If you or a member of your family has been diagnosed with Sotos syndrome and intends to file an application for disability benefits with the Social Security administration it may be helpful to discuss the diagnose with a disability lawyer.  The lawyer can fully explain the options that may be available to the disabled person by the Social Security and provide valuable assistance through the administration’s application and often complicated disability determination processes.