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Home :: FAQ :: Minor Adult Child Claims

How does an ALJ evaluate a child claimant’s symptoms?

In considering a claimant’s symptoms, the ALJ must follow a two-step process in which it must first be determined whether there is an underlying medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s)—i.e., an impairment(s) that can be shown by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques—that could reasonably be expected to produce the claimant’s pain or other symptoms.

Second, once an underlying physical or mental impairment(s) that could reasonably be expected to produce the claimant’s pain or other symptoms has been shown, the ALJ must evaluate the intensity, persistence, and limiting effects of the claimant’s symptoms to determine the extent to which they limit the claimant’s ability to do basic work activities.  For this purpose, whenever statements about the intensity, persistence, or functionally limiting effects of pain or other symptoms are not substantiated by objective medical evidence, the ALJ must make a finding on the credibility of the statements based on a consideration of the entire case record.

For example, after considering the evidence of record, the ALJ finds that a claimant’s medically determinable impairments could reasonably be expected to produce the alleged symptoms; however, the statements concerning the intensity, persistence and limiting effects of the claimant’s symptoms are no credible to the extent that they are inconsistent with finding that the claimant does not have an impairment or combination of impairments that functionally equals a listing.

For example, if a child were able to attend school in a regular classroom setting and is described as an average student and was participating in physical education and the evidence does not document any restrictions placed on the claimant’s ability to function by any treating or examining physician of record, in terms of the six domains of function the ALJ would probably find the limitations caused by the claimant’s impairments to be minimal.