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Home :: FAQ :: Minor Adult Child Claims

What is the fourth of the six “Functional domains”?

The fourth domain is “Moving about and manipulating objects”. This domain considers how well a child is able to move her body from one place to another and how a child moves and manipulates objects.  These are called gross and fine motor skills (20 CFR 416.926a(j)).

The regulations provide that a preschooler without an impairment should be able to walk and run with ease.  The child’s gross motor skills should let her climb stairs and playground equipment with little supervision, and let her play more independently (e.g., swing by herself and possibly start learning to ride a tricycle).  The child’s fine motor skills should also be developing.  The child should be able to complete puzzles easily, string beads, and build with an assortment of blocks.  The child should be showing increasing control of crayons, markers, and small pieces in board games, and should be able to cut with scissors independently and manipulate buttons and other fasteners (20 CFR 416.926a(j)(2)(iii)).

The regulations provide that a school-age child without an impairment should have gross motor skills that let her move at an efficient pace at school, home, and throughout the neighborhood.  The child’s increasing strength and coordination should expand her ability to enjoy a variety of physical activities, such as running and jumping, and throwing, kicking, catching, and hitting balls in informal play or organized sports.  The child’s development of fine motor skills should enable her to do things like use many kitchen and household tools independently, use scissors, and write (20 CFR 416.926a(j)(2)(iv)).

Social Security regulation 20 CFR 416.926a(j)(3) sets forth some examples of limited functioning in this domain that children of different ages might have.  The examples do not apply to a child of a particular age; rather, they cover a range of ages and developmental periods.  In addition, the examples do not necessarily describe “marked” or “extreme” limitation in the domain.  Some examples of difficulty children could have in moving about and manipulating objects are: (i) difficulty with motor activities (e.g., stumbling, unintentionally dropping things) because of muscle weakness, joint stiffness, or sensory loss (e.g., spasticity, hypotonia, neuropathy, or paresthesia); (ii) difficulty with balance or climbing up and down stairs, or jerky or disorganized locomotion; (iii) difficulty coordinating gross motor movements (e.g., bending, kneeling, crawling, running, jumping rope, or riding a bike); (iv) difficulty with sequencing hand or finger movements; (v) difficulty with fine motor movement (e.g., gripping or grasping objects); or (vi) poor eye-hand coordination when using a pencil or scissors.

A claimant has no limitation in moving about and manipulating objects if the examination of the claimant had not shown any neurological or orthopedic deficits, or that a claimant participates in physical education at school and physical education was one of her favorite classes.