What do you mean by a child’s “marked” limitation?
Social Security regulation 20 CFR 416.926a(e)(2) explains that a child has a “marked limitation” in a domain when her impairment(s) “interferes seriously) with the ability to independently initiate, sustain, or complete activities. A child’s day-to-day functioning may be seriously limited when the impairment(s) limits only one activity or when the interactive and cumulative effects of the impairment(s) limit several activities. The regulations also explain that a “marked” limitation also means:
- A limitation that is “more than moderate” but “less than extreme”.
- The equivalent of functioning that would be expected on standardized testing with scores that are at least two, but less than three, standard deviations below the mean.
- A valid score that is two standard deviations or more below the mean, but less than three standard deviations, on a comprehensive standardized test designed to measure ability or functioning in that domain, and her day-to-day functioning in domain-related activities is consistent with that score.
- For the domain of health and physical well-being, frequent episodes of illnesses because of the impairment(s) or frequent exacerbations of the impairment(s) that results in significant, documented symptoms or signs that occur: (a) on an average of 3 times a year, or once every 4 months, each lasting 2 weeks or more; (b) more often than 3 times a year or once every 4 months, but not lasting for 2 weeks; or (c) less often than an average of 3 times a year or once every 4 months but lasting longer than 2 weeks, if the overall effect (based on the length of the episode(s) or its frequency) is equivalent in severity.



