Completed BBCSS Project

Committee on Disability Determination for Mental Retardation

Publication: Mental Retardation: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits

The purpose of the study on Disability Determination for Mental Retardation is to help the Social Security Administration improve its disability determination process in the area of mental retardation; the report will also suggest ideas for research that could clarify unaddressed or incompletely answered issues. The committee of experts will review scientific literatures related to learning, cognitive development, mental functioning, and assessment, and look at current practice to see if there are better methods and procedures for evaluating cognitive functioning in mentally impaired individuals. It will also review current SSA policy and evaluate the need for changes responsive to both scientific knowledge and best practice in the community.