Children's Global Assessment Scale

 Posted on September 06, 2011 in Social Security Disability

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) publishes a manual entitled, "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM) to standardize how to classify mental disorders. The latest version of the DSM was published in 2000 and a new version is expected to come out in May 2013. Within the DSM, the APA provided a numeric scale with a range of 0-100 (0 being the most extreme case and 100 someone with superior functioning) to be used by the mental health community when evaluating patients, known as the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). Less known, is the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)

The CGAS is an adaptation designed primarily for clinicians who work with children ages 4-16. The scale can be found in the Archives of General Psychiatry publication by David Shaffer in 1983. The CGAS has been used to indicate the need for clinical services and impact of treatment. And, by disability lawyers to argue Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits claims for children. A child's CGAS score in and of itself will not win a claim for benefits. However, it is evidence that can be used together with treatment notes in court to prove your claim. Most children applying for SSI disability benefits have scores below 61 and for this reason, a brief summary of the CGAS from 1-60 is provided below:

60-51: Variable functioning with sporadic difficulties or symptoms in several but not all social areas. No one particular severe impairment.

50-41: Moderate degree of interference in functioning in most social areas or severe impairment of functioning in one area.

40-31: Major impairment in functioning in several areas and unable to function in one area.

30-21: Unable to function in almost all areas

20-11: Needs considerable supervision to prevent hurting others or self

10-1: Needs constant supervision due to severe behavior

If your child has a CGAS score that falls somewhere within this 1-60 range, please contact a Social Security disability attorney to see whether he or she can qualify for SSI benefits.