Listing code
112.05
Children (Part B)
Body system
112.00
Mental disorders (children)
Subsections
0
No lettered criteria
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Intellectual disorder (see 112.00B4 ), for children age 3 to attainment of age 18, satisfied by A or B: Satisfied by 1 and 2 (see 112.00H ): Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning evident in your cognitive inability to function at a level required to participate in standardized testing of intellectual functioning; and Significant deficits in adaptive functioning currently manifested by your dependence upon others for personal needs (for example, toileting, eating, dressing, or bathing) in excess of age-appropriate dependence. OR Satisfied by 1 and 2 (see 112.00H ): Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning evidenced by a or b: A full scale (or comparable) IQ score of 70 or below on an individually administered standardized test of general intelligence; or A full scale (or comparable) IQ score of 71-75 accompanied by a verbal or performance IQ score (or comparable part score) of 70 or below on an individually administered standardized test of general intelligence; and Significant deficits in adaptive functioning currently manifested by extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning: Understand, remember, or apply information (see 112.00E1 ); or Interact with others (see 112.00E2 ); or Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 112.00E3 ); or Adapt or manage oneself (see 112.00E4 ).
This listing has no lettered subsections. The diagnosis itself, supported by the medical evidence described in the body-system overview, is what SSA evaluates.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 112.05. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 112.05 usually fail
A frequent failure mode is using an IQ number without matching the correct combination in 112.05 paragraph A or paragraph B, including the specific role of verbal or performance part scores for the 71-75 range. Another pitfall is focusing only on classroom or school performance, instead of the required adaptive functioning deficits shown by dependence for personal needs (like toileting, eating, dressing, or bathing) in excess of age-appropriate dependence or the required extreme or marked limitations in the listed areas of mental functioning. Some claims fall short by describing general difficulty but not tying it to one extreme limitation or two marked limitations in Understand, remember, or apply information; Interact with others; Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace; or Adapt or manage oneself. Another common problem is assuming "cannot do testing" automatically means the listing is met, when the criteria require the specific cognitive inability to participate in standardized intellectual testing plus the adaptive functioning dependence described in paragraph A.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical documentation should support significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning and show the adaptive functioning deficits required by 112.05. For the IQ-based path, keep records of an individually administered standardized test of general intelligence showing a full scale (or comparable) IQ score of 70 or below, or a full scale score of 71-75 with verbal or performance (or comparable part) IQ score of 70 or below. For the functional IQ-participation path, documentation should show the child has cognitive inability to function at a level required to participate in standardized testing of intellectual functioning, along with significant deficits in adaptive functioning shown by dependence upon others for personal needs (for example, toileting, eating, dressing, or bathing) in excess of age-appropriate dependence. For the adaptive functioning areas, medical evidence should support extreme limitation of one area or marked limitation of two areas in Understand, remember, or apply information; Interact with others; Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace; or Adapt or manage-
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
112.05 has two alternative ways to qualify. If the child does not meet the exact paragraph A or paragraph B combinations for intellectual functioning plus adaptive deficits, the claim can still be evaluated under the overall functional impact, meaning how the child's mental disorder limits functioning for activities needed for age-appropriate performance. Even when a specific listing is not met, the case can be decided using the child's residual functional capacity (RFC) and related evidence, and the medical findings that describe actual limitations in the same areas used by 112.05 matter.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For a child claim under Part B, the work-activity rules like SGA are not the gatekeeper described for adults, because SSA evaluates children based on age-appropriate functioning and the medical criteria in the mental disorders listings for children. For 112.05, what matters is whether the medical evidence supports significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning plus significant deficits in adaptive functioning through either the paragraph A or paragraph B pathway, including the specific adaptive functioning markers (dependence for personal needs in excess of age-appropriate dependence, or extreme limitation of one area and marked limitation of two areas in the listed mental functioning domains).
Listing 112.05 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for intellectual disorder disability claims.