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Originally Posted by canifindagooddr
More later but for now . . . what is an 'AOD'? Oh yeah, probably alleged onset date? Is taking this 'crash-course' really gonna help me any? Instead of filling out the Function Report and getting it in the mail, I'm spending hours and hours reading about it . . . rather than doing it. I could see doing all the studying about it if I would have known six months ago I was going to be in this process . . . .It seems late too much to learn . . . to late in the game. This is why I hired an attorney. What ONE or TWO key things can you tell me about MY filling out my Function Report in a way that might improve my chances of getting approved first round? Thanks!
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AOD does mean Alleged Onset Date.
Had we not gone through all this you would have not revealed several important things that will effect our advice. Can you absorb everything that has been explained? I don't know. I can do a better job with a final edit now, though.
And I did say upfront it would have been better for you to have done your homework upfront, before applying.
I hate to break it to you, but MOST SSI/SSDI attorneys don't get very involved in their clients cases until a few weeks (and LITERALLY sometimes half an hour) before their client's ALJ hearing. There are exceptional attorneys that are more hands on throughout the process, but that is rare. If you can't self advocate by learning the process, you put yourself at a great disadvantage. What if you go to your ALJ hearing and discover you don't have enough medical documentation? it's too late to do anything about it at that point. You have to hope your ALJ makes a technical error in his decision so as to give you an opportunity to appeal. If your lucky, the Appeal's Council will remand your case back for another ALJ hearing (usually to the same judge). Since that will take an additional 2 years of waiting, you might be 5 years into the process since you applied--and this pretty darn common.
I'm not sure I can give you any suggestions that will magically improve your odds of approval regarding the Function Report. I can edit out things that are glaring problems, but beyond that? If I were you my priority would be having a Functional Capacity Evaluation asap. It will provide some much needed answers, IMO. It is also, the only thing that may effect your Neuro's opinion about your ability to perform either your old job or any job.