Last Updated September 17, 2026
Conditions Center · Congenital and Rare Diseases · Social Security Disability
Also called trisomy 21, non-mosaic Down syndrome, mosaic Down syndrome, chromosome 21 translocation.
SSA evaluates non-mosaic Down syndrome under Listing 10.06. When the listing's documentation requirements are satisfied, SSA considers the person disabled from birth. Mosaic Down syndrome and other congenital disorders described in section 10.00D are evaluated under the listings for the body systems affected and, when appropriate, through residual functional capacity.
What is Down Syndrome?
MedlinePlus describes Down syndrome as extra chromosome 21 material. Most people have non-mosaic trisomy 21 in all cells; some have a translocation; about 2 percent have mosaic Down syndrome, which can range from slight to profound. Congenital heart disease, hearing and vision problems, and intellectual disability are common. When Listing 10.06 does not apply, SSA may consider other applicable listings, including Listing 12.05 for intellectual disorder when its separate requirements are satisfied.
Common symptoms of Down Syndrome
- Characteristic facial or other physical features in non-mosaic Down syndrome
- Delayed physical development and intellectual disability in virtually all non-mosaic cases, as SSA describes
- Congenital heart disease, hearing loss, or vision problems in some people
- Variable findings in mosaic Down syndrome, from clinically undetected to disabling
- For other 10.00D examples, the body systems named in those diagnoses—not a shared Down listing
How can Down Syndrome affect a person’s ability to work?
- Need for extra supervision, simple instructions, or a supported setting
- Limits from heart, hearing, or vision complications when documented
- Reduced pace and adaptation to workplace change
- If mosaic Down or another congenital disorder is the diagnosis, the limits of the affected systems
- Nonmedical DAC or SSI rules are separate from the medical listing
Does Social Security have a Listing for Down Syndrome?
Social Security currently has listing criteria that may apply: 10.06 (Non-mosaic Down syndrome). Meeting a listing requires the specific medical findings in that listing, not only the diagnosis.
Adult Listing 10.00 evaluates congenital disorders that affect multiple body systems. The only numbered listing in this chapter is 10.06, for non-mosaic Down syndrome documented under 10.06A (karyotype analysis; FISH is not accepted because it does not distinguish mosaic from non-mosaic), 10.06B (physician report of trisomy 21 or translocation consistent with prior karyotype plus distinctive physical features), or 10.06C (physician report of features plus functioning consistent with non-mosaic Down syndrome). Section 10.00D states that mosaic Down syndrome and other congenital disorders—examples include juvenile and late-onset Tay-Sachs, trisomy X, fragile X, PKU, caudal regression, and fetal alcohol syndrome—are evaluated under the affected body system(s), such as musculoskeletal, special senses, neurological, or mental listings, or through RFC. Listing 10.00 is not a generic rare-disease shortcut.
For non-mosaic Down syndrome, SSA applies Listing 10.06's specific karyotype and physician-report rules. SSA does not purchase karyotype analysis, and FISH does not satisfy the karyotype requirement in 10.06A. Functioning inconsistent with non-mosaic Down syndrome can prevent a finding under 10.06B or 10.06C. Mosaic Down syndrome and other congenital disorders described in section 10.00D are evaluated under applicable body-system listings or, when no listing is met, through the remaining steps of the disability evaluation.
Can you qualify if you do not meet an SSA Listing?
Yes. Mosaic Down syndrome and other 10.00D congenital disorders that miss every body-system listing may still preclude work through combined RFC.
What medical evidence may help document Down Syndrome?
- A signed karyotype report or a physician statement plus an unsigned karyotype for 10.06A
- Physician notes of trisomy 21 or translocation and distinctive features for 10.06B
- Education, work, or psychological evidence of functioning consistent with non-mosaic Down for 10.06C
- Cardiology, audiology, and eye records for related impairments
- For mosaic Down or another congenital diagnosis, the body-system records that actually exist
Testing, imaging, and laboratory studies
- Karyotype analysis is the definitive test for 10.06A; SSA will not purchase it
- FISH is not accepted for 10.06A
- IQ testing belongs on the intellectual-disorder page when 12.05 is the path
Heart repair, hearing aids, and educational supports are treatment and accommodation, not a listing. Adult function still matters for mosaic Down and for 10.00D disorders.
How SSA may evaluate residual functional capacity
When 10.06 is not met, RFC addresses supported supervision, communication, and any cardiac or sensory limits. A person with mosaic Down who works independently may have few RFC limits.
Common issues that can weaken a disability claim involving Down Syndrome
Using FISH as if it were 10.06A; treating mosaic Down as non-mosaic; or calling every rare disease Listing 10.06.
What may strengthen the medical documentation
A karyotype that names non-mosaic trisomy 21 or translocation, or a physician path that matches 10.06B or 10.06C, plus current function.
Down Syndrome and related medical conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder — Adult autism is evaluated under Listing 12.10, which requires paragraph A medical documentation and paragraph B functional severity. It has no paragraph C route.
- Cerebral Palsy — Adult Listing 11.07 evaluates cerebral palsy through extreme motor limitation, a marked physical limitation together with a marked limitation in one specified area of mental functioning, or significant interference with communication due to a speech, hearing, or visual deficit. If the listing is not met, SSA considers the remaining functional limitations.
- Congestive Heart Failure — Chronic heart failure can reduce exertional capacity and cause fluid buildup. Listing 4.02 requires the specific medical and functional findings in the current cardiovascular rules.
- Hearing Loss — SSA evaluates hearing loss under Listing 2.10 when it is not treated with cochlear implantation and under Listing 2.11 when a cochlear implant is involved. When the listing criteria are not met, SSA considers documented communication, safety, and other work-related limitations.
- Intellectual Disorder — Adult Listing 12.05 requires significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, significant deficits in current adaptive functioning, and evidence that the disorder began before age 22. Paragraph A applies when the person cannot participate in standardized intelligence testing at the required level, while paragraph B uses qualifying standardized intelligence-test scores.
- Vision Impairment — SSA evaluates visual disorders under Listings 2.02, 2.03, and 2.04. Statutory blindness has a specific legal definition and is not the same as every listing-level visual disorder.
How Brock & Stout may help
We compare genetic and physician records with Listing 10.06, keep mosaic Down and 10.00D examples in the correct body-system lanes, and verify rather than assume CAL for named rare diagnoses. Representation cannot guarantee approval.
Frequently asked questions
No. Listing 10.06 is non-mosaic Down syndrome. Section 10.00D says mosaic Down syndrome is evaluated under the affected body systems or through residual functional capacity.
No. Those are examples in 10.00D of other congenital disorders. SSA evaluates them under the listings for the body systems they actually affect, or through RFC.
Related Brock & Stout resources
Speak with a Social Security Disability attorney
If Down Syndrome is affecting your ability to work, Brock & Stout can review the claim, look for missing medical evidence, and discuss next steps. If we represent you, you do not owe attorney fees or case costs if the claim is denied.
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This page is general educational information about Social Security Disability as of the date of this publication. It is not legal or medical advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not guarantee results. Eligibility depends on individual facts and current Social Security rules.
