The Board found that the Veteran's learning disorder, including autism and dyslexia, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The evidence clearly showed that his preexisting autism disorder existed prior to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's condition was less likely than not incurred in or caused by his service due to clear evidence of intellectual difficulties before entering service.
- Claimed conditions
- Autism disorder, Asperger's syndrome, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2017
- Citation
- 1720955
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1720955.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for attention deficit disorder and joint pain due to his death during the appeal process.
- Granted
The Veteran's child, C.H., became permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining age 18 due to psychological disabilities and requires adult supervision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for traumatic brain injury, dyslexia, and an acquired psychiatric condition due to new evidence received after the issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, attention deficit disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and anxiety, is considered to have resulted from events that occurred during his active military service. The Board granted the claim for service connection.
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