The Veteran's son, S.O., is seeking recognition as a helpless child due to his cognitive disability and autism. The Board has ordered additional medical opinions regarding whether S.O.'s condition was permanently incapable of self-support prior to his 18th birthday.
The deciding factor: The decision requires further evaluation by a VA physician to determine if S.O.'s condition, including cognitive disability and autism, manifested such that he was permanently incapable of self-support through his own efforts before his 18th birthday.
- Claimed conditions
- Cognitive disability, Autism
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18159491
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18159491.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's adult child, L., was added to his VA compensation award as a dependent on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18. The Board denied an earlier effective date due to lack of claim within one year of L.'s eighteenth birthday.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for permanent incapacity for self-support for his child, S.C., dated on October 8, 2015, is granted with an effective date of October 8, 2015.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's son, O.M., is recognized as a helpless child due to his permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching the age of 18, primarily attributed to autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for hearing loss, service connection for psychiatric and cognitive disabilities secondary to hearing loss, and TDIU due to his hearing impairment. The claims are being remanded because new examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's disability and opinions are required regarding whether his psychiatric and cognitive issues are related to his hearing loss.
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