# U n it e d S ta te s C o u r t o f A p p e a ls

F or th e E ig ht h C ir cu it

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No. 1 3- 25 33

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Fel eci a Ch an ne ll

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el la nt

v.

Caro lyn W . Col vi n, Act in g C om m is si on er, So ci al Secu rit y Adm in is tra ti on

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll ee

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App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s - J on es bo ro

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Su bm it te d: Apri l 1 8, 2 01 4
Fil ed : J un e 2 5, 2 01 4 [Pu bl is he d]

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Befo re LOKEN and MURPHY, Ci rcu it Ju dg es , and SIPPEL, Dis tri ct Ju dg e. 1

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PER CURI AM

The Hon or ab le Ro dn ey

Sip pe l, Un it ed Sta te s Di st ric t J ud ge for th e Eas te rn 1
Dis tri ct of M is so ur i, s it ti ng by des ig na ti on

.Fel eci a Ch an ne ll ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t’s o rd er af fir m in g t he de ni al of h er

ap pl ic at io n fo r su p p l em en ta l se cu rit y in co m e be ne fit s (SSI ). Ch an ne l al le ge d

di sa bi li ty si nc e Ja nu ary 20 10 ba se d on a m en ta l im pa irment. Afte r a Ju ne 20 11

he ari ng , an Ad m in is tra ti ve Law Ju dg e (ALJ) de ni ed Ch an ne ll ’s app li cat io n fo r SSI

be ne fit s. The App eal s Co un ci l de cl in ed to rev ie w th e ALJ’s de ci si on , an d th e di st ric t

co ur t affi rm ed

. Upo n de no vo rev ie w, se e McDa de v. Ast ru e, 72 0 F.3 d 99 4, 99 7- 99 8
(8 th Cir . 20 13 ) we rev ers e an d re m an d.

Ch an ne ll was bo rn in 19 86 an d was 24 y ears ol d at t h e ti m e of th e ALJ’s

de ci si on

. Sh e co m

pl et ed th e el ev en th gr ad e ge tt in g al l As. Howev er sh e was ta ki ng

sp eci al ed uc at io n cl as se s in al l su bs ta nt iv e ed uc at io n co ur se s, in cl u d in g Eng li sh

,

m at h, bi ol og y , an d hi st or y

. Ch an ne ll ha s ne ve r he ld a job

. Sh e can read “l i tt le ”

wor ds an d writ e bu t c an no t be su re sh e ge ts th e co rrec t ch an ge whe n sh e bu y s

so m et hi ng at a st or e. Sh e li ve s in a ho us e wit h her fo ur ch il dr en ag es 5, 4, 2, an d 1.

Sh e rece iv es fo od st am

ps an d rel ie s on fin an ci al su pp or t fro m he r fam i ly. W it h

reg ul ar as si st an ce fro m he r fam il y , Ch an ne ll is ab le to care fo r he r ch il dr en an d do es
he r own ho us ewo rk

. W he n sc ho ol is in se ss io n he r ki ds are pl aced in da y care

. If

Ch an ne ll go es sh op pi ng sh e is ab le to de te rm in e wha t gr oc eri es sh e ne ed s and bu y s

th em he rs el f. Sh e go t he r dr iv er’s li cen se (aft er fo ur at te m pt s at th e writ te n te st ) whe n
sh e was 23 y ears ol d b ut do es no t o wn a c ar an d d oe s n ot dri ve oft en

.

Ch an ne ll ha s no ph y si cal i m pa irments

. Her di sa bi li ty cl ai m is ba se d on he r

m en ta l l im it at io ns

. In 19 99 , wh en Ch an ne ll was 13 y ears ol d, sh e was gi ve n a n IQ

te st

, (Wechs le r In te ll ig en ce Scal e fo r Ch il dr en - III) whi ch rev eal ed a ve rb al IQ sc or e

of 58

, a pe rfo rm an ce IQ sc or e of 63

, an d a fu ll sc al e IQ sc or e of 56

. In Ja nu ary 20 06

, whe n Ch an ne ll was 19 or 20 y ears ol d, sh e was gi ve n a ps y ch ol og ic al ev al ua ti on by

a ps y ch ol og is t, Dr. Geo rg e DeRo eck

. Dr. DeRo eck no te d th at Ch a n n e l l “wa s ve ry
sl ow to res po nd

, ga ve va gu e res po ns es , ex hi bi te d a fla t effe ct an d, in ge ne ral

,
ap pe ared sl ug gi sh

. ” He ob se rv ed th at he r sp eech was cl ear an d effe ct iv e, th ou gh

-2

-“ so m ewh at im po ve ris he d,” an d th at sh e de m on st rat ed an ab il it y t o f o l l ow si m

pl e

in st ru ct io ns ad eq ua te ly.

Dr. DeRo eck ad m in is te red an IQ te st (Wechs le r Adu lt In te ll ig en ce Scal e - III)

whi ch rev eal ed a ve rb al IQ sc or e of 67

, a pe rfo rm an ce IQ sc or e of 59

, an d a fu ll sc al e IQ sc or e of 61

. Dr. DeRo eck no t e d t h a t t h e se sc or es were co m m en su rat e wit h th e

m il dl y de fic ie nt ran ge

. He al so op in ed th at

, al th ou gh Ch an ne ll di d no t ex hi bi t si gn s

of ex ag ge rat io n or m al in ge rin g, sh e “ ex hi bi t e d rel at iv el y po or m ot iv at io n an d

co nf id en ce in he r ab il it y , th eref or e pu tt in g fo rth li tt le effo rt in th e it em s at ha nd ” an d

th at sh e ha d a “ te nd en cy to gi ve up ve ry eas il y an d wou ld eas il y st at e ‘don ’t kn ow.’”

Dr. DeRo eck st at e d th at th es e “ m ot iv at io na l fact or s sh ou ld be ke pt in m in d in

r ev ie win g he r te st res ul ts .” Dr. DeRo eck co nc lu de d th at Ch an ne ll ’s “ ov eral l

in te ll ect ua l fu nc ti on in g i s co m m en su rat e wit h t he m il dl y de fic ie nt ran ge .”

On Feb ru ary 2, 20 10

, Dr. W in st on Bro wn, M.D., a st at e ag en cy m ed ic al

co ns ul ta nt

, co m

pl et ed a m en ta l res id ua l fu nc ti on al cap aci ty as se ss m en t ba se d on hi s

rev ie w of Ch an ne ll ’s m ed ic al reco rd s. Dr. Bro wn op in ed th at Ch an ne ll wou ld be ab le

to pe rfo rm wor k whe re in te rp ers on al co nt act wou ld be in ci de nt al to wor k pe rfo rm ed ;

co m pl ex it y of ta sk s wou ld be le arn ed an d pe rfo rm ed by ro te ; few va ria bl es an d li tt le
jud gm en t wou ld ex is t; an d su pe rv is io n req ui red wou ld be si mp l e , d i r ect

, an d

co nc ret e.

On Ja nu ary 19

, 20 10 Ch an ne ll fil ed an ap pl ic at io n fo r SSI. The Age nc y de ni ed

Ch an ne ll ’s cl ai m

. A he ari ng b e fo re an ALJ was he ld on Ju ne 15

, 20 11

. Ch an ne ll

te st ifi ed ab ou t her m en ta l capa ci ty is su es an d abo ut he r da il y act iv it ie s. On Aug us t

24

, 20 11

, th e ALJ is su ed hi s de ci si on de nyin g be ne fit s. The ALJ fo un d th at

Ch an ne ll ’s red uc ed m en ta l fu nc ti on di d no t m eet or eq ua l a li st ed im pa irment on th e

S o c ia l Secu rit y Adm in is tra ti on ’s li st of im pa irments pr es um ed se ve re en ou gh t o

pr ecl ud e an y ga in fu l wo r k

. 2 0 C .F.R. pt

. 40 4, su bp t. P, App

. 1. The ALJ’s

co nc lu si on was ba se d on di sc red it in g Cha nn el l’s 2 00 6 p erfo rm an ce IQ s co re of 59.

-3

-Thi s sc or e wou ld no rm al ly de em Ch an ne ll to be d i s a b l e d an d en ti tl ed to be ne fit s

pu rs ua nt to 20 CFR Pt

. 40 4, Su bp t. P, App

. 1. Sect io n 12 .05 B (a cl ai m an t is di sa bl ed

whe n sh e ha s a “ va li d ve rb al

, pe rfo rm an ce, or fu ll sc al e IQ of 59 or le ss ”). Howev er,

an ALJ m ay di sr eg ard te st sc or es th at are in co ns is te nt wit h a pl ai nt iff ’s de m on st rat iv e

act iv it ie s an d ab il it ie s as refl ect ed in th e reco rd

. See Cl ay v. Barn ha rt, 41 7 F.3 d 92 2,

92 9 (8 th Cir . 20 05 )(“ th e Co m m is si on er need no t rely ex cl us iv el y on IQ sc or es , and

th at th e Co m

m is si on er m ay d i s r eg ard te st sc or es th at are in co ns is te nt wit h an

ap pl ic an t’s de m on st rat ed act iv it ie s an d ab il it ie s as refl ect ed in th e reco rd a s a
who le .”). The ALJ fo un d th at Ch an ne ll ’s da il y act iv it i e s di d no t in di cat e sh e was

c o mp l e t e l y un ab le to wor k. The ALJ de te rm in ed th at Ch an ne l ha d no ex ert io na l

li m it at io ns an d th at sh e ha d a res id ua l fu nc ti on al cap aci ty to pe rfo rm un sk il le d wor k.

Bas ed on a vo cat io na l ex pe rt’s te st im on y , th e ALJ fo un d th at Ch an ne ll co ul d pe rfo rm job s as a po ul try han ge r, a m ach in e fee de r, or a m ai d / ho us ek eep er.

In se ek in g rev ers al

, Ch an ne ll as ks to ha ve th is cas e rem an de d fo r an award of

be ne fit s or , al te rn at iv el y , fo r pr op er co ns id erat io n of he r in te ll ect ua l di sa bi li ty. Our

rev ie w of th e reco r d r e v e al s th at th e reco rd is in co m pl et e. It is th e ALJ’s

res po ns ib il it y

“ to de ve lo p t he reco rd fai rly an d fu ll y , in de pe nd en t o f th e cl ai m an t’s

bu rd en to pr es s hi s cas e.” Sn ead v. Barn ha rt, 36 0 F.3 d 83 4, 83 8 (8 th Ci r. 20 04 ). In

hi s de ci si on de nyin g Ch an ne ll be ne fit s, th e ALJ st at ed th at he sc he du le d Ch an ne ll to

un de rg o fu rth er te st in g of he r in te ll ect ua l fu nc ti o n o n Aug us t 11

, 20 11

, to be

fo ll owe d by a Co m

pu te riz ed Ass es sm en t of Res po ns e Bi as (CARB ), to as se ss he r fo r

m al in ge rin g or ex ag ge rat io n. The ALJ was pr op erl y at te m pt in g to fu ll y de ve lo p th e

reco rd by ob ta in in g a cu rren t as se ss m en t of Ch an ne ll ’s m en ta l fu nc ti on in g. The ALJ

st at es in hi s de ci si on th at Ch an n e l l f a i l ed to at te nd he r sc he du le d co ns ul ti ve

e v a l u at io n. He us es Ch an ne ll ’s fai lu re to co m pl y as an ad di ti on al reas on to d e n y

C ha nn el l be ne fit s. Howev er, as id e fro m th e ALJ’s st at em en t in hi s de ci si on , t h e

reco rd do es no t co nt ai n an y ev id en ce th at Ch an ne l was sc he du le d fo r fu rth er te st in g.

-4

-The is su e of fu rth er te st in g is no t m en ti on ed in th e he ari ng tra ns cri pt

. The re

a r e no le tt ers or ot he r do cu m en ts in th e reco rd whi ch refl ect th at Ch an ne l wa s

in fo rm ed sh e was sc he du le d fo r fu rth er te st in g. Bas ed o n t he reco rd , we are le ft to

sp ecu la te whe th er C h a n n e l l o r he r co un se l were no ti fie d of th e te st in g. Giv en th e

na tu re of Ch an ne ll ’s cl ai m ed di sa bi li ty, a m en ta l im pa irment of li st in g- le ve l se ve rit y , th e reco rd sh ou ld in di cat e ho w a n d w h en Ch an ne ll an d he r co un se l were no ti fie d.

W e sh ou ld no t be req ui red to sp ecu la te as to th e ad eq ua cy of no ti ce o f ad di ti on al

te st in g or w h e t h er th ere was an ot he r reas on be y on d th e cl ai m an t’s co nt ro l th at

pr ev en te d he r at te nd an ce at th e sc he du le d te st in g. Bas ed on th e reco rd be fo re us , we

can no t co nc lu de th at it ha s b een ful ly dev el op ed

.

As a res ul t, we rev ers e an d rem an d th is m at te r fo r fu rth er de ve lo pm en t of the

reco rd on Ch an ne ll ’s m en ta l im pa irments

. The ALJ sh al l res ch ed ul e Ch an ne ll fo r an IQ te st an d ot he r te st in g he de em s ap pr op ria te be fo re ru li ng on Ch an ne ll ’s cl ai m fo r
be ne fit s. The reco rd sh al l co nt ai n do cu m en ta ti on of th e no ti ce reg ard in g th e te st in g gi ve n t o C ha nn el l an d h er co un se l.

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