Students with Disabilities

Professionals conducting assessments to diagnose learning and/or attentional disabilities and provide recommendations for appropriate accommodations must be qualified to do so. Assessments should be conducted or supervised by a physician, licensed clinical psychologist, or individuals with doctoral degrees in neuropsychology, clinical psychology, educational psychology, or an appropriate specialty. Evaluators should be trained in psychiatric, psychological, neuropsychological, and/or psychoeducational assessment and have experience working with individuals with learning disorders, ADHD, or psychiatric disabilities. The evaluator must be someone who is impartial and is not a family member of the student.

Reasonable accommodations are provided based on assessment of the current impact of the student’s disability/disorder on his/her academic performance; therefore, students should provide recent documentation relevant to a college learning environment. If testing and assessments are older than 5 years, there should be an updated section on how the learning or attentional disorder will impact the student and his/her academic performance in the new and different college setting.

A single test, an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 plan are not considered sufficient for the purpose of diagnosis. The following elements must be included in the evaluator’s report for a student to be considered for appropriate accommodations:

1. Specific DSM-V-TR diagnosis and level of severity, including level past and present symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis.
2. Approximate duration of the disorder.
3. Description of past disability services or accommodations received. Please note: this does not guarantee these same accommodations will be available in the college setting.
4. A clinical summary of procedures and instruments that led to diagnosis including:
   1. Diagnostic Interview.
   2. Testing in the following areas:
      1. Aptitude: A complete intellectual assessment with all subtests and standard scores reported.
      2. Academic Achievement: A comprehensive academic achievement battery with all subtests and standard scores reported for those subtests administered. The battery must include current levels of academic functioning in relevant areas such as reading (decoding and comprehension), mathematics, and oral and written language.
      3. Information Processing: Specific areas of information processing (e.g. short- and long-term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed, executive functioning and motor ability) should be addressed.
      4. Behavioral Rating Scale.
5. Summary of evaluation resolts with standardized score summary.
6. Any medical history related to the use of medication and how the medication could impact the student’s ability to meet the demands of an academic program.
7. Recommendation for academic accommodations to compensate for the diagnosed disorder. Each recommended accommodation should include a rationale.
8. The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator should be clearly visible on the documentation. Information about license or certification as well as the area of specialization, employment, and state or province in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation. Please also include a physical and e-mail address and phone number. All reports should be typed on official letterhead and signed and dated by the evaluator/professional.

Depending on a student’s condition, an appropriate evaluator could include a license psychiatrist, psychologist, neuropsychologist, or another qualified and licensed mental health or medical professional. The evaluator must be someone who is impartial and is not a family member of the student.

Reasonable accommodations are provided based on assessment of the current impact and limitations of the disorder on the student’s academic performance. It is in the student’s best interest to provide recent documentation that is appropriate to his/her learning environment. While initial diagnosis information may be older, documentation should be no more than 6 months old. Due to the nature of psychiatric disorders, updated documentation may be requested to provide appropriate accommodations.

The following should be included in an evaluator’s report for a student to be considered for appropriate accommodations:

1. A clearly stated disability with the DSM-V-TR diagnosis and description of severity including a summary of symptoms that satisfy the DSM-V-TR criteria for diagnosis.
2. Date of diagnosis, approximate date of onset, and prognosis of the disorder.
3. Summary of medical history, diagnostic interview, and assessment procedures/evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis. A summary of evaluation results, including standardized or percentile scores, should also be included.
4. Statement of current impact and limitations of the disorder on the student’s academic performance.
5. Medical information including current treatments and the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands in a college setting.
6. Recommendations for academic accommodations to compensate for the disorder. Each recommended accommodation must include a rationale.
7. The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator should be clearly visible on the documentation. Information about license or certification as well as the area of specialization, employment, and state or province in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation. Please also include a physical and e-mail address and phone number. All reports should be typed on official letterhead and signed and dated by the evaluator/professional.

Appropriate evaluators include physicians, surgeons, optometrists, audiologists, neuropsychologists, and other relevantly trained healthcare professionals qualified to make such diagnoses. Documentation may be provided from more than one source when a clinical team approach of professionals has been used. The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

Documentation should be current within five years, but more recent documentation might be necessary depending on individual circumstances and the nature of the disability. Reasonable accommodations are provided based on assessment of the current impact and limitations of the disorder on the student’s performance. It is in the student’s best interest to provide recent documentation that is appropriate to his/her environment.

The following should be included in an evaluator’s report for a student to be considered for appropriate accommodations:

1. A diagnostic statement identifying the disability including history of symptoms, date of onset, duration and severity of the disorder, and other relevant information.
2. A description of the diagnostic criteria and/or diagnostic test used. This description should include the specific results of diagnostic procedures and diagnostic tests utilized.
3. A description of the functional impact of the disability. The current functional impact on physical, perceptual, and cognitive abilities should be described, including any relevant medical information, and functional limitations of how the student can perform a major life activity as compared to the average person.
4. Relevant information regarding current treatment and/or medication for this or any other conditions, and the degree of impact on the student’s performance.
5. Recommendations for accommodations to compensate for the disability. Each recommended accommodation must include a rationale.
6. The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator should be clearly visible on the documentation. Information about license or certification as well as the area of specialization, employment, and state or province in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation. Please also include a physical and e-mail address and phone number. All reports should be typed on official letterhead and signed and dated by the evaluator/professional.