DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES

ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES

Qualifications of the Evaluator

• Must be a professional qualified to conduct assessments and render a diagnosis of ADHD

• All reports need to be on letterhead, must include the name and title of the practitioner, and must be typed, dated, and signed

Documentation Should

• Be current and no more than three years old, using well-known diagnostic criteria

• Include a clear statement of the disability

• Include a description of the current functional limitations in an academic setting

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISABILITIES DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES

Qualifications of the Evaluator

• Must be a professional qualified to diagnose and treat mental disorders (i.e., physician, psychologist).

Documentation Should

• Include a specific diagnosis

• Describe the current functional limitations in an academic environment

HEARING IMPAIRMENT DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES

Qualifications of the Evaluator

• Must be a professional qualified to diagnose hearing impairments.

Documentation Should

• Include a diagnosis (i.e., deafness or hearing loss)
• Include a current audiogram.
• Medical information pertaining to the status of the student’s hearing (static or changing)
• List recommendations for accommodations needed in an academic environment

LEARNING DISABILITY DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES

An IEP or 504 Plan is insufficient documentation, but may be included as part of a more comprehensive assessment battery.

Qualifications of the Evaluator

• Licensed/certified medical doctor, psychologist, or other qualified diagnostician

Documentation Should

• Be current and no more than three years old
• Substantiate the need for services based on the student’s current level of functioning in an educational setting.
• There must be a specific diagnosis.  Individual “learning styles, learning differences”, and “test anxiety” in and of themselves do not constitute a learning disability.
• Contain a summary of assessment procedures, evaluation instruments used in making the diagnosis, and a summary of evaluation results.
• Recommendations for accommodations will be considered.

MEDICAL DISABILITIES

To qualify for services, the student with a disability must provide documentation of a disability from an appropriate evaluator, such as a physician, audiologist, ophthalmologist etc.

Qualifications of the Evaluator

• Must be a professional qualified to diagnose a disability
• All reports need to be on letterhead, must  include the name and title of the practitioner, and must be typed, dated, and signed

Documentation Should

• Be current
• Include a clear statement of diagnosis, and if there are substantial limitation on one or more major life activities
• Include a date of diagnosis.  Is the condition static or changing?
• Include a statement of impact and limitations of the disability in an academic setting

PHYSICAL AND SYSTEMIC DISORDERS DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES

Qualifications of the Evaluator

• Licensed medical doctor

Documentation Should

• Include a medical diagnosis of the orthopedic/mobility disability or systemic illness.
• Describe the severity of the symptoms.
• Include a statement of impact and limitations of the disability in an academic setting.

Eligibility

To be eligible for services, students must provide appropriate documentation regarding their disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).  Documentation requirements in high school are different from documentation requirements at the postsecondary level. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan is not sufficient documentation at the postsecondary level, but can be included with more comprehensive documentation.

Appropriate Documentation 

• Verifies existence of a disability
• Explains substantial limitation of a major life activity
• Supports requests for academic accommodations