To be eligible for accommodations, a student must have a disability as defined by federal legislation: A disability is any physical or mental condition that causes substantial limitations to the ability to perform one or more major life activities. Major life activities include but are not limited to walking, seeing, learning, hearing, and speaking.
Documentation
The following guidelines are provided to ensure that the documentation provided is adequate and appropriate to verify eligibility and support requests for accommodations or auxiliary aids. Documentation must have been written within the past three years, and should include:
A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, the current diagnostic evaluation date, and the original diagnosis from a qualified licensed professional.
A description of the diagnostic criteria and/or diagnostic test(s) used.
A description of the current functional impact and limitations of the disability.
Treatments, medications, and assistive devices or services currently prescribed or used.
A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability over time.
Guidelines from the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) for documentation of learning disabilities will be referred to when reviewing documentation for learning disabilities. Guidelines for appropriate documentation of specific disabling conditions are as follows:
Included among the relevant diagnoses in this category are any conditions caused by surgery, trauma, or cerebral vascular accident (stroke). Limitations of brain injury may be widely diverse and cause limitations to cognition, memory, communication, behavior, motor abilities, speech, speed of processing information, and sensory sensitivities.
Recommended providers include physicians, neurologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and licensed psychologists or clinical social workers. Acceptable documentation must include:
Written statement of diagnosis
Brief history of onset, including date incurred, area of the brain affected, immediate impairment, synopsis of hospitalization, and rehabilitation or therapy.
Information specifying the current level of intellectual function, including cognitive and achievement measures used and standardized scores.
Information specifying substantially limited residual physical effects.
Information specifying current medications prescribed due to the injury, including side effects and possible impact on the student's academic performance.
Summary statement of functional limitations, including major life activities affected and the degree of functional impairment.
It is important to note that a diagnosis of ADHD does not necessarily constitute a disability. The degree of impairment must be significant enough to limit one or more major life activities substantially.
Recommended providers include psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and other medical doctors trained in ADHD. Acceptable documentation must include:
Clearly stated clinical diagnosis of ADHD (predominantly inattentive type, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, or combined type) based on the DSM-V criteria.
The names of the assessment instrument(s) used and the scores obtained (standard scores with percentiles).
Brief client history, statement about the use and impact of medication and therapies, and a list of academic interventions or accommodations used previously.
Specific recommendations for academic accommodations with a rationale for each accommodation based on the student's functional limitations, including a statement on functional limitations in a classroom or educational setting.
Deafness can be defined as the inability to perceive sound or speech. This degree of hearing loss, combined with using American Sign Language (ASL) as the primary language, requires an interpreter as an accommodation.
Hard of hearing refers to individuals with hearing loss who may or may not use ASL and often interact with hearing individuals. For AES purposes, hard of hearing will describe individuals with hearing loss requiring classroom accommodations.
Recommended providers include general physicians, otorhinolaryngologists, otologists, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists. Acceptable documentation must include:
A written statement of diagnosis and etiology.
Specification of assessment procedures and instruments used to make the diagnosis.
A current audiogram.
Classification of the degree of hearing loss as mild, moderate, or severe.
Information regarding functional limitations and impact in an academic setting.
A learning disability is a diagnosis that affects how an individual takes in, retains, and expresses information. It is commonly recognized as a significant deficit in one or more areas: oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, or problem-solving.
Recommended providers include trained, certified, and licensed clinical psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and other professionals with training relevant to learning disabilities in adults. Acceptable documentation must include:
Clear and specific evidence and identification of a learning disability. Whenever possible, the DSM-V should be used to diagnose a learning disability. Documentation including things such as ‘learning styles’, ‘learning differences,’ or ‘learning difficulties,’ will not demonstrate the existence of a disability. Comprehensive testing should include at least three of the following:
Aptitude: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV) with subtest scores is the preferred instrument.
Achievement: Current levels of functioning in reading, mathematics, oral, and written language. The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test and the Woodcock-Jackson: Test of Achievement standard and extended are preferred.
Information Processing: Specific areas of information processing should be assessed (short and long-term memory, sequential memory, processing speed, auditory and visual perception and processing).
A summary of a comprehensive diagnosis interview, including a description of the presenting problem and the student's developmental, educational, family medical, psychosocial, and employment histories as relevant.
The rationale for any recommended academic adjustments and auxiliary aids, using test dates to document the need.
Restrictions imposed by the condition.
Please note that Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans alone are insufficient documentation. However, they may provide useful information about services previously provided to the student and, therefore, may be submitted with a comprehensive report.
This broad category includes substantially limiting, permanent medical conditions, ranging from narrow, highly localized effects to broad systemic conditions. Additionally, students with these disorders may be prescribed medications that cause severe side effects, which further limit the student's ability to function in an academic environment. Examples of medical disorders include but are not limited to, diabetes, Chron's disease, muscular dystrophy, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Recommended providers include general and specialty physicians such as rheumatologists, oncologists, cardiologists, and neurologists. Acceptable documentation must include:
Written statement of diagnosis.
Assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used in making the diagnosis.
Information regarding symptoms of the disorder.
Information regarding the functional limitation of the disorder as it will affect the student in an academic environment.
Information regarding prescribed medications and possible side effects.
Restrictions on activities imposed by the conditions.
A neurological condition is a disorder of the central and peripheral nervous system. Examples include but are not limited to multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, cerebral palsy, migraines, and acquired brain injuries.
Recommended providers include neurologists, physiatrists, general physicians, and speech-language pathologists with advanced graduate degrees. Acceptable documentation must include:
Written statement of diagnosis.
Assessment procedures and diagnostic evaluation instruments.
Information regarding current symptoms.
Information regarding current limitations.
Information regarding prescribed medications and possible side effects.
Restrictions in activities imposed by the condition.
How learning has been affected.
These disorders result in upper and/or lower body mobility limitations. They may occur due to accidents, progressive neuromuscular diseases, congenital conditions, or repetitive motion stress injuries. Information to consider would be whether the student is ambulatory, whether the injury is weight-bearing, the estimated distance the student is permitted to walk/use crutches, and the estimated duration of the above-listed restrictions.
Recommended providers include general physicians, podiatrists, neurologists, rheumatologists, cardiologists, and orthopedic surgeons. Acceptable documentation must include:
Written statement of diagnosis.
Diagnosis procedures and results if applicable.
Information regarding current symptoms.
Information regarding restrictions, if any.
Information regarding functional limitations experienced by the student due to the disorder.
Information regarding prescribed medication(s) and possible side effects.
This category includes disorders of mood, cognition, stress, and dissociative disorders. Examples include but are not limited to bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, and complex or standard post-traumatic stress disorder.
Recommended providers include psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and school psychologists. Acceptable documentation must include:
A written diagnosis statement, including current DSM-V classification information regarding symptoms and degree severity.
A written statement regarding the current impact and effect of the disorder on the student's functions relating to the academic environment.
Information regarding restrictions and limitations caused by the disability.
Information regarding prescribed medication(s) and possible side effects.
Blindness is the absence of vision, although there may be light or color perception. Low vision is generally defined as a visual acuity of 200/70 or less. Conditions affecting vision include but are not limited to eye disease, structural abnormalities, color blindness, cataracts, and systemic diseases such as diabetes, strabismus, myopia, and loss of visual field.
Recommended providers include ophthalmologists and physicians. Acceptable documentation must include:
A written statement of diagnosis.
Diagnostic procedures and results.
Information listing current symptoms and degree of severity.
Information regarding functional limitations and possible impact in an academic environment.
Information regarding prescribed medication(s) and possible side effects.
Information regarding restrictions.
This category includes impermanent conditions that cause substantial limitations to one or more major life functions, necessitating that students require temporary assistance for a finite period. Temporarily disabling conditions typically occur because of surgery, accident, or severe illness.
Recommended providers include physicians, dentists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, orthopedists, psychiatrists, physical or occupational therapists, and neurologists. Acceptable documentation must include:
Written statement of diagnosis.
Diagnosis procedures, including protocols and results.
Information regarding and listing of current symptoms and degree of severity.
Information regarding functional limitations within an academic environment.
Information regarding prescribed medication(s) and possible side effects.
Specific information regarding duration of symptoms, functional limitations, restrictions, and medication use.
