Appropriate Documentation by Disability Type

Appropriate documentation is important in establishing the most appropriate accommodations and will vary according to the specifics of the disabling condition.  General guidelines for documentation are provided above.  Additional information useful in developing the most appropriate accommodations is provided below.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 

Documentation for students with ADHD should:

• be from a qualified professional (e.g., physician, licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist);
• include a comprehensive social history as well as an educational and psychological assessment;
• identify an actual diagnosis of an impairment according to DSM-V;
• discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment;
• recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations; and
• list current medication, dosages, and existing side effects.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Documentation for students with hearing impairments should:

• be from a licensed audiologist;
• discuss the functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment; and
• describe accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations.

Learning Disabilities 

Documentation for students with a specific learning disability should: 

• include a thorough diagnostic interview, including developmental, psychosocial and academic histories, a discussion of the absences of medical basis for the symptoms, and a discussion of dual diagnoses where indicated.
• consist of a comprehensive neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation resulting in the diagnosis of a specific learning disability, including an assessment of aptitude, achievement, and information processing.
• address current limitations caused the impairment.
• describe suggestions of reasonable accommodations to compensate for the limitations and which are supported by the diagnosis. 

Physical Disabilities

Documentation for students with physical impairments should:

• be from a qualified professional (e.g., physician, licensed psychologist, or neuropsychologist);
• identify an actual diagnosis of an impairment;
• discuss the functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment;          
• recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations, and
• list current medication, dosages and existing side effects.

Psychological Disabilities

Documentation for students with psychological impairments should:

• be from a qualified professional (e.g., psychiatrist, licensed professional counselor, board certified social worker);
• identify an actual diagnosis of an impairment according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V;
• discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment;
• recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations, and
• list current medication, dosages, and existing (not possible) side effects.

Visual Disabilities

Documentation for students with visual impairments should:

• be from a qualified professional;
• discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment; and
• recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations.

 

This online version of the handbook is for informational purposes only and is subject to modification. Final authority resides in the printed version of the handbook.

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