Disability Documentation Requirements

Students with disabilities that are requesting accommodations and services must submit documentation to the Academic Services Learning Specialist and/or the program director. Students are required to provide documentation of a diagnosed learning disability, attention deficit disorder and/or a neurological, physical and/or emotional impairment.

The following guidelines are intended to aid the Academic Services Learning Specialist and/or the program director in determining appropriate and suitable accommodations and services for students.

Documentation Guidelines

• The documentation must come from a professional who is qualified to provide such a diagnosis. The documentation and evaluation must appear on letterhead, be typed, signed and dated by the assessor. The documentation should clearly state the assessor’s name, title and professional credentials. I.E.P and 504 reports are not sufficient; documentation must include the testing on which the accommodations are based.
• Testing must be recent. The documentation must be within three years of the student requesting assistance and state the student’s current level of functioning and performance.
• The documentation should clearly state that the student has a disability that interferes with a major life activity. If the disability is listed in the DSM-IV, the specific diagnosis should be provided.
• Prescribed medication needs to be identified and the documentation should address the impact the medication may have on a student’s ability to meet the demands of a postsecondary environment. Students are encouraged to consult with the North Park University Center for Health Services for assistance in monitoring medication.

Documentation Criteria for a Learning Disability

In order to substantiate accommodations for a learning disability the documentation must be comprehensive narrative summary. This summary should include both qualitative and quantitative information that supports the diagnosis as well as the test scores for the standardized instruments. The summary should include a diagnostic interview and assessments of aptitude, achievement and information processing such as:

• Aptitude/Cognitive Ability: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS III), Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-R: Tests of Cognitive Ability
• Academic Achievement: Nelson Denny Reading Test, Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-R: Tests of Achievement, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
• Information Processing: WAIS-III, Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-R: Tests of Cognitive Ability

Documentation should include results in spelling and written expression, reading, decoding and comprehension, applied work problems and math calculations.

Documentation Criteria for a Psychological Disability

In order to substantiate accommodations for a psychological disability the documentation must be from a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker. Documentation must include:

• A specific, current psychiatric diagnosis as per the DSM-IV which indicates the nature, frequency and severity of the symptoms upon which the diagnosis was predicated. A diagnosis without an explicit listing of current symptoms is not sufficient. Primary and secondary Axis I and Axis II diagnoses are required.
• Evidence of current impairment. An assessment of the individual's presenting symptoms and evidence of current behaviors that significantly impair functioning must be provided.
• Evidence is needed to determine the current impact of the disorder on the individual's ability to function in an academic setting and to establish eligibility for classroom accommodations.
• A clinical summary which: (a) indicates the substantial limitations to major life activities posed by the psychiatric disability, (b) describes the extent to which these limitations would impact the academic context for which accommodations are being requested, (c) suggests how the specific effects of the psychiatric disability may be accommodated, and (d) states how the effects of the psychiatric disability are mediated by the recommended accommodations.

Documentation Criteria for a Mobility, Systematic, or Health Related Disabilities:

In order to substantiate accommodations for a psychological disability the documentation must be from a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker. Documentation must include:

• A specific, current psychiatric diagnosis as per the DSM-IV which indicates the nature, frequency and severity of the symptoms upon which the diagnosis was predicated. A diagnosis without an explicit listing of current symptoms is not sufficient. Primary and secondary Axis I and Axis II diagnoses are required.
• Evidence of current impairment. An assessment of the individual's presenting symptoms and evidence of current behaviors that significantly impair functioning must be provided.
• Evidence is needed to determine the current impact of the disorder on the individual's ability to function in an academic setting and to establish eligibility for classroom accommodations.
• A clinical summary which: (a) indicates the substantial limitations to major life activities posed by the psychiatric disability, (b) describes the extent to which these limitations would impact the academic context for which accommodations are being requested, (c) suggests how the specific effects of the psychiatric disability may be accommodated, and (d) states how the effects of the psychiatric disability are mediated by the recommended accommodations.