Documentation

The following are descriptions of the types of documentation required to receive accommodations and services through Student Access and Accommodation Services. Documentation provided to Student Access and Accommodation Services is considered private and will be used for the expressed purposes of establishing protection under the law, determining appropriate accommodations, and ensuring the effective implementation of those accommodations. All provided information will be protected against misuse by others.

The student is responsible for paying for any assessment needed to verify a disability and/or medical/mental health condition. 

The documentation provided must be typed on the provider’s letterhead and signed by the provider. We will not accept pictures of documentation or documentation that is handwritten.  

Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) or 504 Plans are not considered sufficient sources of documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Learning Disability

The student should provide documentation that includes a diagnosis and functional limitations of the disability within an educational setting. All documentation submitted needs to be typed on official letterhead and signed by an evaluator qualified to make the diagnosis. Documentation from a family member, even if a qualified professional, will not be accepted.

The following are Student Access and Accommodation Services (SAAS) guidelines for establishing eligibility for accommodations and support services for a learning disability. A full psycho-educational assessment is helpful. Other forms of documentation may be acceptable. Students who currently hold documentation are encouraged to provide the documentation to SAAS and discuss if additional documentation is needed. 

The following information should be submitted for a student diagnosed with a learning disability who requests accommodations:

• Diagnosis
• Level of severity
• Date of initial diagnosis and date of last contact with the student
• An assessment battery (with scores), including:
  • Aptitude/cognitive testing
  • Individual Academic Achievement testing
  • Information Processing Testing
  • Other
• Clinical Summary: It is helpful to understand how the evaluator has ruled out alternative explanations for academic problems, how assessment score patterns reflect presence of learning disability, how the learning disability constitutes a substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity, the degree to which learning is impacted by the learning disability, and the rational for specific accommodations being recommended.

Include any additional information relevant to supporting the student; this could include additional diagnosis identified as result of testing completed.

Attention Deficit Disorder

The student should provide documentation that includes a diagnosis and functional limitations of the disability within an educational setting. The documentation needs to be typed on official letterhead and signed by an evaluator qualified to make the diagnosis. Documentation from a family member, even if a qualified professional, will not be accepted.

The following are Student Access and Accommodation Services (SAAS) guidelines for establishing eligibility for accommodations and support services for ADHD. A full psychological evaluation is helpful. Other forms of documentation may be acceptable. Students who currently hold documentation are encouraged to provide the documentation and contact SAAS to discuss if additional documentation is needed. 

The following information should be submitted for a student diagnosed with ADHD who requests accommodations:

• Diagnosis
• Diagnostic type (Combined, Inattentive, or Hyperactive-Impulsive)
• Level of severity (Mild, Moderate, Severe)
• Date of initial diagnosis; date of last contact; how often you meet with the student. On what basis did the qualifying professional determine the student has ADHD?
• An assessment battery, including:

• Age-appropriate testing to establish the diagnosis of ADHD
• Relevant testing information, including diagnostic test used, test scores obtained, and the interpretations of these scores
• Evidence of current impairment
• Medication prescribed, along with response to medication and side effects
• Clinical Summary: It is helpful to understand how the evaluator has determined the ADHD constitutes a substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity, the degree to which learning is impacted by the ADHD, the accommodations that are specifically recommended, and the rational.

Include any additional information relevant to supporting the student; this could include additional diagnosis identified as result of testing completed.

Deaf/ Hard of Hearing

To receive services one must provide:

Recent audiological documentation from a certified audiologist that includes:

• Diagnosis
• Prognosis
• Limitations (if any)
• Impact of medical condition on individual

Visual, Physical, Medical Disabilities

The student must provide a copy of the following information as applies to the disability and/or medical condition on the letterhead of the individual's licensed health care provider with that provider's signature on the report:

• Diagnosis and original diagnosis date
• Etiology/cause (not applicable in congenital disabilities)
• Impact/limitations
• Medications
• Side effects of medication and the impact on cognitive ability
• Suggestions/recommendations for accommodations
• Any additional information that would help Student Access and Accommodation Services assist the student in a post-secondary educational setting

Mental Health Conditions

The student must provide the following components on the letterhead of the individual's licensed mental health care provider with that provider's signature on the report:

• A specific, current psychiatric diagnosis from the DSM-V indicating nature, frequency, and severity of symptoms for the individual
• Documentation must describe how the student's disability and/or mental health condition functionally impacts the ability to participate in a post-secondary educational setting
• Information related to side effects of prescribed medication and suggestions for accommodations
• Recommendations and suggestions relating to the specific impacts of the disability and/or mental health condition and how the individual might be accommodated in the educational setting

Asperger's/Autism Spectrum

The student must provide documentation from their health care provider with the provider’s signature on the report.

Documentation must include:

• Diagnosis and original diagnosis date
• Etiology/cause (not applicable in congenital disabilities)
• Impact/limitations
• Medications if applicable
• Side effects of the medication and the impact on cognitive ability
• Suggestions/recommendations for accommodations
• Any additional information that would help Student Access and Accommodation Services assist the student in a post-secondary educational setting.