Student Accommodations

Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is considered a medical or clinical diagnosis. You can be diagnosed by practitioners who have been trained in ADHD assessment and are experienced in assessing the needs of adult learners. Recommended practitioners include developmental pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical or educational psychologists, family physicians or a combination of such professionals.

Please provide us with the following:

1. A clear statement of ADD or ADHD with the DSM-IV diagnosis, including which DSM-IV criteria were met and other diagnoses that were ruled out.
   
   
2. Documentation for eligibility must be current. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, your current status and the specific request for accommodations.
   
   
3. A conclusive summary that presents the sound rationale for the diagnosis based on the information presented, information gathered and tests administered.
   
   
4. A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disorder or disability on learning or other major life activities and the degree to which it impacts you.
   
   
5. Medical information relating to your needs, including the impact of medication on your ability to attend college.
   
   
6. Recommendations of strategies and accommodations that would be appropriate based on the information gathered, testing results and observations of performance. Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated. You and OSD counselor will collaborate in regard to accommodations.

If you have Asperger syndrome or autism, a diagnosis by a psychologist, psychiatrist or medical doctor is recommended. This diagnostician must include their license number in their report/letter.

Please provide us with the following:

1. A clear statement of the diagnosis that includes the DSM-IV code.
   
   
2. A written history of functional limitations of major life activities resulting from the disorder, which may include but not be limited to: communication or language skills; social interaction; restricted, repetitive and/or stereotypical patterns of behavior and activities; sensory functioning and sensitivity to environmental conditions and motor planning.
   
   
3. Comprehensive testing, which may include measures of aptitude, achievement information, processing and social communication, such as:
   • A comprehensive standardized IQ test based on adult norms (including cognitive/achievement scores)
   • A communication assessment specifically addressing the use of language in a social context
   • Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS)
   • Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)
   • Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS)
   • Gilliam Asperger’s Disorder Scale (GADS)
   • Adult Asperger’s Assessment (AAA)
4. If applicable, medical information relating to your needs must include impact of current medication (and compliance with, if applicable) to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment.
   
   
5. A statement of the current functional impact or limitation of the disability on learning or other major life activities and how that impacts you in the learning environment. Include the degree of the impact (mild, moderate or severe) as compared to the average person.
   
   
6. Optional: Recommendations of appropriate accommodations based on the information gathered and current test results.

Ophthalmologists are the primary professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals who are blind or experience low vision.

Please provide us with the following:

1. A clear statement of vision-related disability with a supporting numerical description that reflects the current impact the blindness or vision loss has on your functioning. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, your current status and the request for accommodations.
   
   
2. Narrative or descriptive text providing both quantitative and qualitative information about your abilities, including the use of corrective lenses and ongoing visual therapy (if appropriate), to help us understand your profile.
   
   
3. A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activities, along with the degree to which it impacts you in the context for which accommodations are being requested.

Physicians including otorhinolaryngologists and otologists are qualified to provide diagnosis and treatment of hearing disorders. Audiologists may also provide current audiograms.

Please provide us with the following:

1. An audiogram accompanied by a clear statement of deafness or hearing loss that reflects the current impact on your functioning. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the condition, your current status and the request for accommodations.
   
   
2. Narrative or descriptive text providing both quantitative and qualitative information about your abilities, including the use of hearing aids and/or cochlear implants (if appropriate), to help us understand your profile.
   
   
3. A statement regarding the use of hearing aids and/or cochlear implants (if appropriate).
   
   
4. . A description of the functional impacts or limitations of the hearing loss on learning or other major life activities and the degree to which it impacts you in the context for which accommodations are being requested.

Contact the Program for Deaf Adults for additional information.

Head injury and traumatic brain injury are considered medical or clinical diagnoses. Individuals qualified to render a diagnosis for these disorders are practitioners who have been trained in the assessment of head injury or traumatic brain injury. Recommended practitioners may include: physicians; neurologists; licensed clinical, rehabilitation and school psychologists; neuropsychologists; and psychiatrists.

Please provide us with the following:

1. A clear statement of the head injury or traumatic brain injury, the probable site of lesion and the date of injury.
   
   
2. Documentation for eligibility that reflects the current impact the head injury has on your functioning. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, your current status and the specific request for accommodations.
   
   
3. A summary of cognitive and achievement measures used and evaluation results, including standardized scores used to make the diagnosis.
   
   
4. Medical information relating to your needs should include the impact of medication on your ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment.
   
   
5. A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activities and the degree to which it impacts you in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.

Professionals conducting assessment and rendering diagnoses of specific learning disabilities (SLD) must be qualified. A qualified professional needs to hold a degree in a field related to the diagnosis of SLD and have at least one year of diagnostic experience with adults and late adolescents. Recommended practitioners may include: certified and/or licensed psychologists, learning disabilities specialists and educational therapists with the above characteristics.

1. Testing that is comprehensive, including a measure of aptitude, information processing and achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics and written language.
   
   
2. A clear statement that a learning disability is present, along with the rationale for this diagnosis. (Note: individual “learning deficits,” “learning styles” and “learning differences” do not, in or of themselves, constitute a learning disability.)
   
   
3. A narrative summary, including all standardized scores (subtest as well as overall scores), which supports the diagnosis.
   
   
4. Documentation for eligibility must be up to date and reflect the current impact the learning disability has on your functioning. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, your current status and your specific request for accommodations.
   
   
5. A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activities and the degree to which it impacts you in the context for which accommodations are being requested.

A diagnosis is required by a licensed mental health professional — such as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed professional counselor (LPC), psychologist, psychiatrist or neurologist — and must include the license number.

Please provide us with the following:

1. A clear statement of the disability, including the DSM-IV diagnosis and a summary of presenting symptoms.
   
   
2. Documentation for eligibility that reflects the current impact the psychiatric/psychological disability has on your functioning. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, your current status and the request for accommodations.
   
   
3. Medical information relating to your needs, including the current medications to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment.
4. A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activities and how it impacts you in the learning environment. Include the degree of the impact (mild, moderate or severe) as compared to the average person.

Please note: Not all conditions listed in DSM-IV are disabilities or even impairments for the purposes of Section 504/ADA. Therefore, a diagnosis does not in and of itself meet the definition of a disability necessitating reasonable accommodations under these laws. In order to assist this office in determining a disabling condition under Section 504/ADA and institutional policies, please address the above-listed items.

Any physical disability and systemic illness are considered to be in the medical domain and require the expertise of a physician, such as a neurologist, psychiatrist or other medical specialist with experience and expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested.

Please provide us with the following:

1. A clear statement of the medical diagnosis of the physical disability or systemic illness.
   
   
2. Documentation for eligibility that reflects the current impact of the physical disability or systemic illness on your functioning. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the request for accommodations and your current status. Therefore, disabilities that are sporadic or degenerative may require more frequent evaluation.
   
   
3. A description of presenting symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis.
   
   
4. Medical information relating to your needs, including the impact of medication on your ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment.
   
   
5. A statement of the functional impact of limitation of the disability on learning or other major life activities and the degree to which it impacts you in the context for which accommodations are being requested.