Colleges differ from high schools regarding the first step of providing
academic accommodations. When a person with a disability needs an academic
accommodation in high school, a team of people is assigned to that student
to discuss classroom instructional accommodations. This is not the case
with colleges and universities. The legislation states that to receive
services from a college or university, a person with a disability must
first disclose their disability to the institution. In most cases, the
person should disclose this to the Counseling, Advising, & Disability Services. The Director
for Special Programs will ask you to bring in documentation regarding
your disability. The cost of the documentation is the responsibility
of the student. If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate
to determine the extent of the disability and reasonable accommodations,
the Counseling, Advising, & Disability Services has the discretion to require additional
documentation. CADS reserves the right to deny services or accommodations
pending receipt of documentation. Appropriate documentation must meet
the following criteria:
Hearing Impaired
Documentation must be from a licensed audiologist that includes a diagnosis
and information as to how the disability impacts the student in an academic
environment.
Learning
Documentation must be from one of the following types of licensed psychologist:
clinical, educational, school, neuropsychologist, or from a learning disability
specialist. Documentation must include ALL of the following:
- Diagnostic Interview
- Assessment of Aptitude
- Academic Achievement
- Information Processing
- Diagnosis
- How Disability Impacts The Student In An Academic Environment
Testing must include at least one (1) of the following from
each category:
Aptitude:
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised
Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery-Revised: Test of Cognitive
Ability
Daufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (4th ed.)
Achievement:
Scholastic Abilities Test for Adult
Stanford Test of Academic Skills
Woodcock-Johnson Psycho educational Battery-Revised; Test of Achievement
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
ADD/ADHD
According to Hallowell and Ratey (1994), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
is a neurological syndrome that is usually genetically transmitted, and
is characterized by distractibility, impulsivity, and restlessness. In
ADD these characteristics are present from childhood on, and because these
characteristics occur with much greater intensity (than a person who does
not have ADD) it interferes with everyday functioning.
Students with ADD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
should provide documentation that meets the following criteria:
1. Documentation should be from a qualified professional (e.g., physician,
licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist);
2. Documentation of a diagnosis only is insufficient; a comprehensive assessment
is required and must include at least the following:
a. thorough medical and family history
b. behavior rating scales
c. psychological tests which measure I.Q., cognitive and information processing,
social and emotional adjustment, and achievement (as seen for learning
)
disabilities)
3. The documentation must identify an actual diagnosis of an impairment
according to the DSM-IV;
4. The documentation must discuss functional limitations in an academic
environment which are caused by the impairment;
5. The documentation should recommend accommodations to compensate for identified
functional limitations, and
6. The documentation should list current medication, dosages, and existing
(not possible) side effects.
Physical
Documentation must be from a licensed medical doctor that includes diagnosis
and how the disability impacts the student in an academic environment.
Psychological
Documentation must be from a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or medical
doctor that includes diagnosis and how the disability impacts the student
in an academic environment.
