Documentation Guidelines

General Information on Documentation of a Disability

Documentation to substantiate a disability and support the request for accommodation(s) must be typed on official letterhead of the diagnosing practitioner. The practitioner must be a licensed and/or certified professional who is qualified to diagnose the stated disability. It must be current for the disability. The professional should not have a personal relationship with the individual being evaluated. Sufficient and appropriate disability documentation to support the request for accommodation(s) must have the following components:

Diagnosis:

State the medical or mental health impairment by a recognizable diagnosis; preferably from the ICD or DSM-5, most recent revisions.

Date first diagnosed:

Establish an initial date when a diagnosis was made or when the certifying practitioner accepted a previous diagnosis and began treatment or services.

Names of relevant tests and results:

Establish how the practitioner arrived at the diagnosis; this is especially important when the disability is a learning disability, ADD / ADHD, psychological disability, or other disability diagnosed from the DSM-5.

Severity of disability:

Establish the extent to which the disability substantially limits a major life activity.

Method(s) of current treatment:

Include current use of any medications and possible side-effects which may adversely interfere with clear cognitive functioning; include ability or inability to control symptoms.

Functional limitations/substantial limitations:

Explain the functional and substantial limitations from the impairment that may adversely affect the individual as a student in college.

Recommendations:

Make recommendations based on the above functional and substantial limitations for post-secondary academic and physical accommodations to ameliorate the limitations. A practitioner's recommendation for a specific accommodation does not guarantee the granting of that accommodation. Accommodations provide access to programs and services and are determined on a case-by-case basis.

What's next? Once a student's documentation of disability is received, qualified University personnel review the documentation. If a student does not have current documentation, the Disability Resource Center can provide referral information. At the discretion of the appropriate Coordinator, accommodations may be granted and provided for a limited time span with incomplete, outdated, or limited documentation. This decision is determined on a case-by-case basis.