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Disability Documentation Requirements

• Documentation must be current. The determination of what is current documentation depends on the nature of the disability. In most cases documentation should be within the last 3 years; however, medical and psychological documentation must be within 1 year. The OSD reserves the right to make appropriate modifications to this time frame.

 

• The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator, including license or certification numbers, must be included in the letter or report.  Professionals conducting the evaluation/assessment must be qualified to do so.

 

• Letters or reports must be on letterhead, typed, dated, with the original signature of the doctor or evaluator and must clearly state the specific diagnosis of the disability. Terms such as "suggest" or "is indicative of" are not acceptable.

 

• Reports must include the names of standardized tests administered, the scores derived from these tests, a discussion of the data that clearly indicates the presence of a disability, and must be based on adult norms. . The OSD reserves the right to determine which tests are acceptable for diagnosing the disability (see the list of tests below).

 

• The diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations and the rationale for the accommodations. This information will assist the OSD in determining eligibility and identifying effective and reasonable services, accommodations, and or auxiliary aids. If the submitted documentation does not sufficiently address the student's current functional impairment, additional information will be required.

 

• A clinical diagnosis is not synonymous with a disability. That is, evidence sufficient to render a clinical diagnosis might not be adequate to determine that an individual is substantially limited in a major life activity. The documentation must indicate the student's specific current functional impairment(s) and describe how the disorder/impairment substantially limits one or more major life activities (especially as it relates to academic performance).  

 

• The functional impacts from medication side effects should be stated in the letter or report.

 

• If symptoms involve cognitive recall (memory), appropriate testing needs to be conducted. 

 

• Sufficient documentation must clearly show the presence of a disabling condition and clearly justify the need for reasonable accommodations. A doctor's prescription pad note, hand-written note, or a school plan such as an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan is not sufficient documentation in and of itself, but can be included as part of a more comprehensive evaluative report.  In addition, it must be understood that evaluation reports themselves do not automatically qualify a student for services with the OSD.

 

Students who have a disability and want to request academic accommodations must make an appointment with the OSD to discuss eligibility requirements.  LSCC’s documentation requirements are listed below and will be reviewed and discussed during the intake meeting.  Additional documentation or information may be necessary, however; all information is confidential and will be used only to determine eligibility for services and to assist the student.

Additional Documentation Requirements

• Clear statement of ADHD with the DSM-IV diagnosis
• A description of the symptoms which meet the criteria for the diagnosis
• A summary of the assessment procedures and evaluation instruments which were used to make the diagnosis
• Information about current prescribed medications used to treat the disability and possible side effects
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
   Report from an audiologist or otolaryngologist that includes:

• Results of an audiogram showing the degree of hearing loss
• The type of hearing loss (conductive or sensorineural)
• Whether the hearing loss is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive
• Whether the condition is mitigated by hearing aids or medication
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Physical Disability and/or Health-Related Impairment
   Letter or report from a physician in an appropriate medical specialization that includes:

• The specific medical condition which causes the disability
• Whether the condition is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive
• Information about current prescribed medications used to treat the disability and possible side effects
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Psychological and/or Psychiatric Disability
   Psychological or neuropsychological evaluation or report from a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist that includes:

• Clear statement of the condition with the DSM-IV diagnosis
• A description of the symptoms which meet the criteria for the diagnosis
• A summary of the assessment procedures and evaluation instruments which were used to make the diagnosis
• Information about current prescribed medications used to treat the disability and possible side effects
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Specific Learning Disabilities
   A comprehensive psycho-educational evaluation from a psychologist or learning disabilities specialist that includes
    NOTE: All of these tests must be based on adult norms.

• Clear statement of the specific learning disability with the DSM-IV diagnosis.
• A test used to measure intellectual ability, including scores and subtest scores.

Acceptable IQ Tests:

• Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test
• Stanford Binet 4th Edition
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - III (WAIS-III)
• Woodcock-Johnson III General Intellectual Ability (GIA)

Not Acceptable:

• Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT)
• Slosson Intelligence Test
• Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI)
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - III (WISC-III)
• A test used to measure academic achievement, including scores and subtest scores.

Acceptable Achievement Tests:

• Nelson-Denny Reading Test
• Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA)
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - II (WIAT-II)
• Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
• Woodcock Reading
• Mastery Tests - Revised

Not Acceptable:

• Wide Range Achievement Test - 3 (WRAT-3)
• A test used to measure processing ability, including scores and subtest scores

Acceptable Processing Tests:

• Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude - Adult
• Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities
• Profile of academic strengths and weaknesses and how these relate to the academic limitation(s)
• Clinical summary
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Speech Impairment
Report or letter from a speech pathologist or physician that includes:

• The specific disabling condition
• Whether the condition is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Visual Impairment
Report or letter from an ophthalmologist or optometrist that includes:

• The specific medical condition which causes the visual impairment
• The degree of visual acuity, including with corrective lenses
• The extent of the visual fields
• Whether the condition is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive
• Whether the condition is mitigated by corrective lenses or medication
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations including any visual aids