Learning Disability Guidelines

Learning Disabilities

Documentation should be:

• Current (i.e., within one year)
• From a qualified impartial professional (clinical/educational psychologist, school psychologist, or learning disability specialist) with experience and expertise in the area for which accommodations are
  being requested; documentation cannot be from a family member
• On letterhead (name, license/certification/degree, area of specialization, employment, address, phone) with the medical provider’s signature, credentials, and date

Documentation should include the following as relevant to the request:

• A clear diagnostic statement of the disability
• Current testing, including diagnostic interview discussing the presenting problem, symptoms and behaviors; developmental, academic, family, and relevant medical history
• Adult-level assessments, including standardized scores/percentiles; neuropsychological or psychoeducational testing results which meet diagnostic criteria for specific disability, including evaluation instruments / procedures, and cognitive and achievement measures
• Alternative diagnoses / explanations ruled out (consideration of medical, psychiatric, and educational factors)
• Discussion of the extent to which the learning disability substantially limits the student’s performance in a postsecondary environment
• Recommendations for educational compensation strategies, if applicable
• Specific recommendations for accommodations and services that would facilitate the student’s reasonable and appropriate access to the College’s academic programs, including rationale for each accommodation