Student Guide

Documentation Guidelines

All students who request accommodations must submit documentation of their disability to Disability Support Services (DSS). The documentation must be up-to-date and include a complete written evaluation from a physician, psychologist or other qualified specialist. In most cases, a diagnostic evaluation must have been completed within the last three to five years, depending upon the nature of the disability and individual circumstances. The type of documentation needed varies with the disability. Generally, a psycho-educational evaluation is required for learning and cognitive disabilities, a psychiatrist's or psychologist's report is required for ADHD and psychological disabilities, while a typed letter or report is required from a physician for medical and physical disabilities. All documentation must provide diagnostic information, including a description of the nature and extent of the disability, assessment information on which the diagnosis is based, and recommendations for reasonable accommodations to offset the impact of the disability in the college setting.

Disability Support Services maintains a list of clinicians in the Baltimore-Washington area who provide testing for learning disabilities, ADHD and psychological disabilities.  It is available to students upon request. 

Documentation Guidelines for Specific Disabilities:

• ADHD
• Blindness/Low Vision
• Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Documentation Guidelines
• Learning Disabilities
• Medical Disabilities/Physical Disabilities
• Psychological Disabilities
• Temporary Medical and Physical Conditions

To facilitate the gathering of information documenting ADHD, medical/physical conditions and psychological disorders, the following DSS forms are available for practitioners to complete:

• Appendix B: Disability Verification for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Appendix C: Disability Verification for a Medical or Physical Condition
• Appendix D: Disability Verification for Psychological Disorder

Guidelines for Documentation for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Students requesting accommodations and services from Disability Support Services (DSS) at Towson University on the basis of an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are required to submit documentation verifying eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that evaluation reports are appropriate to document eligibility.  DSS is responsible for evaluating disability documentation and determining eligibility and appropriate accommodations/services based on the quality, recency, and completeness of the documentation submitted.  DSS staff is available to consult with diagnosticians regarding these guidelines. 

1. A qualified professional must conduct the evaluation.  Professionals who conduct the assessment, make the diagnosis of ADHD and provide recommendations for accommodations must be qualified.  Psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists and other relevantly trained medical doctors are professionals generally qualified to evaluate and diagnose ADHD.  The evaluator’s name, title, and professional credentials and affiliation should be provided. 

2. Documentation must be current. In most cases, this means within three years, depending upon the circumstances.  Older documentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Because the provision of accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the current impact of the student’s disability on learning in the college setting, it is in the student’s best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation.  If changes have occurred in the student's performance since the last assessment, or if prescribed medications have been altered, the student may be required to submit updated information.

3. Documentation must be comprehensive. The diagnostic report must include:

• A medical or clinical diagnosis of ADHD based on DSM-IV criteria
• Summary and interpretation of assessment instruments (formal assessment instruments and/or clinical interview) which supports the diagnosis
• A clear statement specifying the major life activities that are affected to a substantial degree because of the disability
• A description of the specific symptoms manifesting themselves at the present time that may affect the student’s academic performance
• Medications the student is currently taking, as well as a description of any limitations that persist even with medication
• Co-existing conditions, including medical and/or learning disabilities that should be considered in determining reasonable accommodations
• Recommendations for accommodations, including a rationale for the accommodations based on specific features/symptoms of the disability

Note: Clinicians may use the Disability Verification for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder form located in Appendix B

• Appendix B: Disability Verification for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Guidelines for Documentation of Blindness or Low Vision

Students requesting accommodations and services from Disability Support Services (DSS) at Towson University are required to submit documentation verifying eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that documentation is complete and accurate.  DSS reserves the right to determine eligibility and appropriate accommodations/services based on the quality, recency, and completeness of the documentation submitted.  

DSS will accept a diagnosis of blindness or low vision that is based on a current, appropriate diagnostic evaluation administered by a qualified professional. Opthalmologists are the primary professionals involved in the diagnosis and medical treatment of individuals who are blind or have low vision. Optometrists provide information regarding the measurement of visual acuity, as well as tracking and fusion difficulties.

Reports should be submitted on letterhead and signed with the name, title and credentials of the evaluator. The report must provide an assessment of the individual’s condition that includes the following:

1. A clear statement of the vision-related disability with supporting numerical description. The documentation must be current. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent on the disabling condition, the current status of the student, and the student's request for accommodations.

2. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and summary of evaluation results, including standardized scores.

3. Present symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis.

4. Medical information relating to the student's needs and the status of his or her vision (static or changiing) and its impact on the demands of the academic program.

5. Narrative or descriptive text providing both quantitative and qualitative information about the student's abilities that might be helpful iin understanding the student's profile, including the use of corrective lenses and on-going visual therapy, if appropriate.

6. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the postsecondary level.

Guidelines for Documentation of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Students requesting accommodations and services from Disability Support Services (DSS) at Towson University are required to submit documentation verifying eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that documentation is complete and accurate.  DSS reserves the right to determine eligibility and appropriate accommodations/services based on the quality, recency, and completeness of the documentation submitted.  

DSS will accept a deaf/hard-of-hearing diagnosis that is based on a current, appropriate diagnostic evaluation administered by a qualified professional. The evaluator of a deaf or hard-of-hearing individual should be an audiologist. Reports should be submitted on letterhead and signed with the name, title and credentials of the evaluator.  The report must provide an assessment of the individual’s condition that includes the following:

1. A clear statement of deafness or hearing loss with an up-to-date audiogram, typically completed within the last three years.

2. A summary of assessment procedures used to make the evaluation and a narrative summary of results.

3. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the postsecondary level, including types of interpreting services.

Guidelines for Documentation of Learning Disabilities

Students requesting accommodations and services from Disability Support Services (DSS) at Towson University are required to submit documentation to determine eligibility in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that documentation is complete and accurate.  DSS reserves the right to determine eligibility and appropriate accommodations/services based on quality, recency, and completeness of the documentation submitted.  All documentation is confidential and will be maintained by DSS.

Guidelines: 

1.  A comprehensive psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation that provides a diagnosis of a learning disability must be submitted.  The report should indicate the current status and impact of he learning disability in an academic setting.  If another diagnosis is applicable (e.g., ADHD, mood disorder), it should be stated.

2.  The evaluation must be conducted by a professional who is certified/licensed in the area of learning disabilities, such as a clinical or educational psychologist, school psychologist, neuropsychologist or learning disabilities specialist.  The evaluator’s name, title, and professional credentials and affiliation should be provided. 

3.  The evaluation must be based on a comprehensive assessment battery:

• Aptitude: Average broad cognitive functioning must be demonstrated on an individually administered intelligence test, preferably administered during high school or beyond, such as the WAIS, WISC, WJ-III Cognitive Battery, and Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test.  Subtest scaled scores/subtest scores should be listed. 
• Academic Achievement:  A comprehensive academic achievement battery, such as the WJ-III and WIAT should document achievement deficits relative to potential.  The battery should include current levels of academic functioning in relevant areas, such as reading, oral and written language, and mathematics.  Standard scores and percentiles for administered subtests should be stated.  Specific achievement tests can also be included, such as the Nelson-Denny Reading Test and Test of Written Language (TOWL), as well as informal measures (e.g., informal reading inventories and writing samples).
• Information Processing:  Specific areas of information processing (e.g., short- and long-term memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, executive functioning) should be assessed.
• Social-Emotional Assessment:  To rule out a primary emotional basis for learning difficulties and provide information needed to establish appropriate services, a social-emotional assessment, using formal assessment instruments and/or clinical interview, should be conducted.
• Clinical Summary:  A diagnostic summary should present a diagnosis of a specific learning disability; provide impressions of the testing situation; interpret the testing data; and indicate how patterns in the student’s cognitive ability, achievement, and information processing reflect the presence of a learning disability.  Recommendations should be provided for specific accommodations based on disability-related deficits.4.  For students just graduating high school, an evaluation reflecting current levels of academic skills should have been administered while in high school; for students who have been out of school for a number of years, documentation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Additional documents that do not constitute sufficient documentation, but that may be submitted in addition to a psychological, psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation include an individualized education plan (IEP), a 504 plan, and/or an educational assessment.

Guidelines for Documentation of a Medical or Physical Disability

Students requesting accommodations and services from Disability Support Services (DSS) at Towson University are required to submit documentation verifying eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that documentation is complete and accurate.  DSS reserves the right to determine eligibility and appropriate accommodations/services based on the quality, recency, and completeness of the documentation submitted.   

DSS will accept a current diagnosis of a medical or physical disability that is based on appropriate diagnostic evaluation administered by a qualified professional (e.g., physician, ophthalmologist, audiologist, psychiatrist or other medical specialist with expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested).  Reports should be submitted on letterhead and signed with the name, title and credentials of the evaluator.  The report must provide a recent, comprehensive assessment of the individual’s condition that includes the following:

• A clear statement of the diagnosis of the medical or physical disability
• Date of initial identification and date of current evaluation
• A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis
• A description of the present symptoms/features, including the severity of the disability and expected duration*
• Information regarding the major life activities and specific academic functions that are affected by the disability in a college setting (e.g., walking, seeing, hearing, performing manual tasks, learning, concentrating, attending class, meeting deadlines, etc.)
• Medication and treatment information, including side effects that may impact the student’s ability to function in a college setting, and
• Recommendations regarding reasonable accommodations or services appropriate at the postsecondary level, including a clear rationale and justification for those accommodations.

*Students may be required to furnish periodic re-certification of continuing need.

Note:  Clinicians may use the Disability Verification for Students with a Medical or Physical Condition form located in Appendix C.

• Appendix C: Disability Verification for a Medical or Physical Condition

Guidelines for Documentation of Psychological Disabilities

Students requesting accommodations and services from Disability Support Services (DSS) at Towson University on the basis of a psychological disability are required to submit documentation verifying eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The following guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that evaluation reports are appropriate to document eligibility.  DSS is responsible for evaluating disability documentation and determining eligibility and appropriate accommodations/services based on the quality, recency, and completeness of the documentation submitted.  DSS staff is available to consult with diagnosticians regarding these guidelines.

1.  A qualified professional must conduct the evaluation.  A diagnosis by a licensed mental health professional is required, including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers and professional counselors.  The evaluator’s name, title, license number should be included.

2.   Documentation must be current.  Because the provision of accommodations is based upon assessment of the current impact of the student’s disability on learning in the college setting, it is in the student’s best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation.  The age of the documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition and the student’s request for accommodations.  If the documentation does not reflect the current array of symptoms/features and level of functioning, the student may be required to submit updated information

3.  Documentation must be comprehensive.  A diagnostic report must be submitted that provides findings of a current comprehensive clinical assessment of the condition that includes:

• A clear statement of the disability, including the DSM-IV diagnosis and a description of present symptoms
• A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and summary of evaluation results
• Information regarding the severity of the disability and the specific academic functions that are affected because of the disability across university settings (e.g., work completion, concentrating, class attendance, social interactions, self-care, etc.).
• Information on medication, including side effects, and/or other treatment issues such as compliance that may impact student’s ability to meet the demands of a university environment 
• Recommendations for accommodations, including a rationale for the accommodations based on specific features/symptoms of the disability

Note: Clinicians may use the Disability Verification for A Psychological Disorder form located in Appendix D.

• Appendix D: Disability Verification for Psychological Disorder

Guidelines for Temporary Medical and Physical Conditions

DSS will provide services to students who experience significant limitations due to temporary conditions such as illness, injury or surgery.  Access to accommodations may be deemed appropriate based on documentation typed on letterhead by a qualified medical clinician.  Clinicians may use the Disability Verification for a Medical or Physical Condition form located in Appendix C.

• Appendix C: Disability Verification for a Medical or Physical Condition

The documentation must include:

• A clear statement of the diagnosis of the medical or physical condition
• A description of the present symptoms/features, including the severity of the condition and expected duration*
• An assessment of how the condition compromises the student's functioning in a college setting
• Medication and treatment information, including side effects that may impact the student’s ability to function 
• Suggestions for reasonable accommodations or services, such as copies of class notes, extended time and/or use of a word processor or scribe for exams, mobility van service, etc.

Upon making a request for this assistance and providing the required documentation to DSS, students will be provided with information about how to access the accommodations identified for their use.

*Note: Students may be required to furnish periodic re-certification of continuing need.