University College
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Appropriate Documentation

In addition to the general guidelines for documentation, information regarding requirements for evaluation and documentation of specific disabilities must also meet the following criteria:

Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
According to the Diagnostic & Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typical of individuals of the same age/stage of development.  In ADD/ADHD, these characteristics are present from childhood on, and because these characteristics occur with much greater intensity than in an unaffected individual, it significantly interferes with social, academic, or occupational functioning.  Individuals with ADD/ADHD may also manifest mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and difficulties with performance management.

Students with ADD/ADHD should provide documentation that meets the following criteria:

  • documentation should be from a qualified professional (e.g., physician, licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist);

  • documentation must include a comprehensive assessment, including at least the following:

  • thorough medical and family history

  • behavior rating scales

  • psychological tests which measures cognitive and information processing, social and emotional adjustment, and achievement (as screen for learning disabilities); 

  • documentation must identify an actual diagnosis of an impairment according to the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition;

  • documentation must discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment;

  • documentation should recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations; and

  • documentation should list current medication, dosages, and existing side effects.

Deaf  & Hard-of-Hearing
Students with hearing impairments should provide documentation which meets the following criteria: the documentation must be from a licensed audiologist; the documentation must discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment; and the documentation should recommend accommodations to compensate for the identified functional limitations.

Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities is a general term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities.  These disorders are intrinsic to the individual, presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction, and may occur across the life span.  Problems in self-regulatory behaviors, social perception, and social interaction may exist with learning disabilities but do not by themselves constitute a learning disability (National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD, 1994).

NSU has established the following guidelines for the documentation of learning disabilities based on the NJCLD definition of learning disabilities and the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) guidelines for documentation of specific learning disabilities in adults.  Students with a specific learning disability should provide documentation that meets the following criteria:

  • Thorough Diagnostic Interview 

  • Assessment of Aptitude (see list below)

  • Academic Achievement (see list below)

  • Information Processing

  • Diagnosis

  • Reasonable Accommodations

Testing must include at least one (1) of the following from each category:

  • Aptitude - The following list is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive:

  • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised

  • Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised:  Test of Cognitive Ability

  • Daufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence

  • Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (4th ed.)

  • Achievement – The following list is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive:

  • Scholastic Abilities Test for Adult (SATA)

  • Stanford Test of Academic Skills

  • Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised; Test of Achievement

  • Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)

Physical / Chronic
Students with physical impairments should provide documentation that meets the following criteria: the documentation should be from a qualified professional; the documentation must identify an actual diagnosis of an impairment; the documentation must discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment; the documentation should recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations, and; the documentation should list current medications, dosages and existing side effects.

Psychological / Behavioral
Students with psychological impairments should provide documentation that meets the following criteria: the documentation must be from a qualified professional (i.e. psychiatrist, licensed professional counselor, board certified social worker); the documentation must identify an actual diagnosis of impairment; the documentation must discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment; the documentation should recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations, and the documentation should list current medication, dosages, and existing (not possible) side effects.

Visual
Students with visual impairments should provide documentation that meets the following criteria: the documentation should be from a qualified professional; the documentation must discuss functional limitations in an academic environment which are caused by the impairment, and the documentation should recommend accommodations to compensate for identified functional limitations.

Accommodations
Decisions regarding appropriate accommodations are based upon the particular facts of each case, including the student interview, documentation, and other information relevant to the disabling condition.  An accommodation plan is developed between the DS Coordinator and the student.  The approved accommodations are written on the accommodation letter.  The faculty members are responsible for carrying out accommodations recommended by DS.  However, it is the responsibility of the student to deliver each accommodation letter to his/her respective faculty member.

Accommodations may include physical adaptations and classroom modifications.  Physical adaptations include classroom arrangements, preferential seating, and accessible parking.  Classroom modifications may occur in one or more of the following areas: environment, presentation, materials, requirements, and testing.  Academic assistance (tutoring, advising, counseling, etc.) is also available through the Academic Advising / Learning Center, Student Support Services, and Counseling and Career Services.

Receiving accommodations should not be regarded as giving the student special privileges, but rather as minimizing the impact of the disability to the greatest extent possible.  The role of academic accommodations is to provide equal educational opportunities and access for students with disabilities.

Course substitution is not a modification if the course or content is found to be essential to the area of study and making a substitution would require “substantial change in an essential element of the curriculum.”  It is the university’s responsibility to show that a certain class or area is essential to a certain course of study and if there were any changes in the curriculum, it would substantially alter the curriculum.  This will be decided on a case by case basis.