Documentation Guidelines for Specific Learning Disability
Professionals conducting assessment and rendering diagnoses of specific learning disabilities (SLD) must be qualified. A qualified professional needs to hold a degree in a field related to diagnosis of SLD and have at least one year of diagnostic experience with adults and late adolescents. Recommended practitioners may include: certified and/or licensed psychologists, learning disabilities specialists, educational therapists, diagnosticians in public schools or colleges and rehabilitation services and private practitioners with the above characteristics are typically considered qualified. The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.
The following guidelines are provided to assist the service provider in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as a foundation that legitimizes a student's request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:
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Testing that is comprehensive, including a measure of both Aptitude and Achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics and written language
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Documentation for eligibility should be current, preferably within the last three years; (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the current status of the student and the student's specific request for accommodations)
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A clear statement that a learning disability is present along with the rationale for this diagnosis. (Note: individual "learning deficits," "learning styles," and "learning differences," do not, in or of themselves, constitute a learning disability)
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A narrative summary, including all scores, which supports the diagnosis
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A statement of strengths and needs that will impact the student's ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment
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A statement of the functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activity and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested
Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if coexisting AD/HD or other disabling conditions are indicated. If a diagnosis is provided by an unlicensed individual, documentation from a licensed professional may be required. The student and the Disability Coordinator at the Access Center will collaborate regarding accommodations.
