Learning Disabilities Documentation Guidelines
Process for Determining Accommodations for Learning Disabilities
In order to provide accommodations, the Office of Disability Support Services must receive specific information from both the student and a licensed professional (licensed/certified psychologist, certified school psychologist, neuropsychologist with training in an education testing, educational diagnostician/specialist working with a licensed psychologist **the psychologist must co-sign the report**) with specialized training in evaluating people with Learning Disabilities who does not have a personal relationship with the student. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended in 2008.
After the student has completed a DSS application on the DSS Portal and submitted the required documentation, the student must call our office at 302-831-4643 to make an appointment to meet with an Accommodation Coordinator to determine accommodation eligibility
Documentation letter or report from a qualified licensed professional should include:
- Date of testing
- A specific diagnosis of a learning disability using DSM criteria
- Method of determining learning disability
- Aptitude standardized assessments in all relevant areas*
- Relevant early academic history
- Current symptoms and impact on academic learning or functioning as a college student
- Any co-existing conditions that may impact learning or functioning as a college student
Documentation can be uploaded into the DSS Portal, emailed, faxed or mailed to DSS.
*Examples of appropriate academic assessments include Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test -Third Edition (WIAT-III) and Nelson-Denny Reading Test.
*Examples of appropriate aptitude assessments include: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Differential Abilities Scale – Second Edition (DAS-II).
**IEP, 504, private school accommodations plans or transition plans may be submitted but the testing that supported these is the documentation that is required.
Interview with the Student
What to expect during a Registration Appointment:
- Discuss the impact of learning disability on academic functioning past and present
- Discuss accommodations
The Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) will maintain the confidentiality of evaluations to the extent required by state and federal laws.