Documenting a Disability Guidelines
Role of the Advising Center
The Academic Advising Center is responsible for encouraging success in the classroom for all students at Gustavus. Under that responsibility fall support services for students with disabilities. The Advising Center will provide consultations, referrals, and direct assistance to students with disabilities in conjunction with the Office of the Dean of Students.
General Guidelines for Documentation
Gustavus Adolphus College is dedicated to providing for the needs of enrolled students who have disabilities. Reasonable modifications in the classroom and auxiliary aids will be provided for students with appropriately documented disabilities. Guidelines for documentation follow. Please forward appropriate documentation to:
Laurie Bickett
Disability Services Coordinator
Gustavus Adolphus College
St. Peter, MN 56082
Voice (507) 933-7027
Fax (507) 933-6207
Documentation must have been prepared by a person who is not a family member of the student and who is qualified by professional training and practice to diagnose and treat the impairment leading to the disability. It must also be typed or word processed and printed on the letterhead of either the practitioner or the agency hosting the practice.
The provision of all modifications and auxiliary aids is based upon the indication that the modification or aid is appropriate to the needs and capabilities of the student. Therefore it is in the student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation relevant to the student's learning environment. To be recent, the report should be no more than three years old for a student who graduated from high school just prior to applying for services and accommodations or no more than five years old for a student who graduated two years prior or longer. Exceptions can be made in the case of disabilities that are known to be stable throughout an individual's life.
Gustavus reserves the right to request further assessment of a student who provides out-of-date, or incomplete documentation. All assessment is done at the expense of the student.
Documenting a Disability at Gustavus
Physical Disabilities
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Educational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 an individual with a disability is defined as one who has "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life functions." Therefore, documentation of a physical disability should include (1) a statement of the impairment and (2) how it limits a major life activity, including but not limited to walking, breathing, seeing, hearing, performing manual tasks, care for one's self, learning, and working. A doctor's statement of the impairment or condition is not sufficient, without the documentation of how that impairment or condition substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the student. In addition to the doctor's statement, a copy of the most recent Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan, if the student was educated in the public schools, will help Gustavus to determine appropriate accommodations.
Documentation should state the student's current level of functioning. For disabilities that fluctuate throughout an individual's life, documentation that is less than three years old is requested. Gustavus requires documented evidence that the requested service or accommodation is appropriate to the needs of the student. Therefore recommendations for appropriate accommodations are also requested.
Mental Disabilities
Students who have a mental impairment that limits their abilities to function in the classroom may qualify for accommodations. Appropriate documentation of a mental impairment should include a statement of the impairment from a licensed mental health practitioner and, if relevant, a statement of current medication from the prescribing psychiatrist. The report should include summaries of the following: diagnostic interviews, assessment of the student’s mental status (including testing) and DSM IV diagnosis. A doctor’s statement of the impairment or condition is not sufficient, without the documentation of how that impairment or condition substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the student. If the student has received accommodations in the public schools, a copy of the most recent IEP or 504 plan outlining accommodations, is also requested.
Learning Disability
Students applying for services and accommodations on the basis of a learning disability must submit a current, comprehensive report of a psychoeducational assessment performed by a person who has received formal training in assessment techniques necessary to diagnose learning disabilities and has professional experience in that field. The student's most recent IEP and psychoeducational assessment summary should fulfill these requirements.
The report should include summaries of the following: diagnostic interview, assessment of the student's aptitudes, academic achievement and information processing, and a clear statement of the diagnosis of the specific learning disability. Language indicating a "learning difficulty," or "learning deficit" will not be considered appropriate documentation.
AD(H)D
Diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) will only be accepted when made by an individual who holds a current license in an appropriate field (medicine or psychology) and has formal training and experience in assessment of these conditions.
Documentation should include (1) a clear statement of ADD or ADHD with the DSM-IV diagnosis and a description of supporting past and present symptoms, (2) a summary of the assessment procedures and instruments used, (3) a narrative summary that includes scores and supports diagnosis, (4) a statement of the student's medical needs, including the impact of medication on the student's ability to meet the demands of an academic environment.