1. Testing must be current and must provide clear and
specific evidence and identification of a disability.
A student seeking accommodations must provide current documentation
(no more than four years old) for a condition which can change
over time or which responds to medication. A student seeking accommodation
for a condition that does not change over time is encouraged to
provide current documentation of their condition; however, re-testing
may not be medically necessary to evaluate the student's disability.
Because the provision of reasonable accommodations and services
is based upon assessment of the current impact of the student's
disabilities on their academic functioning, it is in a student's
best interest to provide recent documentation.
2. Documentation should address the impact of the disability
on an individual’s functioning within the context of the
academic and vocational environment.
Comprehensive assessment
should include consideration of the following (as relevant to
the nature of the student’s disability): neurological functioning,
cognitive and emotional functioning, and/or physical capacity.
Evaluation of psychological/emotional functioning must be in accordance
with DSM-IV-TR criteria.
3. Evaluation results and interpretation of results is
required, as are specific recommendations for accommodations.
Any recommendation for accommodation should be based on objective
evidence of a substantial limitation to learning as supported
by specific test results or clinical observations. Reports should
establish the rationale for any accommodation that is recommended,
using test data or clinical data to document the need.
4. Documentation must be submitted by a qualified practitioner/diagnostician.
Trained, certified and/or licensed physicians, psychologists,
learning disabilities specialists, occupational, physical, or
speech-language pathologists, and other professionals are representative
of clinicians involved in the process of assessment. Diagnostic
reports must include the names, titles, and professional credentials
of the evaluators as well as the date(s) of testing and contact
information.
5. A summary of relevant background information.
Educational, medical, and social history should be
provided, including a description of any accommodation and/or
auxiliary aid that has been used in high school or at another
institution.
6. Students with temporary disabilities seeking accommodations
must provide medical documentation on a semester by semester basis.
Documenting Learning, Attention and/or Communication Disorders
1. Testing must be comprehensive. Multiple tests
are required to diagnose a learning disorder or to establish that
a substantial limitation in a major life activity currently exists.
Domains to be addressed should include (but are not limited to):
Aptitude. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence
Scale - Revised (WAIS-R) or WAIS-III with subtest scores
is the preferred instrument. The Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational
Battery - Revised: Tests of Cognitive Ability or the
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition are acceptable.
Achievement. Current levels of functioning in reading,
mathematics and written language are required. Acceptable instruments
include the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery - Revised:
Tests of Achievement, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT),
Stanford Test of Academic Skills (TASK), Scholastic Abilities
Test for Adults (SATA) or specific achievement tests such as the
Test of Written Language - 3 (TOWL-3), Woodcock Reading Mastery
Tests - Revised, and the Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test.
Information Processing. Specific areas of information
processing (such as short- and long-term memory, auditory and
visual perception/processing and processing speed) must be assessed.
Information from sub-tests on the WAIS-R (or WAIS-III), the Woodcock-Johnson
Tests of Cognitive Ability, or the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-Adult
(DTLA-A), as well as other instruments relevant to the presenting
learning problem(s) may be used to address these areas.
Assessments of other pertinent life areas, such as vocational
interests and aptitudes, are also welcomed.
2. Tests used to document eligibility must have sound
methodology (i.e., be statistically reliable and valid) and should
be standardized for use with an adult population. In
addition to actual test scores, interpretation of results
is required.
It is recognized that the type of documentation will differ depending
upon the disability, so each situation is considered on a case-by-case
basis. The director of Disability Services is available to consult
with students, parents, diagnosticians, and educators regarding
these guidelines and the accommodation process at Fitchburg State
College.
To ensure accommodation in a timely manner, it is advised
that students submit documentation of an existing disability along
with the corresponding Disability Services forms no later than
June 1 for the fall semester or no later than Dec.1 for the spring
semester.
