Criteria for Disability Documentation

Revised, Effective February 10, 2001

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 state that qualified students with disabilities who meet the technical and academic standards at Auburn University may be entitled to reasonable accommodations. Under these laws a disability is defined as any physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity. The Program for Students with Disabilities at Auburn University does not provide disability documentation for students. It is the student’s responsibility to provide appropriate documentation to this office and to request accommodations. Appropriate documentation is being defined as that which meets the following criteria:

Health Condition, Mobility, Hearing, Speech, or Visual Impairment

A letter or report from treating physician, orthopedic specialist, audiologist, speech pathologist, or opthamologist (as appropriate), including:

1. Clearly stated diagnosis, ruling out alternative explanations and diagnoses;

2. Defined levels of functioning and any limitations;

3. Current treatment and medication; and

4. Current letter/report (within 1 year), dated & signed.

Psychological Disorder

A letter or report from a mental health professional (psychologist, neuropsychologist, licensed professional counselor), including:

1. Clearly stated diagnosis (DSM-IV criteria), ruling out alternative explanations and diagnoses;

2. Defined levels of functioning and any limitations;

3. Supporting documentation (i.e. test data, history, observations, etc.);

4. Current treatment and medication; and

5. Current letter/report (within 1 year), dated & signed.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A comprehensive evaluation report by a rehabilitation counselor, speech-language pathologist, orthopedic specialist, and/or neuropsychologist (or other specialists as appropriate), including:

1. Assessment of cognitive abilities, including processing speed and memory;

2. Analysis of educational achievement skills and limitations (reading comprehension, written language, spelling, and mathematical abilities);

3. Defined levels of functioning and limitations in all affected areas (communication, vision, hearing, mobility, psychological, seizures, etc.);

4. Current treatment and medication; and

5. Current letter/report (post-rehabilitation and within 1 year), dated & signed.

Learning Disabilities (LD)

A comprehensive evaluation report from a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, neuropsychologist, school psychologist, learning disability specialist, or diagnostician including:

1. Clear statement of presenting problem; diagnostic interview;

2. Educational history documenting the impact of the learning disability;

3. Alternative explanations and diagnoses ruled out;

4. Relevant test data with standard scores provided to support conclusions, including at least:

a. WAIS-R or WAIS III,

b. Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised, including Written Language (and Spelling), Reading Comprehension, and Math (Calculation and Reasoning), and

c. Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Processing Battery to substantiate any processing problems;

5. Clearly stated diagnosis of a learning disability based upon DSM-IV criteria and supported by more than one subtest score;

6. Defined levels of functioning and any limitations, supported by evaluation data;

7. Current report (within 3 years of enrollment date), dated & signed.

Note: High School IEP, 504 Plan, and/or a letter from a physician or other professional will not be sufficient to document a learning disability.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

A comprehensive evaluation report from a physician, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, neurologist, or neuropsychologist, including:

1. Clear statement of presenting problem; diagnostic interview;

2. Evidence of early and current impairment in at least two different environments (comprehensive history);

3. Alternative explanations and diagnoses ruled out;

4. Relevant test data with standard scores provided to support conclusions, including at least:

a. WAIS-R or WAIS III,

b. Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised, including Written Language (and Spelling), Reading Comprehension, and Math (Calculation and Reasoning), and

c. Behavioral Assessment Instruments for ADD/ADHD normed on adults;

5. Clearly stated diagnosis of ADD or ADHD based upon DSM-IV criteria and supported by more than one score;

6. Defined levels of functioning and any limitations, supported by evaluation data;

7. Current report (within 3 years of enrollment date), dated & signed.

Note: High School IEP, 504 Plan, and /or a letter from a physician or other professional will not be sufficient to document ADD or ADHD. Medication cannot be used to imply a diagnosis.

Auburn University

The Program for Students with Disabilities

Criteria for Disability Documentation

Revised, Effective February 10, 2001

1) These criteria will be effective for all new clients who are staffed on or following February 10, 2001; students declared eligible prior to this date may be asked to supplement existing documentation if a request for additional accommodation or action is made.

2) The Staffing Committee of PSD reserves the right to accept documentation which varies from the above criteria, but is professionally sound and of high quality, or conversely to reject current documentation viewed as inadequate to support the requested accommodation. At the same time, two sets of similar documentation may not support the same accommodations for two individual students with differing skills, coping strategies, and personal characteristics.

3) The above tests are recommended; others may be appropriate. Screening tests (i.e. Wide Range Achievement Test -R) and group achievement tests (i.e. SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.) will not be accepted as documentation of a disability.

4) Students with obvious and severe disabilities will be served pending receipt of proper documentation.

5) Clients of Adult Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AVRS) may or may not be eligible for services, depending upon the disability documentation provided by AVRS. Students will be referred to the AVRS counselor if the documentation is insufficient to support requested accommodations.

6) Students who had an IEP or 504 Plan in high school may or may not be eligible for services, depending upon the disability documentation provided. Testing may be too old, not thorough enough, and/or the diagnosis may be unclear.

7) Students will be notified of their status (eligible, ineligible, deferred) after the Staffing Committee has reviewed the documentation. If the student is ineligible or deferred, the letter will explain what is missing. If a student is determined eligible, then it is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment to discuss reasonable accommodations. Accommodations will not be initiated prior to this meeting (i.e. priority registration, extended time on tests, etc.). will be not

PSD Revised 2-10-01