ACCESS Rochester
ASSOCIATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND DISABILITY (AHEAD)
GUIDELINES FOR DOCUMENTATION OF LEARNING DISABILITY
Documentation of Learning Disabilities (LD)
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with learning disabilities are guaranteed certain protections and rights of equal access to programs and services; thus the documentation should indicate that the disability substantially limits some major life activity. These guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that LD documentation is appropriate to verify eligibility and to support requests for accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids.
Qualifications of the Evaluator
Professionals conducting assessments, rendering diagnoses of learning disabilities, and making recommendations for appropriate accommodations must be qualified to do so. Comprehensive training and direct experience with an adolescent and adult LD population is essential.
The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification (e.g., licensed psychologist) as well as the area of specialization, employment and state/province in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation. For example, the following professionals would generally be considered to be qualified to evaluate specific learning disabilities provided that they have additional training and experience in the assessment of learning problems in adolescents and adults: clinical or educational psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, medical doctors, and other professionals. Use of diagnostic terminology indicating a learning disability by someone whose training and experience are not in these fields is not acceptable. It is of utmost importance that evaluators are sensitive and respectful of cultural and linguistic differences in adolescents and adults during the assessment process. It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their families. All reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and otherwise legible.
Documentation
The provision of all reasonable accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the impact of the individual's disabilities on his or her academic and employment performance at a given time in the individual's life. Therefore, it is in the individual's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation relevant to the individual's learning or work environment.
Flexibility in accepting documentation is important. In some instances, documentation may be outdated or inadequate in scope or content. It may not address the individual's current level of functioning or need for accommodations because observed changes may have occurred in the individual's performance since the previous assessment was conducted. In such cases, it may be appropriate to update the evaluation report. Since the purpose of the update is to determine the individual's current need for accommodations, the update, conducted by a qualified professional, should include a rationale for ongoing services and accommodations.
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