Documenting the Accommodation Needs of Students with Learning Disabilities

Requirements for Professional Reports

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Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Student Disability Services (SDS) protects qualified students enrolled at The University of Iowa from discrimination on the basis of disability and assures provision of reasonable accommodations.

To determine that a student is protected by the two laws, SDS requires documentation that diagnoses a disability and describes how the condition directly and substantially limits a major life function such as learning.

The following documentation requirements establish that a student is eligible for protection and services on the basis of disability, demonstrates that the disability produces a significant, functional impact on a major life activity, and supports the student’s request for accommodations.

All reports must be typed on professional letterhead and include name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator, including license or certification, area of specialization, employment, affiliation, and the state or province of practice.

Please note that IEP’s and 504 plans will not be considered documentation, but should be integrated by the professional evaluator into the final report.

Components I-IV must be included in the professional report.

I. Qualifications of the Evaluator Professionals

Qualifications of the Evaluator Professionals conducting assessments and rendering diagnoses of specific learning disabilities and making recommendations for accommodations must have comprehensive training and relevant experience with an adult LD population. Examples of such professionals are clinical or educational psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, and relevantly trained medical doctors and learning disability specialists.

II. Recency of Documentation

Because the provision of all reasonable accommodations and services is based upon SDS’s assessment of the current impact of the disability on academic performance, it is in a student's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. This means that a comprehensive evaluation must have been completed within the past three years.

III. Comprehensive Information that Verifies the Existence of the Condition

A comprehensive evaluation should provide information about the history of the condition and verify the existence of a current condition. The report should include the following:

1. Presenting concerns:

The report must describe the specific academic concerns at the time of evaluation.

2. Developmental, educational and accommodation history:

The student’s developmental, educational, and accommodation history as substantiated in educational records should be summarized. It should include any family history of learning problems deemed relevant by the examiner.

3. Alternative causes ruled out:

The report must demonstrate that the evaluator(s) has investigated and ruled out alternative psychological, medical, educational, and/or cultural explanations for learning problems.

4. Aptitude/cognitive ability:

The full WISC-III or WAIS-III must be used to measure intellectual functioning. Standard scores, percentiles, and statements concerning whether or not testing was administered under standardized conditions must be included.

5. Information processing:

Specific areas of information processing (e.g., short- and long-term memory: sequential memory: auditory and visual perception/processing: processing speed, executive functioning: motor ability) should be assessed. Standard scores and percentiles should be provided. A cognitive deficit has to be established in one or more of these areas in order to support a diagnosis of LD. Examples of instruments include: Auditory memory: Rey AVLT, Sentence Repetition, Wechsler Memory Scale, World Fluency Visual memory: Benton Visual Retention Test, Wechsler Memory Scale Abstract/conceptual reasoning: Woodcock-Johnson Analysis-Concept Formation, Stanford-Binet Proverbs-Analogies-Essential Differences

6. Achievement testing:

The report should list tests and provide standard scores and percentiles . The sole use of one instrument alone to measure achievement is not considered adequate for making a diagnosis. Examples of instruments include: Reading: Nelson-Denny, Advanced Reading Inventory, California or Stanford Achievement tests. Math: Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement-Revised, California or Stanford achievement tests. Writing: Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Basic Writing, Subjectively Evaluated Writing Sample.

7. Definitive diagnostic statement:

The summary must contain a direct and specific statement of the diagnosis of specific learning disability (ies), and should not use such terms as suggests, appears to, seems to have, is indicative of, learning differences, or mild learning disability.

8. An interpretative summary must be provided:

An interpretative summary of testing results that support the diagnosis and the need for accommodations must be included in the report.

IV. Evidence that Supports the Necessity of Accommodations

In addition to the above information and in order for a student to receive disability accommodations, the report must also include the following information to support the need for accommodations.

1. Current educational impact:

The report must describe the current and significant impact of the learning disability on the individual’s academic functioning. Please note that accommodations are provided for a condition only when it imposes a substantial limitation as compared to the average population. Accommodations are not provided for (relative) weaknesses, areas needing improvement, below expectancy performance, or mild disabilities.

2. Accommodation recommendations and justifications:

The report should contain specific recommendations for academic accommodations and state why they are needed and how they mitigate the effects of the individual’s manifestations of the learning disability. Each recommendation should be correlated with specific functional limitations that have been documented in the assessment. All data must logically reflect the substantial limitation(s) to learning for which the individual is requesting accommodation.

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