Documentation for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) require the expertise of the following professionals who can diagnose this condition:
- Clinical psychologists
- Neuropsychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Other relevantly trained medical doctors, such as neurologists
Please have one of these aforementioned professionals complete the supporting documentation for your request for accommodations. Additionally, it is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own family. Relevant testing domains are noted below.
Since reasonable accommodations are based on the current impact of the disability, documentation must be current. In most cases, this means that a diagnostic evaluation must have been completed within three years using adult-normed instruments. Older information, while providing a history of impairment, will not adequately address the current impact of the disabling condition.
IEPs and 504 Plans, early psychoeducational evaluation reports, teacher comments, documentation from tutors or learning specialists may all be useful sources of information but, in and of themselves, are not considered clinical documentation for the purpose of granting accommodations.
The diagnostic assessment must consist of more than a self-report. Checklists and/or surveys can serve to supplement the diagnostic profile but in and of themselves are not adequate for the diagnosis of ADHD and do not substitute for clinical observations and sound diagnostic judgment. All data must logically reflect a substantial limitation to learning for which the individual is requesting the accommodation.
Assessments should include standardized measures for inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity as well as diagnostic information to demonstrate functional impairment in an educational setting. Cognitive, memory and executive functioning are all areas that should be addressed.
Submit documentation that includes the following information to the Request for Accommodations Form:
- The medical professional’s:
- Name
- Title
- Professional credentials
- Contact information
- License number/certification
- Area of specialization
- Address of place of employment
- A diagnostic evaluation completed within the past three (3) years using adult-normed instruments
- A clear diagnostic statement that:
- Describes how the condition was diagnosed
- Provides information on the functional impact
- Details the typical progression or prognosis of the condition
- A description of:
- Diagnostic criteria
- Evaluation methods
- Procedures
- Tests and dates of administration
- Clinical narrative, observation and specific results. When appropriate to the nature of the disability, having both summary data along with standard scores and/or percentiles within the report is essential.
- Specific recommendations for accommodations as well as an explanation as to why each accommodation is recommended
- A description of the impact the diagnosed disability has on a specific major life activity as well as the degree of significance of this impact on the individual. The evaluator should support recommendations with specific test results or clinical observations.
Relevant testing information must be provided.
The assessment of the individual must not only establish a diagnosis of ADHD but must also demonstrate the current impact of the ADHD on academic functioning in postsecondary education. In addition, psychoeducational assessment is important in determining the current impact of the disorder on an individual’s ability to function in academically related settings. The Disabilities Services Office views a complete psychoeducational assessment as the primary tool for determining the degree to which the ADHD currently impacts functioning in postsecondary education. Preferred instruments include, but are not limited to:
-
Aptitude/Cognitive Ability
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)
- Woodcock-Johnson-IV – Tests of Cognitive Ability
- Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale – Fifth Edition
Note: The Slosson Intelligence Test – Revised and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test are primarily screening devices, which are not comprehensive enough to provide the kinds of information necessary to make accommodation(s) decisions.
-
Academic Achievement
- Woodcock-Johnson-IV – Tests of Achievement
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Fourth Edition
- Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA)
Note: The Wide Range Achievement Test – 3 (WRAT-3) is not a comprehensive measure of achievement and therefore should not be used as the sole measure of achievement.
Assessment of cognitive or sensory processing such as those related to memory, language or attention (short- and long-term memory, auditory and visual processing and processing speed) must be assessed.
-
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition
- Woodcock-Johnson IV – Test of Cognitive Abilities
- Wechsler Memory Scale
- Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude – Adult (DTLA-A)