Disability Services

After paying the deposit, new students to Susquehanna will be provided with a Susquehanna email account. Your Susquehanna email will grant you access to the portal through My Nest to submit a formal request for accommodations. Don’t delay — early contact and timely requests help us support you through orientation and beyond.

Email or call 570-372-4412.

Need classroom, housing or dining accommodations at Susquehanna? Submit a Request for Accommodations Form to the Office of Disability Services, with supporting documentation from a qualified professional. After reviewing your documentation, a staff member will meet with you to discuss reasonable accommodations.

For information, review the Request for Accommodations Process and Documentation Guidelines in the following tabs.

Once you receive your Official Letter of Academic Accommodations from the Office of Disability Services, forward it to your professors and schedule a meeting, at a mutually agreed upon time, to discuss your approved academic accommodations. Students are discouraged from handing their professors their official letter after class or simply forwarding their letter without meeting. A brief discussion is key to making your accommodations work best.

Tips on how to talk to your professors about accommodations.

Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, based on official documentation and recommendations. To be eligible, your disability or condition must significantly impact a major life activity and there must be a direct connection between your disability or condition and the requested accommodations. Additional information may be required if your documentation is incomplete. Common accommodations may include extended testing time, reduced distraction testing environments and note-taking assistance.

Laws governing support services differ significantly between high school and college. While an IEP or 504 Plan may provide supplemental information, a current evaluation along with recommendations for accommodations is required to determine eligibility for reasonable accommodations in college.

Students who disagree with an accommodation decision may submit a written appeal within 10 business days. For academic matters, appeals must be submitted to the Provost, who will make a final decision. For non-academic matters, appeals must be submitted to the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, who make a final decision.

Appeals should include the original documentation, the Office of Disability Services response, and any additional supporting information. A written decision is typically provided within 15 business days. The original decision remains in effect during the review process.

Navigating accommodations changes between high school and college, and the major shift involves independence. In college, you are expected to rely on your own self-advocacy skills to communicate with faculty and obtain accommodations. Faculty and staff expect to work with you, rather than your parents. In addition, confidentiality laws require that communication between faculty and parents be much more restrictive.

As with other accommodations, you will need to provide medical documentation of your disability from a qualified professional explaining your access needs and recommending solutions. The Housing Accommodations Committee, a committee comprised of staff from the Office of Disability Services, Residential Life, Student Health Center and Counseling and Psychological Services, will review the student’s documentation and determine an appropriate and reasonable housing assignment. Please review additional information on our website under Housing Accommodations.

As with all requests for accommodations, you will need to submit medical documentation of your disability and recommendations of your accessibility needs to be reviewed and considered. For example, if you require audiobooks, e-texts or specialized software like speech-to-text, the specific accommodations will be discussed with you and a staff member in the Office of Disability Services.

At Susquehanna, we maintain high academic standards, and no academic requirements are waived. Students may be permitted to substitute courses. These cases are rare, however, and must be fully supported by qualified professionals in appropriate documentation.

While the Office of Disability Services cannot provide screenings for disabilities, some alternatives should be considered, like a private psychologist for potentially faster service. Check if your insurance covers this type of testing or contact your insurance agent and/or your medical doctor for a referral.

State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies also offer free eligibility assessments, though scheduling can be tricky. Remember, the Office of Disability Services doesn’t partner with these outside agencies, so you will handle scheduling and fees directly with them.

Things to keep in mind when deciding on a testing option:

• Did you bring Susquehanna’s documentation guidelines with you to the testing center?
• Will your insurance (or your family’s insurance) help with fees?
• Have you compared the costs of testing in the area?
• Have you checked to see if you have any previous record of a disability on file?
• Do you need a medical referral for testing?
• Are adult measures being used in your evaluation?

At Susquehanna, we’re dedicated to supporting students with disabilities and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified students with mental or psychiatric disabilities who receive benefits from Emotional Support Animals (ESA). Students with disabilities who have been approved by the Office of Disability Services to have an ESA on campus must adhere to the guidelines described on page 32 of the student handbook.

Working with our Office of Disability Services, you will need documentation from a qualified professional to establish the medical necessity for an ESA. Students are not permitted to keep an ESA in residential buildings without prior approval.

Learn more about our Service and Emotional Support Animal Policy.

We offer nutritious food options for all campus guests, including those with dietary restrictions, allergies and special diets. To ensure your needs are met, inform the dining team of your restrictions and schedule a meeting to create a personalized dining plan.

Always review ingredients and nutrition information, and ask the manager about any ingredient concerns. Carry your epinephrine autoinjector if prescribed, especially in self-service areas, and be aware of cross-contamination.

While we take great lengths to accommodate those with food allergies, we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment. Students (and parents/guardians/supporters) should bear in mind that, as a four-year residential college, all students living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan. Students in need of dietary modifications should not expect an exemption from this meal plan requirement. Please review additional information on our website, where you can also request a meeting with the dining team.

For specific guidelines on documentation, refer to the Documentation Guidelines tab, and select the disability (or disabilities) for which you are requesting accommodations.

Print the Healthcare Provider Form specific to the type of accommodation you are requesting and deliver or send it to your provider for completion. These forms are available on the Disability Accommodations page under Types of Accommodations in the drop-down menus. Letters from your healthcare provider written on professional letterhead are also accepted if the information contained in the professional letter is comprehensive and addresses all the components contained in the Healthcare Provider Form. Notes or scripts from your provider will not be accepted as appropriate documentation. Please follow the Documentation Guidelines.

Attach your documentation to your completed Disability Disclosure & Request for Accommodations Form and submit.

Your documentation will be reviewed to determine eligibility for any accommodations. Please allow for a minimum of three weeks to review all documentation. It is possible that you will be asked to provide additional documentation or that a consultation with an evaluator will be necessary before a decision can be made.

Students will receive a message from the Disability Services Office, through their Susquehanna email or a text message, to schedule a meeting with a Disability Services staff member once your request for accommodations and documentation has been reviewed. During the meeting, the student and the Disability Services staff member will discuss the accommodation request.

Students will receive an email following the meeting, reiterating the decision made about the accommodation request and any logistics discussed at the meeting.

Accompanying documentation (e.g., IEPs/504 plans, accommodation memos from SAT, ACT, GRE, etc., and/or letters from previous educational institution’s disability offices) are welcome to complement medical documentation; however, these supporting materials alone do not substantiate the need for accommodations and will not be accepted as approved documentation for a request for accommodations. Accommodations will not be approved if they alter the essential fundamental elements of a course.

For more information on how to request Academic Accommodations, please review the Documentation Guidelines above. If you have any questions, please reach out to our office at  or at 570-372-4412.

Types of Accommodations

Available academic accommodations include testing in a reduced distraction area, extended time for assignments, modified attendance and recorded lectures. These services will only be provided to students with documented disabilities who have been approved by the Office of Disability Services for that specific accommodation.

If you are requesting an accommodation for dietary and/or allergy-related needs, you must follow the three-step process outlined under Dining Accommodations on the Office of Disability Services website.

Process for Requesting Housing Accommodations

Housing accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, according to documented need in the supporting evidence, in addition to recommendations given in the medical documentation. Please be advised that students are not requesting a specific housing assignment, but rather a request for an accommodation.

The Housing Accommodations Committee, which is comprised of staff from the Office of Disability Services, Residential Life, Student Health Center and Counseling and Psychological Services, will review the student’s documentation and determine an appropriate and reasonable housing assignment.

The major objective of the Housing Accommodation Committee is to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to participate in residential life and to assess whether Susquehanna’s standard residential housing expectations cannot be met for a student due to substantial limitations that exist as a result of the student’s documented disability and current symptomology.

A student’s preference, rather than necessity, for a living environment or location will not be honored (e.g., a student with ADHD or a learning disability seeking a single room to serve as a quiet, undisturbed place to study represents a preference, but not a necessity). Accommodations are not granted solely on the recommendations of care providers, but on the documented functional limitations posed by the student’s disability under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Housing accommodations are not intended to resolve roommate conflicts, circumvent housing procedures, and/or satisfy housing preferences. Documentation must establish a clear link between the disability or disabilities and requested accommodation(s) and explain why regular housing options would not be sufficient to meet the needs of the student. While every effort is made to accommodate all approved requests, requests made during the semester may not be possible to implement as spaces (especially single rooms) are very limited. 

Please be advised that single rooms are reserved for individuals whose documentation illustrates substantial needs, and for whom a standard housing assignment with a roommate is not viable and cannot be addressed by alternative options. 

In determining the extent of a student’s limitation and whether the requested accommodation is reasonable (e.g., meets the threshold of necessity under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) the following is considered: 

• Whether the request is a disability-related need.
• the nature, severity, duration and impact of the student’s condition.
• The impact on the student’s health if the request were not granted.
• The care provider’s qualifications for making the recommended accommodations.
• Whether the request is an integral component of the current treatment plan for the condition.
• Whether the request is determined by the care provider to be essential (vs. beneficial).
• If there are any alternative options that will meet the student’s need(s). 

To submit a request for housing accommodations, please follow the three-step process above on this page. 

What does access vs. success mean when it comes to campus housing?

Here are some examples of requests when an accommodation would not be approved. In the following scenarios, the requested accommodation would be helpful or desirable and could improve chances of success, especially when the student’s disability makes these situations more difficult. But when, generally speaking, no student has access to the opportunity requested, the request is generally regarded as a fundamental alteration to the college housing program and legally not considered “Reasonable.” 

I have anxiety or depression, and I need a single residential hall room as a space to be alone or retreat to and decompress.

All Susquehanna University students are expected to seek out and discover places in their campus community to decompress, unwind, or process their emotions in places other than the room where they sleep. Here are several ideas:

• Explore the Center for Spirituality and Meaning for prayer, meditation and contemplation.
•  At Blough-Weis Library, use the VIP Center’s Wellness Room or reserve a “Chill Out” room
• Explore the offerings at the Amy E. Winans Center for Wellness on campus and join a meditation or Koru mindfulness class or a yoga session.
• Take respite in a Take 5 Relaxation Room on campus
• Find a private nook in the library or other academic buildings to read, think, write or draw.
• Visit Degenstein Campus Center to relax in a vibrating massage chair, have a picnic on the lawn and view the art displayed at Degenstein Art Gallery.
• Visit the sheep that roam freely in the solar panel field.
• Take laps on the indoor or outdoor all-weather track located at the Garrett Sports Complex or join an intramural sport team.
• Schedule relaxation time during your roommate’s classes or extracurricular activities.
• Explore downtown Selinsgrove, local coffee shops, eateries and the river on the Isle of Que.

I need a single room because I get too distracted when trying to study or do homework.

The University provides many, many places on campus where you can study alone in peace and quiet. Here are some ideas:

• Use the Blough-Weis Library and reserve a private study room.
• Discover the many nooks in academic buildings.
• Students may use available classrooms and seminar rooms for study sessions. To indicate that a room is in use, place a temporary sign on the door or write a note on the glass using a whiteboard marker.
• The Center for Academic Success study lounge is a quiet and peaceful place to study.

I need a single room because I need to have control over my space.

In typical housing, each student needs to recognize what is in their locus of control in a shared living experience. It is unreasonable to expect to be able to control the entire room. However, it is reasonable to expect to be able to control your own belongings and set boundaries with your roommate accordingly. All Susquehanna University students need to learn how to share a space and set boundaries and express them with their roommates. This is an extremely valuable skill when living in a residential community, such as Susquehanna University. However, it is a new skill for many students who have either been only children or have never had to share a room with a sibling. It gets easier with practice!

• Work with Residence Life for guidance on conversation starters and healthy boundary setting.

I need a single room because I had a really bad roommate before, and I’m scared that it will happen again.

Just about any college alum can recall a less-than-perfect roommate situation. It can happen, and it doesn’t make that past bad experience go away. However, it is possible to move on in a positive way. Taking what you can learn from a bad roommate situation and applying those lessons to a new situation is how to utilize a growth mentality to come through adversity.

• Make an appointment with Residence Life staff to discuss your fears or concerns; attend one of the Roommate Socials held for returning students for the purpose of meeting new roommate possibilities.
• Work with the Counseling and Psychological Services staff to talk through your past experiences and determine strategies and receive support for moving into a new roommate relationship.

I need a single room because I have medications I fear might be stolen.

All students should consider locking up valuables, including medications.

• Lock your room door when you leave.
• We recommend buying a lockbox or small safe to keep tucked away and out of sight.

I need a single room because I have food allergies and I need to make sure certain foods are not brought into my room.

We understand that students enjoy having snacks and drinks available within their rooms for convenience. However, there are designated areas on campus for students to have a meal.

• All students are advised to work collaboratively with the Dining Services staff on campus to discuss individual dietary needs, restrictions, and preferences
• Work with Residence Life staff for guidance on conversation starters and healthy boundary setting within your room.

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Susquehanna University has established procedures to ensure that students with documented disabilities have access to reasonable on-campus dietary accommodations.

Students (and parents/guardians/supporters) should bear in mind that, as a four-year residential college, all students living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan. Students in need of dietary modifications should not expect an exemption from this meal plan requirement. University Dining Services makes every effort to meet individual dietary needs.

Dietary modifications can be facilitated through University Dining Services, where every reasonable effort will be made to support a student’s documented dietary needs, while maintaining Susquehanna’s core belief that dining with fellow students is an important facet of life at a residential college. Dietary modifications that are currently available through University Dining Services offer a variety of foods that promote healthy lifestyles, including gluten-free and lactose-free options, meals for vegan diets as well as an allergen station. While Dining Services is committed to the dietary health of each student, it is the student’s responsibility to inquire about the ingredients in the foods served. In all Dining Service locations across campus, nutrition information is either posted or available upon request.

Please note that unused meal swipes at the end of the semester are not evidence that the suggested modification was not provided to the student.

How Will My Dietary Needs Be Met While Living on Campus?

STEP 1: Meet with the General Manager of Dining Services on Campus

Susquehanna University students must first request and schedule an appointment and meet with the university’s General Manager of Dining Services. This request can be made by completing and submitting the Request a Meeting with Dining Services form. Once the form is submitted, the General Manager of Dining Services will reach out to the student directly through the student’s Susquehanna email and schedule a date and time for a mutually agreed upon initial meeting to discuss the student’s dietary needs, available dining options and meal planning.

The initial meeting may include consultation with Susquehanna University’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, if appropriate, as well as a tour of Evert Dining Hall, if needed. During the initial meeting with Dining Services additional information will be made available to the student regarding the variety of eatery locations on campus available to all students, faculty, and staff. These include Benny’s Food Court, located in Degenstein Campus Center, which houses Bistro 58, Field and Fork, Firebox and Nosh, as well as Elle’s Eatery, located on University Avenue, and Bento Sushi, located within the James W. Garrett Sports Complex.

Please be aware that the student is expected to meet with the General Manager of Dining Services, or designee as outlined in this step to determine if a student’s dietary needs can be sufficiently met with the dining offerings available to all students on campus prior to any request for accommodations.

STEP 2: Submit your request for Dietary-based Dining Accommodations with Documentation

Sometimes students may have special needs based on documented health conditions which may necessitate dietary accommodations which extend the regular food offerings available to the campus community.

Therefore, if after meeting with the General Manager of Dining Services or designee, it is determined by the Dining Services staff a student’s dietary needs cannot be sufficiently met with the dining offerings readily available and will require a specialized diet or plan, the student will be advised to request Dietary-based Accommodations with the Office of Disability Services. This is accomplished by completing the Disability Disclosure and Request for Accommodations Form.

An official letter, written by your medical provider on their professional letterhead, dated and signed by your medical provider, outlining all the necessary information can be accepted as documentation as well.

STEP 3: Documentation Review

Once a request for Dining Accommodations is submitted to the Office of Disability Services, the Housing Accommodations Committee, a committee of professional staff representing the Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Residence Life as well as the Office of Disability Services, will review the Request for Accommodations, taking into full account the record of interactions between Dining Services Staff or contained in the professional’s letter, in determining reasonable dietary-based accommodations.

There must be a Dietary-based Disability documented and verified by a student’s medical provider to be considered for Dietary-based Dining Accommodations.

STEP 4: Notification

The Office of Disability Services will contact the requesting student and the General Manager of Dining Services about the recommendation and decision of the Housing Accommodations Committee to approve or deny a student’s request for Dietary-based Dining Accommodations. The decision will be sent to the student’s university email address and General Manager of Dining Services by way of DocuPhase, Inc.

A student denied a request for a Dietary-based Dining accommodation can file an Appeal with the Assistant Vice President of Student Life or designee at .

The following are some examples of Temporary Accommodations:

• Broken limbs
• Concussion
• Sprains
• Long Covid-19

Process for Requesting Temporary Accommodations

For those requesting the types of Temporary Accommodations noted above (e.g., broken limb, concussion, etc.), please submit a Request for Accommodations Form.

It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own family.

Susquehanna University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who seek to bring an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) to campus must adhere to the guidelines described on page 32 of the student handbook. Documentation from a qualified professional is necessary in determining the need for an ESA as part of the reasonable accommodation process conducted by the Office of Disability Services. Students are not permitted to keep Emotional Support Animals in residential buildings without prior approval as a reasonable accommodation through the Office of Disability Services. Please refer to the steps below to make a request for an ESA accommodation.

What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?

An Emotional Support Animal is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefits to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. The person seeking the Emotional Support Animal must have a verifiable disability (the reason cannot just be a need for companionship). The animal is viewed as a “reasonable accommodation” under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHA) to those housing communities that have a “no pets” rule. In other words, just as a wheelchair provides a person with a physical limitation the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, an Emotional Support Animal provides a person with a mental or psychiatric disability the same opportunity to live independently. Most times, an Emotional Support Animal will be seen as a reasonable accommodation for a person with such a disability.

What is the difference between an ESA and a Service Animal?

Service Animals are defined as dogs or miniature horses that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. These tasks can include things like pulling a wheelchair, guiding a person who is visually impaired, alerting a person who is having a seizure, or even calming a person who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The tasks a service dog can perform are not limited to this list. However, the work or task a service dog does must be directly related to the person’s disability. Service dogs may accompany persons with disabilities into places that the public normally goes. This includes state and local government buildings, businesses open to the public, public transportation, food-service facilities, and non-profit organizations open to the public. The law that allows a trained service dog to accompany a person with a disability is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal (typically a dog or cat, though this can include other species) that provides a therapeutic benefit. The animal provides emotional support to help mitigate symptoms of a psychiatric disability or other mental impairments. An ESA is not specifically trained to perform tasks for a person who has emotional disabilities. Unlike a service animal, an ESA is not automatically granted access to places of public accommodation.

Psychiatric disabilities require the expertise of one of the following professionals who can diagnose these conditions:

• Psychologists
• Neuropsychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Neuropsychiatrists
• Licensed Professional Counselors /Licensed Social Workers
• Other relevantly trained medical doctors

It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own family.

Note: Documentation needs to demonstrate that the student is under the care of a mental health professional and that they have a therapeutic relationship. Purchasing documentation from a website or a therapist you are not currently being treated by is not sufficient documentation.

Process for Requesting an Emotional Support Animal

Submit the following with your Request for Accommodations form:

• Roommate/Suitemate Agreement
• Vaccination/Veterinarian records
• Healthcare Provider Form

All dogs in Pennsylvania must be licensed if they are three months of age or older.

To stay in compliance with Pennsylvania law, if an accommodation for an ESA is approved through the Office of Disability Services, specifically a dog that is more than three months of age, the student will need to provide evidence of the animal’s license to the Office of Residence Life before the animal being permitted to reside on campus.

Licenses are issued by the county treasurer, and new tags must be displayed by January 1 of each year. Licenses are available annually or for life and can be purchased in person at the treasurer’s office, by mail or online.

Diagnosing any physical, medical, or chronic health condition requires expertise of the following professionals:

• A physician
• Another medical specialist with experience and expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested

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.

Blindness or Low Vision requires the expertise of the following professionals who can diagnose or provide information regarding this condition:

• Ophthalmologists
• Optometrists

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.

Deafness or Hard of Hearing requires the expertise of the following professionals who can diagnosis these conditions:

• Physicians
• Otorhinolaryngologists
• Otologists
• Audiologists

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.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) requires the expertise of the following professionals who can diagnose this condition:

• Developmental pediatrician
• Developmental medical doctor
• Neuropsychologist
• Psychiatrist

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.

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
• Documentation within the last five (5) years and age-appropriate to determine the need for accommodations and/or services based on the individual’s current level of functioning in the educational setting
• A clear diagnostic statement that describes how the condition was diagnosed
• Information on the functional impact
• A specific diagnosis that conforms to the DSM-5, including the criterion for Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Current functional limitations on major life activities resulting from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These may include but are not limited to:
  • Communication or language skill
  • Social interactions
  • Restricted, repetitive and/or stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests or activities
  • Sensory functioning, especially sensitivity to environmental conditions that may be present in an educational setting
  • Motor skills and planning
  • Evidence to support the functional limitations statement
• Recommended accommodations
• Detailed account of how these accommodations will assist this student so they have equal, appropriate and reasonable access to services and programs

Relevant testing domains should include an assessment of:

• Cognition
• Executive functioning
• Expressive and receptive language and communication
• Psychiatric, personality and behavior
• Sensory-motor integration
• Attention/Memory/Learning
• Visual-perceptual motor skills
• Academic achievement

Documentation for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) requires 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.

• Information Processing

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)

Learning disabilities require the expertise of the following professionals who can diagnose this condition:

• Clinical Psychologists
• School Psychologists
• Educational Psychologists
• Neuropsychologists

Professionals who DO NOT meet criteria for evaluation for learning disabilities include:

• Educational Specialists
• School Counselors
• Vocational Counselors
• Social Workers
• Speech and Language Specialists
• Occupational Therapists
• Psychiatrists
• Physicians

Please have one of the 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.

Acceptable instruments required to request accommodations for these diagnoses are listed below.

Submit documentation that includes the following information to the Request for Accommodations Form:

• The evaluator’s:
  • Name
  • Title
  • Professional credentials
  • Contact information
  • License number/certification
  • Area of specialization
  • Address of place of employment
• An evaluation administered within three (3) years from the student’s enrollment date
• A comprehensive report with test scores and a clear diagnosis of a significant impairment
• Standard scores and percentiles for all normed measures. (Grade equivalents are not acceptable unless standard scores and/or percentiles are also included.)
• Evidence of a significant discrepancy in cognitive/achievement and in information processing that demonstrates a substantial limitation for which an accommodation is recommended
• A clearly stated diagnosis (DSM-V diagnostic criteria)
• A description of functional limitations impacting learning
• Recommended accommodations for this student, so they have equal, appropriate and reasonable access to services and programs

If the student also has a dual diagnosis with ADHD, additional behavioral measures may be helpful to support the diagnosis.

NOTE:

• Screening instruments such as the WASI (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence) or WRAT (Wide Range Achievement Test) are not comprehensive measures of achievement and therefore is not acceptable if used as the only measure of achievement.

Intellectual Functioning

A complete intellectual assessment is required with all sub-tests and standard scores.

The preferred instruments are:

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition
• Woodcock-Johnson IV – Tests of Cognitive Abilities
• Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale – Fifth Edition

Achievement

A complete achievement battery, with all subjects and standard scores, should be provided. The battery should include current levels of academic functioning in reading, decoding and comprehension, mathematics, and written language. Scores reflecting measure of fluency should be provided.

Acceptable instruments include, but are not limited to:

• Woodcock-Johnson IV – Tests of Achievement
• Nelson-Denny Reading Test
• Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA)
• Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Fourth Edition

Information Processing

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.

Acceptable instruments include, but are not limited to:

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition
• Woodcock-Johnson IV – Test of Cognitive Abilities
• Wechsler Memory Scale

Psychiatric disabilities require the expertise of one of the following professionals who can diagnose these conditions:

• Psychologists
• Neuropsychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Licensed Professional Counselors
• Licensed Social Workers
• Other relevantly trained medical doctors

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.