Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and assured services. In order to establish that an individual is covered under the ADA, the documentation must indicate that the disability substantially limits some major life activity, including learning.

The following documentation guidelines are provided in the interest of ensuring that documentation of a disability demonstrates an impact on a major life activity and supports the request for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.

• Important Related Information
• Specific Learning Disabilities Guidelines
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADD / ADHD) Guidelines
• Psychiatric / Psychological Disabilities Guidelines
• Physical Disabilities / Systemic Illness and other Medical conditions Guidelines
• Head Injury / Traumatic Brain Injury Disabilities Guidelines
• Deaf / Hard of Hearing Guidelines
• Blind / Low Vision Guidelines

Important related information

Accommodations cannot be implemented until the student’s file with Disability Services is complete. A complete file includes the Request for Services form and appropriate documentation.

Prior history of an accommodation in K-12 schooling or another college does not, in and of itself, warrant its continued provision. An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan is not sufficient documentation of a disability.

Requests for services and / or accommodations must be initiated by the student by contacting the Disability Services Office of RIT and submitting a Request for Services form. Accommodations will be determined collaboratively by the student and the Coordinator of Disability Services.

Because the provision of all reasonable accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the current impact of the disability on academic performance, it is in an individual's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. In most cases, this means that a diagnostic evaluation has been completed within the past three years. Flexibility in accepting documentation which exceeds a three-year period may be considered under certain conditions if the previous assessment is applicable to the current or anticipated setting.

If documentation is inadequate in scope or content, or does not address the individual's current level of functioning and need for accommodation, reevaluation may be warranted. Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing disabilities or disabling conditions are indicated. Furthermore, changes may have occurred in the individual's performance since previous assessment, or medication(s) may have been prescribed or discontinued since the previous assessment was conducted. In such cases, it may be necessary to update the evaluation report. The update should include a detailed assessment of the current impact of the disability or condition and interpretive summary of relevant information and the previous diagnostic report.

All documentation submitted to the Disability Services Office of RIT is confidential.

Specific Learning Disabilities

RIT has adopted the AHEAD guidelines in assessing students with learning disabilities. In accordance with these guidelines, the following information must be included in reports:

1. Professionals conducting the assessments must be qualified. The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification as well as the area of specialization, must be clearly stated in the documentation.
2. Documentation should be recent and validate the need for services based on the student's current level of functioning (it is suggested that the documentation not be older than three (3) years). The evaluation should include a diagnostic interview, assessment of aptitude, academic achievement, information processing and a diagnosis. An IEP or 504 plan without supporting data is insufficient.
3. Evidence of substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity must be provided. Minimally, the domains to be addressed must include the following:
• Aptitude - a complete, adult normed intellectual assessment with all subtests and standard scores reported.
• Academic Achievement - a comprehensive academic achievement battery is essential with all subtests and standard scores reported for those subtests administered. The battery should include current levels of academic functioning in relevant areas such as reading (decoding and comprehension), mathematics, and oral and written language.
• 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 and motor ability) should be assessed.
4. Individual learning styles, learning differences, academic problems, and test difficulty or anxiety, in and of themselves do not constitute a learning disability. It is important to rule out alternative explanations for problems in learning such as emotional, attentional or motivational problems that may be interfering with learning but do not constitute a learning disability.
5. Standard scores and/or percentiles should be provided for all normed measures. The data should logically reflect a substantial limitation to learning for which the student is requesting the accommodation.
6. A well-written diagnostic summary based on a comprehensive evaluation process is a necessary component of the report. It is essential that professional judgment be utilized in the development of a clinical summary. The clinical summary should include:
• demonstration of the evaluator's having ruled out explanations for academic problems as a result of poor education, poor motivation and/or study skills, emotional problems, attentional problems and cultural/language differences;
• indication of how patterns in the student's cognitive ability, achievement and information processing reflect the presence of a learning disability;
• indication of the substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity presented by the learning disability and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested;
• Indication as to why specific accommodations are needed and how the effects of the specific disability are accommodated.

*AHEAD "Guidelines for Documentation of a Learning Disability in Adolescents and Adults" - July 1997

Specific Learning Disabilities Guidelines [PDF]

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is considered a medical or clinical diagnosis. Generally, individuals qualified to render a diagnosis for this disorder are practitioners who have been trained in the assessment of ADD/ADHD and are experienced in assessing the needs of adult learners. Recommended practitioners may include developmental pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical or educational psychologists, family physicians or a combination of such professionals. The diagnostician should be impartial and not a family member.

The following guidelines are provided to assist us in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as the foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of ADD/ADHD according to the DSM-IV diagnosis and a description of supporting present symptoms and, if pertinent, past symptoms.
2. A narrative summary which includes:
1. Assessment procedures and evaluation instruments, including all test scores, used to make the diagnosis.
2. The functional limitations and impairments related to the diagnosis and medical treatment of the condition including medication, which affect the student’s current level of functioning in the university environment.
3. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that have been or might be appropriate at the post-secondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis.
4. The evaluator is encouraged to investigate and discuss the possibility of dual diagnoses, and alternative or co-existing mood, behavioral, neurological, and/or personality disorders which may confound the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. This process should include exploration of possible alternative diagnoses, and medical and psychiatric disorders as well as educational and cultural factors impacting the individual which may result in behaviors mimicking an Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
3. Documentation should be current, preferably within the last three years.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADD / ADHD) Guidelines [PDF]

Psychiatric / Psychological Disabilities

Psychiatric and psychological disabilities include but are not limited to: Depressive Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar Disorders, and Disassociative Disorders.

A diagnosis by a licensed mental health professional including licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional counselor (LPC), psychologists, psychiatrists, or neurologists is required and must include the license number. The diagnostician must be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following guidelines are provided to assist us in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation services as the foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of the disability, including the DSM-IV diagnosis and a summary of present symptoms.
2. Documentation should be current.
3. Medical information relating to the student’s needs to include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the post-secondary environment.
4. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the post-secondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis.

Psychiatric / Psychological Disabilities Guidelines [PDF]

Physical Disabilities / Systemic Illnesses / Other Medical Conditions

Physical disabilities, systemic illnesses and other medical conditions include, but are not limited to: mobility impairments, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, chemical sensitivities, spinal cord injuries, cancer, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, and spina bifida.

Any physical disability and systemic illness is considered to be in the medical domain and require the expertise of a physician, including a neurologist, psychiatrist or other medical specialist with experience and expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested. The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following guidelines are provided to assist us in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation services as the foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of the medical diagnosis of the physical disability or systemic illness.
2. Documentation should be current.
3. A description of present symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis.
4. Medical information relating to the student’s needs to include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the post-secondary environment.
5. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the post-secondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis.

Physical Disabilities / Systemic Illness and other Medical conditions Guidelines [PDF]

Head Injury / Traumatic Brain Injury Disabilities

Head injury or traumatic brain injury are considered medical or clinical diagnoses. Individuals qualified to render a diagnosis for these disorders are practitioners who have been trained in the assessment of head injury or traumatic brain injury. Recommended practitioners may include physicians, neurologists, licensed clinical, rehabilitation, and school psychologist; neurophysiologists and psychiatrists. The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following guidelines are provided to assist us in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as the foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of the head injury or traumatic brain injury and the probable site of lesion.
2. Documentation should be current.
3. A summary of cognitive and achievement measures used and evaluation results including standardized scores or percentiles used to make the diagnosis.
4. A summary of present residual symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis.
5. Medical information relating to the student’s needs, to include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the post-secondary environment.
6. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the post-secondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis.

Head Injury / Traumatic Brain Injury Disabilities Guidelines [PDF]

Deaf / Hard of Hearing

The Disability Services Office of RIT provides services to deaf and hard-of-hearing students accepted into RIT and deaf and hard-of-hearing students with additional disabilities accepted into NTID. An audiologist who is not a member of the student’s family is considered a qualified professional.

The following guidelines are provided to assist us in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation services as the foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of deafness or hearing loss, with a current audiogram that reflects the impact the deafness or hearing loss has on the student's functioning,
2. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and a narrative summary of evaluation results, if appropriate,
3. Medical information relating to the student's needs, the status of the individual's hearing (static or changing) and its impact on the demands of the academic program.
4. A statement regarding the use of hearing aids or other devices (if appropriate).
5. Documentation should be current.
6. Name, address, phone number and title and/or credentials of audiologist.
7. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the post-secondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis.

Deaf / Hard of Hearing Guidelines [PDF]

Blind / Low Vision

Ophthalmologists are the primary professionals involved in diagnosis and medical treatment of individuals who are legally blind or experience other vision disabilities. Optometrists provide information regarding the measurement of visual acuity as well as tracking fusion difficulties (including, but not limited to eye movement disorders, inefficiency in using both eyes together, and misalignment of the eyes, lazy eye, focusing problems, visual sensory disorders and motor integration). The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following guidelines are provided to assist us in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations. Documentation serves as the foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Recommended documentation includes:

1. A clear statement of vision-related disability with supporting numerical description.
2. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and a summary of evaluation results, including standardized or percentile scores.
3. Present symptoms that meet criteria for diagnosis.
4. Medical information relating to the student’s needs and the status of the individual’s vision (static or changing) and its impact on the demands of the academic program.
5. Narrative or descriptive text providing both quantitative and qualitative information about the student’s abilities that might be helpful in understanding the student’s profile, including the use of corrective lenses and ongoing visual therapy (if appropriate).
6. Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the post-secondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis.

Blind / Low Vision Guidelines [PDF]