Documentation Guidelines

Documentation submitted to the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) should be prepared by a qualified licensed or otherwise appropriately credentialed professional with expertise in the diagnosed condition. Documentation is used as part of the University's individualized, interactive process to establish the presence of a disability, describe the current functional limitations resulting from the disability, and identify the relationship between those limitations and the requested accommodation(s). The information provided assists SDS in determining reasonable accommodations that provide equal access to university programs, services, activities, housing, and academic settings. 

Documentation should be current when the condition or its functional impact may change over time and should include sufficient information to support the accommodation request. Diagnoses should be based on accepted clinical standards, including the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), or other professionally recognized diagnostic criteria, as appropriate. 

Comprehensive documentation helps facilitate a timely review and reduces unnecessary delays in determining eligibility and reasonable accommodations. While documentation is an important component of the review process, accommodation decisions are based on an individualized assessment of the student's disability-related functional limitations and are made in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Granted accommodations cannot fundamentally alter the technical standards and/or the essential functions and/or core standards of any academic program and/or any academic program’s curriculum, and/or graduation requirements, and/or accreditation requirements. 

Click the link(s) below to review specific documentation guidelines based on diagnosis.

• Attention Disorders Documentation Guidelines
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Documentation Guidelines
• Behavioral Health Documentation Guidelines
• Head Injury and/or TBI Documentation Guidelines
• Hearing Impairments Documentation Guidelines
• Learning Disorders Documentation Guidelines
• Physical and/or Systemic Disorders Documentation Guidelines
• Vision Impairments Documentation Guidelines

Documentation Requirements Overview 

Documentation submitted to the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) should provide sufficient information to support an individualized review of the student's request for accommodations. Documentation should be prepared by a qualified licensed or otherwise appropriately credentialed professional with expertise in the diagnosed condition.  

Qualified Professional

Documentation should:

• • • Be current, dated within 3 years.
    • Be completed by a professional qualified to diagnose and treat the condition within their scope of practice.
    • Include the evaluator's name, professional title, credentials, licensure (when applicable), signature, and date of evaluation.
    • Evaluations and diagnoses need to be completed by an impartial provider(s).  Evaluations and diagnoses from family members, even when the family member is a qualified professional, will not be accepted for professional and ethical reasons.  

Current Documentation 

Documentation should reflect the student's current level of functioning when the condition or its functional impact may change over time. While recent documentation is generally preferred, documentation will not be rejected solely because of its age. The relevance, completeness, and current applicability of the information will be considered during the individualized review process. Additional information may be requested if the documentation does not adequately describe the student's current functional limitations or support the requested accommodations. 

Comprehensive Documentation 

Documentation should include, when applicable: 

• A current diagnosis based on accepted clinical standards.
• A relevant history of the condition, including onset and duration, when appropriate.
• A description of the current functional limitations resulting from disability, particularly those affecting one or more major life activities and the educational environment.
• Information regarding current treatment, medications, assistive technology, or other support, if applicable.
• A description of any assessments, evaluations, or clinical methods used to support the diagnosis.
• Recommendations for accommodations, when provided, clearly explain the relationship between the student's disability-related functional limitations and the requested accommodations. 

Functional Limitations and Accommodation Requests 

Documentation should clearly describe how the disability substantially limits the student's functioning in the academic, clinical, residential, or university environment, as applicable. Recommendations should be directly related to documented functional limitations. A diagnosis alone does not automatically qualify a student for accommodations, and a history of previously approved accommodations does not, by itself, establish eligibility for accommodations in higher education. 

Individualized Review 

The Office of Student Disability Services evaluates each accommodation request through an individualized, interactive process. Documentation is considered alongside the student's self-report, history of accommodations, and other relevant information to determine reasonable accommodations that provide equal access under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Accommodations cannot be determined and/or implemented until sufficient documentation has been received, and the interactive review process has been completed.