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Verification
of A Learning Disability in Adults
I.
Documentation Requirements
| A. |
A Qualified Professional Must Conduct the Evaluation
Professionals conducting evaluations and rendering diagnoses
or diagnostic impressions of and making recommendations for
accommodations must be qualified to do so. Generally, clinical
or educational psychologists, neuro-psychologists, physicians
with training and experience in the assessment of learning problems
in adults, and relevantly trained licensed professional counselors
are considered qualified. Use of diagnostic terminology indicating
a specific learning disability by someone whose training and
experience are not in these fields is generally not acceptable.
Finally, the name, title, and credentials of the qualified professional
writing the report should be included. Information about license
or certification, as well as the area of specialization, employment,
and state or province in which the individual practices, should
also be clearly stated in the documentation. All reports should
be in English, typed or printed on professional letterhead,
dated, and signed.
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| B. |
Documentation
Must Be Current
Reasonable accommodations and services are based on the assessment
of the current impact of the disability on academic performance.
In most cases an evaluation must have been completed within
the last three years. There is
some flexibility in accepting documentation that is older if
the previous assessment is applicable to the current or anticipated
situation. More recent documentation may be required if changes
have occurred in the individual’s performance, etc. since
the previous assessment. Students who submit documentation that
is not current, adequate, or does not address he current level
of in functioning will be required to update the evaluation
or submit a new report. If updated or a new report submitted,
the requirements are the same for information received. It is
understood that once a person is diagnosed as having a qualified
learning disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act
the disability is normally viewed as life-long. Although the
learning disability will continue, the severity of the condition
may change over time.
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| C. |
Documentation
Necessary to Substantiate the Learning Disability Must be Comprehensive
Documentation must validate the need for services based on the
candidate's current level of functioning in the educational
setting. A school plan such as an individualized education program
(IEP) or a 504 plan is insufficient documentation in and of
itself but can be included as part of a more comprehensive assessment
battery. A comprehensive assessment battery and the resulting
diagnostic report must include a diagnostic interview, assessment
of aptitude, measure of academic achievement and information
processing. |
| |
| 1. |
Diagnostic
Interview - Because learning disabilities are commonly
manifested during childhood, though not always formally
diagnosed, relevant historical information regarding the
candidate's academic history and learning processes in
school prior to postsecondary education must be investigated
and documented. An evaluation2/16/04 report should include
the summary of a comprehensive diagnostic interview by
a qualified evaluator. A combination of candidate self-report,
interviews with others, and historical documentation,
such as transcripts and standardized test scores, is recommended.
The evaluator must provide a summary that includes: |
| |
| a. |
a description of the presenting problem(s); |
| b. |
developmental
history; relevant medical history, including the
absence of a medical basis for the present symptoms; |
| c. |
academic
history including results of prior standardized
testing; |
| d. |
reports
of classroom performance; |
| e. |
relevant
family history, including primary language of the
home and the candidate's current level of fluency
of English; |
| f. |
relevant
psychosocial history; relevant employment history;
a discussion of dual diagnosis, alternative or co-existing
mood, behavioral, neurological, and/or personality
disorders along with any history of relevant medication
use that may affect the individual's learning; |
| g. |
and
exploration of possible alternatives that may mimic
a learning disability when, in fact, one is not
present. |
|
| 2. |
Assessment - The neuropsychological or psycho educational
evaluation for the diagnosis of a specific learning disability
must provide clear and specific evidence that a learning
disability does or does not exist. Assessment, and any
resulting diagnosis, must consist of and be based on a
comprehensive assessment battery that does not rely on
any one test or subtest.
|
|
| D. |
Objective
evidence of a substantial limitation to learning must be provided.
A list of diagnostic tests and instruments that may be used
to supplement the clinical interview and support of functional
limitations are included in Subchapter 11-900. Minimally, the
domains to be addressed must include the following: |
| |
| 1. |
Aptitude/Cognitive Ability
A complete intellectual assessment with all subtests and
standard scores reported is essential. |
| 2. |
Academic Achievement - A comprehensive academic achievement
battery is essential, with all subtests and standard scores
reported for those subtests administered. The battery
must include current levels of academic functioning in
relevant areas such as reading (decoding and comprehension),
mathematics, and oral and written language. |
| 3. |
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
addressed. |
| 4. |
Documentation
Must Include a Specific Diagnosis - Documentation must
be consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for diagnosis
of the disorder(s). Nonspecific diagnoses 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.
The evaluator is encouraged to use direct language in
the diagnosis and documentation of a learning disability. |
| 5. |
Actual
test scores from standardized instruments must be provided
- standard scores and/or percentiles must be provided
for all normed measures. Grade equivalents must be accompanied
with standard scores and/or percentiles. The data must
logically reflect a substantial limitation to learning
for which the student is requesting the accommodation.
The particular profile of the candidate's strengths and
weaknesses must be shown to relate to functional limitations
that may necessitate accommodations. The tests used must
be reliable, valid, and standardized for use with an adult
population. The test findings must document both the nature
and severity of the learning disabilities. Informal inventories,
surveys, and direct observation by a qualified professional
may be used in tandem with formal tests in order to further
develop a clinical hypothesis. |
| 6. |
Each Accommodation Recommended by the Evaluator Must Include
a Rationale - It is important to recognize that accommodation
needs can change over time and are not always identified
through the initial diagnostic process. Conversely, a
prior history of accommodation, without demonstration
of a current need, does not in and of itself warrant the
provision of a like accommodation. The diagnostic report
must include specific recommendations for accommodation(s)
as well as a detailed explanation of why each accommodation
is recommended. The evaluator(s) must describe the impact
the diagnosed learning 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. |
| 7. |
An
interpretative summary must be provided - A well-written
diagnostic summary based on a comprehensive evaluative
process is a necessary component of the report. A clinical
summary must include: |
| |
| a.) |
Indication
that the evaluator ruled out alternative explanations
for academic problems, such as poor education, poor
motivation and/or study skills, emotional problems,
attentional problems, and cultural/language differences |
| b.) |
Indication
of how patterns in cognitive ability, achievement,
and information processing are used to determine
the presence of a learning disability |
| c.) |
Indication
of the substantial limitation to learning presented
by the learning disability and the degree to which
it affects the individual in the testing context
for which accommodations are being requested |
| d.) |
Indication of why specific accommodations are needed
and how the effects of the specific disability are
mediated by the accommodations. |
|
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(Adapted
from Educational Testing Service Disability Guidelines for Documentation,
Princeton, New Jersey, 2001)
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