Any physical disability or chronic health condition is considered to be in the medical domain and requires expertise of a physician, neurologist, or other medical specialist with experience and expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested. The diagnostician must be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student. The name, title, and credentials of the qualified professional writing the report should be included.
Due to the fluctuating nature of some chronic health conditions, students may be required to provide a physician's follow up letter on an annual basis in order to determine continued eligibility to receive academic accommodations. The following guidelines are provided to assist the Office of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations.
Documentation should include:
- A clear statement of the medical diagnosis or chronic health condition.
- A description of present symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis.
- Documentation for eligibility must reflect the current impact the physical disability or chronic health condition has on the student's level of functioning and the need for the requested accommodation (date of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the student's request for accommodations, and the current status of the student).
- A link must be established between the requested accommodations and the functional limitations of the individual.
- A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis, including evaluation results and standardized scores if applicable.
- Medical information should include the impact of medication on the student's ability to meet the demands of the post secondary environment.
Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated.
Source: The Policy Book, LRP Publications, 2000